Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-08-19

two a. m, he agreeing to see them safe
~ away. Ellen fleo, Strathgate driving.
He attempted to take her to his castle.
but she left him stunned in the road
when the carriage met with an accident.
She and Debbie then struck out for
Portsmouth, where she intended to sail
for America.
CHAPTER ViI.-Continued.
Suddenly Darlington thought of the
door not often used that opened into
the hall from her bedroom. He
cursed himself for fool for not hav-
ing thought of it before. He ran
thither at once in spite of the fact
that his conduct was attracting the
attention of the servants passing to
and fro about their various duties.
He tried the handle of the door.
which was shut, and found it was un-
locked. He threw it open. The bed
had not been tenanted, yet Ellen had
certainly undressed, for the gown and
other things she had worn the night
before lay in tumbled, confused
heap on the floor just where she had
kicked them off, -..-...
My lady's desk stood open before
him. A piece of paper caught his
eye. He dropped the Slipper, darted
toward it, opened the paper, which
was addressed to him, and read the
following:
1.-THE enclosed pays my last debt to
Lord Darlington. When he reads this,
shall be on the way to my own land.
With the money which he won, he can
buy himself Lady Cecily without the for
mality of g marriage ceremony and in
her arms he can forget the woman he
shamed, whom he once loved and who
once loved him.
From the paper as he had torn it
open, an Enclosure had fallen. He
stopped and picked it up. It was the
cheque on Ellen's bankers for twenty
odd thousand pounds. My lords brain
reeled as he stared from the cheuue
to the note. 1t was as if he had
been struck some powerful blow over
the heart and was for the moment
paralyzed. He sank down in a chair
and gazed stupidity about him in great
bewilderment
And then he heard his name called.
MY lord, my lord!"
It was the aged butler coming up
the stairs, white-faced and painting.
What is it, Jepson?" cried Car
rington, confronting the man. Speak
out. What has happened?"
Zone of the footmen. Thomas. nv
lord, has just come in from the stables.
He says that he found the three stable
boys who were there last night bound
and gagged"
What" cried Lord Darlington.
That's not all, sir,'' continued the
faithful Jepson, "the coachman-"
HAS he gone?' queried the earl.
mo, my lord. He was bound and
gagged, too, in the coach house,
who did it?'
HE says the earl of Strathgate."
Impossible" protested Darlington,
fighting against the awful suspicion
that entered his heart.
Its quite true, my lord"
Darlington dashed back madly into
his wife's room. He had known that
she had hanging in her closet the
sailors suit which she had worn on
her cruises with him. A dark suspi-
cion had come to him. He tore open
the door of the closet and tore from
the hooks one after another the gor-
geous dresses which hung there. He
did not find what he sought. She
had evidently worn it away. He
turned from the room, ran through the
hall and down the fight of stairs to
the library. The coachman awaited
him.
who was with Strathgate when he
bound you last night?"
"A young man, take it, my lud,"
answered the coachman. 1.-The room
was dark, with only the freight,
and couldn't see very well. Lord
Strathgate threatened me with a pis-
tol, or I'd have made outcry and
resistance. He kept me covered with
my head turned away. The young man
handed him straps to lash me-"
you coward!" cried Darlington,
fiercely turning on the man.
Il beg your pardon, your lordship.
I'm afeard Of no man who comes at
me with his fists, but that pistol"
He threw open the door and the
three boys came in.
who was with Lord Strathgate last
night?" questioned Darlington fiercely.
The stable boys shuffled uneasily.
by heaven!" cried Darlington in
tones of thunder, answer me or I'll
have you flogged all over the place. :"
Twas slight young man." said
one Of them, finally. I'VE didn't rec
ognize who it was" he continued,
boldly lying. Lord Strathgate is a
very imperious man and he covered us
with his pistol and swore If we made
a sound he'd blow our brains out. and
the young man tied our hands and the
two of 'em gagged u.s.
Couldn't you see who the young
man wasp
mo, my lud: not in the dark
Which team did they take?" said
Darlington, cutting in.
"The bays. my lud."
'The bays! The best team in the
stable! md the travelling carriage?"