Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-05-27
CHAPTER XVI,
to town.

Ronald Ringwood has held rather alocf
from the little cottage at Kew, for one
thing, he really had nothing to communi-
cate. All trace of the missing Finnigan
seemed lost and both the detective en-
ployed By Ringwood and Pegram's ennis
sary had given up all hope of tracing the
missing man from Guildford. and return
ed to town with view to fresh de-
parture And, in the second place, King
wood was fan to confess that he had not
got on quite so we'll with Mary Chiches
ter of late. That young lady resented
being kept in the dark as regards what
she termed the great mystery. She ar
gued as We know. and with considerable
reason, that it would be very much to her
aunts benefit if there was confidence be-
tween them on this point. and Miss Cater
ham consequently enabled to discuss the
thing freely with her, Mary Chichester.
But Door Miss Caterham had worked her
self m into such a state of nervous ap-
prehension of foul play on the part of
her competitors for the great stake, as to
be really not quite rational on that point
She could have put her fears IN no very
definite shape had she even tried to tell
them to any one. She would have GER
tainly expressed a strong opinion that the
Pegrams. in seeking Terence Finnigan,
were seeking him with murderous purpose.
She had a hazy idea that even her own
life might be aimed at obivious of the
fact that she had disposed by will of
her chance in the Great TOntine," as
we'll as all her property, in favor of her
niece and that consequently her death
Uould merely put Mary Chichester into
her place as a shareholder in the Ton
tine" the decease of nominee being the
only thing that virtually extinguished the
share. She would further have told you,
although she had no knowledge on the
subject. that she thought it quite possible
Lord Lakington also had his emissaries
working on his behalf.
Ringwood was sitting in his chambers
the morning after Jack Phillimore's de-
parture for Rydland pondering over the
Great Tontine" His reflections were
cut short by sharp knock at his door
In reply to his Come in, the door open
ed. and his clerk appeared Mr.. Car
buckle has just sent over, sir. His COM
piments and will you come across to
his chambers at once"
"All right" replied Ringwood and tax.
ing up his hat he proceeded at once to
comply with Mr.. Carbuckle's request.
This is a very sad business, Ring
wood exclaimed Carbuckle. 'Of course,
poor old lady. at her time of life it is
not a thing to be surprised at; but | can
not help blaming myself for not having
been out to see her since | got back. Mary
Chichester says in her letter that the
Great Tontine' has killed her"
You are speaking, of course, of Miss
Caterham you do not surely mean tc
say that she is dead, poor thing"
Yes, | am sorry to say such is the
case | have just received a note from
Mary Chichester informing me of the fact.
want you to run down to Kew to tell
Mary the whole state Of the case; say
that / shall come out to see her as soon
as | return: and that | shall, of course,
be present at the funeral. Any little thing
that she wants assistance and advice
about, In the meanwhile, / am sure you
will undertake for her. Do this for me
IKE . good fellow, or else l shall have