The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-01
CHAPTER XIII.

hear well, 1 saw enough"
 CHAPTER XIII.
 THE LETTER
 as Eady Creech and Newcastle
 /" entered the garden, where A Horace was still holding the
 hand of the fair countess, they encountered Almeric, who was stroll ing in aimlessly from the direction of the village. Newcastle beckoned to him.
 Anything unusual down therer' he asked, pointing to the village.
 "Rawther! Carabinieri still hunting that bandit chap" said his hopeful son languidly.
 Don't humble your words!' snapped the old lady, and Horace and madame turned sharply and confusedly. Al merle made a gesture of impatience and, putting his head close to his re spected aunt's ear, shouted: Hunting a bally bandity' at which the old woman screamed sharply. Hawcastle took him by the shoulder.
 "What do they say about him?" he demanded.
 "That he is still in the neighbor- hood" replied his heir, with . languid sigh.
 "what did I tell your' asked Lady Creech triumphantly. And the ear! made gesture of impatience.
 "Almeric, find your betrothed and bring her here," he said. And the young man trotted of slowly. Horace came slowly forward. "What's the row, sirT' he asked, and the earl smiled.
 My dear young man." he said, :T congratulate you that you and your sister need no longer submit to an odious dictation."
 He was about to say more, but at that moment Daniel came down the steps and walked across the grass to the motor. AS he passed the group he smiled genially and observed: Looks to me as if it was going to clear up cold"
 Good afternoon, MT. Pike" answer ed the earl and motioned the others to leave.
 Pike merely nodded his head, and Newcastle came up to him. "It is pity that there should have been any misunderstanding in the mat ter of your wards betrothal," he said, and Pike smiled grimly. "Oh, wouldn't call it a misunder- standing" he said, and the earl went on.
 "It would ill become father to press upon the subject of his sons merits"-- he began, but Pike cut him short. 'T won't talk with you about him." he said. 'T don't want to hurt your | feelings"
 Newcastle glared at him and was about to reply when Mariana entered with letter on a tray, which he hand ed to the lawyer, who regarded it curi l ousiy. There was a growing menace in | the earPs attitude, and as his anger grew his suavity grew with 1t. 'There is another matter to which want to call your attention" he went on, and Pike answered him at once. .. "Tll talk about anything else with | you," he replied and looked up to see | Ethel coming down the steps. She came forward to the earl and said: You wished me to come here?" "I wish to tell you that I see light breaking through the clouds. Have an- other talk with our friend here, and, believe me, all will be wen.'' With a bow he left the garden, and Ethel stood staring after him. Pike looked up quickly from the letter he was reading and crossed over to her. "Im glad you've come" he said. 'T've got something here I want to read to you. When got your letter at home I wrote to Jim Cooley, our vice consul in London, to look up those Hawcastle folks and write me here how they stand"
 l "You did thatw she cried in anger | "You had the audacity to pry into the affairs of the Earl of Hawcastle" | 'Why, I'd "a done that if it'd been the governor of Indiana himself," he replied, with surprise. Besides, Jim Cooley's home folks.' His office used to be right next door to mine in Ko- komo. I haven't opened the letter yet, but I haven't much doubt but Jim II have some statements in it that'n show you I'm right about these people" | How Go you know that?' she de manded heatedly.
 Because I've had experience enough of Iife'-
 "In KokomoT' she asked scornfully.
 "Yes, ma'am," he answered. 'There's just as many kinds of people in Ko- komo as there is in Pekin, and didn't serve a term in the legislature without learning to pick underhand men at | sight. Now, that earl, let alone his having a bad eye-his ways are too much on the stripe of T. Cuthbert Bentley's to suit me. T. Cuthbert was a Chicago gentleman, with fur lined overcoat, that opened up bank in our l town, and when he caught the Cana dian express three months later all he left in Kokomo was the sign on the |