Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-06-11
Verona and the ViSCOunt
By the
etc
CHAPTER III.-Continued.


III he wore it," said Robert, signifi-
.,rtlv He laughed, as he passed
through the gate. That's what | meant
~. the artfulness of the business" he
axplained. The prison people don't dis
oIose much of course; but the affair has
baen managed by the connivance of the
follows friends, though how their plans
,.erp communicated to him is something
that the governor would probably like to
zuow. Anyhow, it's certain that clothes
.xare left for him in a certain part of
the moor. for he shed his convict tog-
oorv there and left it. As for starving,
Good was probably left in the same way.
There's no doubt it was a regular plot,
and yerv neatly carried out. He is far
enough off by this time. Decently dis
cr,ised he would not have much difficulty
Sr Getting out of the moor if he had
bTains and pluck enough not to skulk.
And dare say he had. for from what
Tye heard he's a gentleman"
"A gentleman?"
"Bv birth and education, at any rate.
He was in for those Grandmother bank
y
don't YOU? 1t was said at the time, l
recolect. that he had not been much
more than the tool of the other two who
were sentenced with him. but my opin-
ion was that he was about as deep in
the mud as they were in the mire. Any
how. he got seven years. And now he's
of after serving little more than nine
months of it. He must have been a
daring sort of man." Halstead concluded,
rather admiringly.
IF he was disguised he may have
taken refuge in one of the shepherds
cottages"
Not likely-too dangerous. He'd be
suspected as soon as the hunt started.
Far more likely that he was whisked to
Liverpool and is halfway to America"
Most likely-yes," Verona assented
thoughtfully. "The prison authorities
have no clue, then?"
"If they have they keep it dark, but I
doubt their having any" Halstead
laughed, as he tucked the rug round
Neliy's knees. "In fact, except the prison
clothes, there seems no more trace of the
fellow since he got clear-he stunned a
warder to do it--than if the morass had
swallowed him up. Perhaps it did.
There's a shepherd tells some yarn about
having seen some mysterious tall man
making for the Black Rocks that night
about the time he might have reached
them, but he'd be very unlikely to head
this way-it's about the most frequented
part of the moor. And even granting
that it's true it can't be called a clue,
since no one knows what his disguise
may have been. There's nothing par
ticular to pitch upon in cap and long
gray coat. Anybody might wear them"
"a long gray coat?"
No white" contradicted Nelly.
"Whitish, that is, it said in the paper
white or light gray-it was getting SO
dark that the man was not certain
which-and cap pulled over his eyes.
He was running towards the Black Rocks
just as if he thought some one was after
him" She laughed, bending to speak
behind Roberts broad back, as he took
4 his seat beside her. "And he had such a
4 string of names, Miss Ford-no one quite
knew which was his right one, the paper
said Such splendid ones too, weren't
they, Mr.. Halstead? Devereux, and
Latimer, and Stanhope, and Stuart, and
Balfour. They think Stuart was his
name really, anyhow-he was sentenced
in it. But dare say it was really
Smith, don't you? There-we're off!
Good bye-good byel"
The black mare started off at the
touch of the whip. Nelly, looking back
again to nod and wave her little hand,
saw Verona turn and 60 slowly up the
garden path. She glanced up admonish-
lngy at her companion.
you ought not to have told Miss Ford
about that horrid convict" she said. 81
believe you've frightened her; perhaps
she isn't so brave after all! She is quite
pale"