Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-05-28

passea away? Tie dare not call In an
local medical man. but his inventive brai
had overcome the difficulty, and had hi
upon device by which he might def
both doctors and coroner If all went u
ht had planned it, it was difficult to Sc
any chance of detection. In the case o
a poorer man the fact that the girl
money reverted to him might arouse suspi
cion, but he rightly argued that with hi
great reputation no one would ever dream
that such a consideration could hav,
weight with him.
Having sent the telegram off and 81
taken a final step, John Girdlestone fel
more at his ease. He was proud of his
own energy and decision. AS he walked
very pompously and gravely down the
village street his heart glowed within hin
at the thought of sle long struggle which
he had maintained against misfortune. He
passed over in his mind all the successive
| borrowings and speculations and make
| shifts and ruses which the firm had resort
ed to-
Yet in spite of every danger and diff
Guilty it still held up its head with the
best, and would weather the storm at last
lie reflected proudly that there was no
other man in the city who would have had
the dogged tenacity and the grim resou-
tion which he had displayed during the
last twelve months. IF ever any one
should put it all in book" he said to
himself, there are few who would believe
it possible 1t is not by my own strength
that | have done it,"
When he was half way to the Priory
he met a small pony carriage which was
rafting towards Bedsworth at a great
pace, driven by good-looking mddle-aged
lady with a small page by her side. The
merchant encountered this equipage in a
narrow country lane without footpath.
and as it approached him he could not
help observing that the lady wore an in
dgnant and gloomy look upon her fea-
lures which was out of keeping with their
general contour. Her forehead was con-
tracted into very decided frown, and her
lips were gathered into what might be de-
scribed as a negative smile. Girdlestone
stood aside to let her pass, but the lady
by a sudden twtch of her right hand rein
brought the wheels across in so sudden
manner that they were within an ace of
going over his toes. He only saved him
self by springing back into gap of the
hedge. As it was. he found on looking
down that his pearl-grey trousers were
covered with flakes of wet mud. What
made the incident more perplexing was
that both the middle-aged lady and the
page laughed very Heartily as they ratified
away to the village The merchant pro
ceeded on his way marveling in his heart
at the uncharitableness and innate wick
etlness of unregenprated human nature.
Good Mrs Scully little dreamed of the
urgency of the case Had she seen the
tt iegram which John Girdlestone had just
it is conceivable that she
might have read between the words, and
by acting more promptly have prevented
terrible crime. AS a matter of fact. with
all her sympathy the worthy woman had
taken n large part of Rates story with
the proverbial grain of salt. 1t seemed
to her to be incredible and impossible that
in this nineteenth century such thing
as deliberate and carefully planned muir
der should occur in Christian England.
That these things occur in the abstract
we are ready to admit, but we find it very
difficult to realize that they may come
within the horizon of our own expert
ance. Hence Mrs. Sculy set no impor-
-ance upon Hates fears for her life, and
put them down to the excited state of the
girls imagination. She did consider it.
however. to be a very iniquitous and un-
llstfiable thing that young girl should
,e cooped up and separated from all the
world in such a very dreary place of Sc
.lusion as the Priory. This consideration
md nothing more serious had set that
ook of wrath upon her pleasant face, and
lad stirred her up to Illustrate Girdle-
stone and to communicate with kates
'rcnds.
Her intention had been to telegraph to
.ondon. but as she drove to Bedsworth |
he bethought her how impossible it would
)e for her within the limits of a telegram
O explain to her satisfaction all that she |
3anted to express. A letter, she reflected, |
WOULD if posted now. reach the major by
he first post on Saturday morning. 1t |
, ould simply mean a few hours delay in |
he taking of steps to relieve Kate, and |
What difference could few hours more or
ess make to the girl? She determined. |
h .refore. that she would write to the ma
or. explaining all the circumstances and |
cave it to him what course of action |
should be pursued.
Mrs. Scully was well known at the post
,ffice, and they quickly accommodated
Ter with the requisites for correspond
nee. Within quarter of an hour she
lad written, sealed. stamped and posted
he following eplstle:
Dearest Toby-Who do you think !
lave come across down here? No less
person than that Miss Harston who was
iirdlestone's ward. You used to talk
bout her, | remember, and indeed you
we're great admirer of hers. You would
,e surprised if you saw her now, so thin
md worn and pale. Still her face is very
weet and pretty, so | won't deny your
aid your addresses to me?
Her guardian has brought her down
lere and has locked her up in a great
leak house called the Priory. She has
10 one to speak TO- and is not allowed to
write letters. She seemed to be heart
roken because none of her friends know
where she is, and she fears that they may
imagine that she has willingly deserted
hem. OF course, by her friends she
leans that curly-headed Mr. Dimsdale
hat Won smoke of The moor Girl iS in n