Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-21

When ! reached Vincents room /
knocked twice, and, receiving no an
swer, entered, and was somewhat
alarmed TO find that he was not there,
though his bed had been slept in
Anxious, without knowing why l tore
downstairs and called for Mrs Armi-
stead That good lady met me at the
foot Of the stairs in answer to my sum
mons, with an air as anxious as my
own.
Have you see Lord Vincent?" I
asked her.
Have you seen my secretary" she
replied, without answering my ques-
ton. She's not in her room, though
her bed has been slept in. But she
hasn't had her breakfast, and l can't
find her anywhere"
you don't mean it," I calculated,
and sickening fear turned me cold.
Perhaps this has something to do
with it." said Mrs. Armistead. 81
found it on the front hall table under
meath the mail bag"
Her anxiety was apparently sincere,
and yet somehow it rang false to me.
With impatient fingers l seized the
folded paper she drew from her reti-
cule. 1t read az follows:
Dear Old Arch: Sorry 10 deceive
you so, but I've gone and done it-that
rash, foolish thing you told me not to
do; at least, by the time you get this
note the deed will be done. And I so
dreaded your reproaches that l never
so much as asked you to be the best
man. But | couldn't help IT, Arch, hon
est / couldn't. Not to save my soul.
She shouldn't have had eyes like stars
ana hair like autumn leaves. AS for the
money, hang the stuffy old millions, /
say! Every pound Of it is so many
glass beads TO me in comparison to
what / have this day gained. I wish
you joy of them and of the Honorable
Agatha. Dear old boy, forgive me if
you can; and if you want to do me one
last favor come down to the station
in time TO meet the eleven-seventeen
for London and hear my last injunc-
tions VINCENT"
When did you find this?" l gasped.
But | didn't wait to hear her reply,
for a glance at the hall clock told me
that it was five minutes of eleven. Bare
headed 1 rushed around 20 the stables
and fortunately found Christopher just
putting the mare into the dogcart.
Get in" / yelled, "and drive like SIM"
"Sin, sir? Where, sir?" asked Chris
topher
'The station" l cried, jumping up
beside him; and we flew down the
winding drive at pace that I would
not think of attempting in cold blood.
Through Mrs. Armistead's criminal
5a1ayy in
valuable minutes had been wasted, yet
| thought | should still be in time per-
haps to save Vincent from carrying
out the last fatal step Of his incredible
folly. 1t might not be too late to part
them, for in spite of what he had said
in his note | could not believe that the
worst had actually happened. AS we
approached the last strip of woods be-
fore we reached the station l caught
sight of a puff of white smoke down
the track. A moment later, when we
drew up at the platform, the great
locomotive Numbered into the station,
and there, at the other end of the plat
form, | saw them. There was Vim
cent, clad in the things he had worn
on the train when we had first come
through the fields of Wye, and with
him was remarkably pretty girl with
beautiful wavy red hair, in a gray
tailor suit and a smart black hat Of
course it was the secretary.
waved at them frantically and they
waved in return, and l could see Vim
cent smiling happily at me as they
entered one of the carriages. As l