The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-19

dering his master. He was never appre- hended. Reuben Haredale left one child, Emma, and his brother Godfrey sue ceeded to what was left of the impover- ished estate of the ancient family. And on the 18th of March, do not know what year, but some year-that murderer will
 be brought to justice. am sure of it," concluded Solomon, flor on the 18th Of March every year something brings up that story again and we speak of it here"
 "Is that all?" said the stranger. "An," echoed the cronies.. "Yes, all? If it is give me my reckoning and have my horse brought out. I must ride to London to- night As the stranger mounted his horse, which Joe had brought out for him and was sheltering under an old pent- house, he turned fiercely to the youth and said: You will know me when you see me again, l hope, young man."
 The man is worth seeing again." re- piled Joe, who leaves comfortable quar- ters on a night like this to ride 12 miles on a jaded horse" For reply the stranger shook the boys hand from his oridle, struck him a blow over the head with the butt of his whip and dashed forward into the night. Later that night, as Gabriel Warden, locksmith, was return ing in his cart from a hard days work at the Warren, where he had been re- pairing locks and bells, he was run into and nearly upset by the same wild horse man who had struck Joe over the head. and turned aside after the encounter to refresh himself at the Maypole.
 Warden had daughter the ever-charm- ing Dolly. and Joe Willett was in love with her. It was. therefore, with pecu- liar tenderness that the youth asked after Gabriels daughter and with peculiar rage that he told of the insult of the stranger. 'I shall run away some day, l shall." cried Joe. Its all along Of the way you treated me in his presence father, that he dared to do it.' Hold your tongue, sir" said willet the elder q wouldn't mind. Joe," said Warden, and as to running away. Joe. rolling stone gathers no moss" "Nor miIestones much." returned Joe. My compliments to Miss Dolly, sir
 Not long after Warden had resumed his way toward London he came upon Ed ward Chester lying unconscious and robbed in the road and dancing about him in an excited manner was Barnaby Rudge the son of the former steward of the Haredales. The widow Rudge had given birth to Barnaby on the day after the Haredale murder, and the boy had been born an idiot. He was accustomed missions fantastically attired and carry :, ing with him a raven whose converse ! tional powers consisted mostly in shriek- l ing, I'm a devil! I'm a devil! Bow-wow- l wow! But Barnaby and Grip. the raven, were inseparable, and Barnaby used to talk long and earnestly to him. In fact, the superstitious country people consid- cred Grip the idiots familiar spirit and declared they conversed together. The
 widow Rudge lived in a small house in a London suburb belonging to MT. Hare dale who supplied her besides with a small pension.
 And now Barnaby danced wildly around the body of Chester and cried out to Warden: There's blood there; don't let me see it. don't" The idiot also indicated that he had seen Chester struck down with a dagger by a mounted man who, after robbing him, had gone on toward the city. The wounded Chester was taken to the home of Mrs. Rudge, which was not far away, to recover from his wounds. faIf 10 St tarin stranger of the Maypole and the assailant of Edward Chester were one and the same man.
 The next day when Warden went to Mrs. Rudges house to inquire as to the condi- tion of Chester a singular thing happened. While he was talking with the widow he hoard & tapping at a shuttered window. Mrs Rudge went to the door, and Warden heard her exciainn, My God.r as if in great terror. He went himself to the door to see before him the man whom he had encountered on the road the night before and whom hs believed to have been the assailant. The man was gone in a second. and Warden starting to pursue him, was held back by Mrs. Rudge, who. with many wild cries and entreaties, begged him not to follow the stranger or to inquire con corning him. By the time he could dis engage himself from the frantic woman 1 the man had got beyond pursuit anyway, but the incident soreiy puzzled and dis turbed the honest Iocksmith.
 The story which Warden told his family of the assault upon young Chester was especially distressing to his daughter Dolly. She and Emma Haredale were foster sisters, and much in each others company. Therefore they knew each others loves, and many letter had Dolly conveyed herself to the Warren and from the Warren for Emma and Edward. and many she had sent for the lovers (with now and then perhaps one from herself to Joe at the MaypoIe) by Barnaby Rudge. Now the charming Dolly had other lovers besides Joe of the Maypole. There was the huge, dark, hairy, half human ap- bearing creature, Hugh-no other name known-who slept among the straw and did the stable work at the ancient inn a wild, fierce creature upon whom Dan aerous was legibly written.
 Her third admirer was Simon Tappertit. a sIIm-legged. undersized youth. appren- tice to Warden in the daytime and st niaht the head of sn organization of Ep prentices, which met in beer cellar kept by an old blind reprobate. who was not particular who his customers were, so that they bought. Poor Simon had am bition and imagination and felt that great ness was his due. But. unfortunately. he lacked brains and what little hs had were
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