The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-26
BY FLORENCE WARDEN,
Author Of Patched Affair." The Inn by the Shore on the
Curac,n ~ A House With History &c.

I, harm, no loss? Tell ne---tell me?"
"Why-wlly do you ask 2" stammered
Sir Richard, surprised ut her 1ues-
ton, at her FACILITATING anxiety.
IT'S because-in the night-while I
was lynn awake--1 saw tho dog go
througl--the grey dog that means
misfortune--and he went right through,
right up the stairs, and into your
room!'' painted the old woman, I'M
pressiveIy. And when he comes 1t
means Ill to Observation-Disclosures
ways"
Sir Richard shivered little, and left
1t to his cousin to speak.
We've been robbed" said Candover,
shortly. "and we're off at once to
Aberdolwen to inform the police"
BY this time he had other auditors.
The landlord and his son and daughter
had come In from the garden and the
little bar, and. with faces full Of un-
rnistaknbly genuine terror. asked par
ticulars of the alleged theft.
While Candover gave tho details OF
the occurrence to the men, 1t hap
pened to Sir Richard to hear stifled
sob. and. turning quickly. no saw
Ellen sitting at tho table. crying. In
stinctively he went nearer to her. and
she said, brokenly:
It'll be the ruin OF us. and all--all
through that beast--that beast. It's
the third or fourth time that"
"Hush!" said her father quickly. err
these gentlemen think we're to blame
for the loss let them go. let them COM
plain to the police-let them, let them
And let them prove It IL they can"
We haven't made any accusation
yet" said Sir Richard. quickly.
What Is 1t but accusin, to talk OF
police?" asked the son, sharply. Turn
EN- out. father and be rid OF 'em."
There's no need" said Candover.
who was less easily appeased than his
cousin. and more suspicious by nature:
we're off at once"
He dashed UP the stairs for n last
look round to see whether they had
LETT anything. and when he came down
the bill.
Don't let them pay anything. father.
cried Ellen. Since they choose to he.
lieve we're thieves"
But were not thieves" INTERRUPTED
her father. And there's no reason
why we should lose because they were
careless with their property"
80 the young men paid their bin.
which was modest enough, and loft the
cottage hastily, with last uneasy
impression Of weeping old woman
" NAiS 6Ail NY ING TO comfort her,
while the two men Of the family stood
aloof, sullen and silent.
The cousins went some little way
in silence. Then Sir Richard said:
What do you think about it?"
II think. for ono thing, we were
drugged last night" said Condover.
well, It seems a far-fetched notion.
but I think so, too. 1 didn't drink
much of their ale. but my head Is
ready to split this morning."
And I think there was somebody
else in the business. The old woman
appears to have been genuinely fright
ened. And SO. 1 think, were the
Others"
but II it wasn't a general con-
spiracy. how do you account for the
There was no answer. In silence
they went on till they came in sight
of small farmhouse, where they got
some breakfast, but where they tried
in vain to get some light thrown upon
the character OF the Reeses' house
hold. Nobody knew. or professed to
know. anything against them, SO the
cousins wasted as little time there as
they could, and pushed on to Aber-
dolwen, where they laid their COM
plant before the police.
Here they got little information.
There had been complaints made be-
fore, by persons who had spent the