The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-17

CHAPTER III.-Continued.
cop,Uss7 ,sss 81 6ry4r:

81 knew nothing of her, and sh,
less of me, but she at least hat
never done me or mine harm, ant
1t seemed hard that she alon,
should be the scapegoat. l wa.
Independent financially had sigh
drafts with me for all I possessed
except the Manor, and the two rose
diamonds as well. So long as ]
scraped through alive with these
need never want. But with her il
was quite different, and that
through no fault of her own.
well, was lying there in the
shade, sweating, body and brains
when | saw canoe coming down
river round the bend, and dropped
ne letter to pick up my rifle.
was half afraid that | had beer
spotted. But no more followed it
and there was only single man in
the one l had sighted. He was sit
ting bolt upright, with his paddle
athwartships, doing no work and
drifting along at an easy pace.
when he came a little nearer ]
saw he was wearing helmet,
which gave me a jolt. l couldn' t
conceive what white man could
be doing there alone, but, In any
case, hailed him several times
and he paid not the slightest atten-
ton. An eddy caught the canoe,
and 1t went sagging away toward
midstream. On the spur of the
moment put out after him.
II raised my voice as ran along
side, but still he did not reply, and
a single glance showed me that he
was dead. They had done things
to him as we'll as killed him, for
he had no face. He was held in
position by two short spears, one
under each shoulder-blade, haft
made fast to each gunwale. l felt
sick, very sick, then O'Ferral.
But he had been a white man,
and l was bound to do something.
] drove both canoes back among
the branches, and picketed them
with my paddles while held an
inquest on him. He was very rag
gedly dressed, could not have been
either soldier, skypilot or trader,
and 1t wasn't a nice thing to have
to do, but did it. wanted some
clue. ! found none.
"As soon as I'd finished | Topped
down in my own craft, and my fin
gers fell on my uncle's letter.
THAT gave me my cue like a
fash.
miles Quaintance had left me
one loophole. There was provision
In his will to the effect that, If |
should die during the twelve
months grace he allowed me, his
money would go to the girl.
Il may have been half mad then.
bu, 1t seemed quite simple. All |
had to do was to shift my identity
on to the shoulders of this poor
fellow. He had none, so that |
would be perfectly free to choose a
fresh one for myself. Theree was
not soul in the wide world to
wear mourning for me, and I could
see no reason whatsoever against
the exchange.
80 | set to work and did the
thing thoroughly. When was
through with 1t, even you would
have sworn from the evidence that
It was Stephen Quaintance who
presently went drifting down
stream toward Yola, stone-dead.
He carried with him every
scrap of !dentitiable property pos
sessed-except the drafts and the
diamonds. of course-and that was
more than sufficient to satisfy any
coroners jury. / knew that he
couldn't help reaching Yola. and
that could trust the Englishmen
there to see everything shipshape
and send the news on.
Il spent the rest of the day max
ing a will bequeathing all stephen
Quaintance possessed to A. New
man, endorsed my drafts to that
name, and practiced my neew sig
nature, which is as unlike the old
one as l could make It,"
What does A. stand for?' in
terrupted O'Ferral.
ooh. anything. Call it Ananias--
! don't care.
$50 that now, you see, the girl
will get my uncles money, to which
she's justly entitled, while I'm as
well off as ever. and-no ones the
worse. There are still few weeks
of the year to run, but they'll sure
ly have proof of my death before
these are up, and that will settle
the whole thing satisfactorily. Don't
you think so, O'Ferral?"
O'Ferral was silent for some
time, and then nodded gravely. And
: Quaintance's face cleared.
II think I'd have done much the
same in your place." said his
friend. at wasn't an easy one, and
you've certainly cut your way out
of 1t pretty effectually. II no I'M
foreseen complication arise. I don't