The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-07-22

the return of Hagar again, bringing
With her the sweet and blooming
Esther, the rightful heir to the patri-
mony the gypsy changeling was squan-
dering, and the arrangement for her
adoption by DR.. Lee, us had long been
intended, had wrought right about
face in the doctors attitude toward the
reckless, supposititious young master
OF Stanley hall. 1t had also wrought
Il great change in the character of Al
thur Stanley. From the first meeting
with lovely Esther Arthur had aban-
doned his wild and spendthrift ways.
Then, too, the rivalry for Esther's
affections With his cousin, Blair, had
steadied Arthur. He realized he loved
Esther, and he had resolved to be
worthy of her.
AS for Esther, in the midst Of de-
pressing, morbid turmoil that followed
the discovery Of the doctors death in
MS study, she had moved as enc in
most unhappy dream. Under the cold,
suspicious eyes OF Blair SANKEY'S moth
er, Esther had felt herself an inter-
1oper. The judges widow had arrived
upon the scene as soon as she had
been sent for
Although her relations with the doc
tor had been distant and constrained
Tor years, yet the judges widow was
next Of kin. With the usual delay
characteristic of the easy going doctor,
he had delayed making out the legal
adoption papers for Esther. He had
only insisted that she be called Esther
Lee. What her real name was the no.
lite Nlrg1nians had not asked, but it
was whispered that it was Harding.
When questioned by the puzzled
sheriff as to what procedure he should
follow after the Identification Of the
broken guitar, found by the footprints
In the flower beds, the judges widow
had coldly replied, DO your dutyr'
and the sheriff. with his deputy, set
out for Stanley hall to apprehend
Arthur Stanley I'd on SUSPICION of the
murder OF DIR. Henry Lee.
at their parting there had been one
gift OF Hagar's that Esther had since
lovingly cherished. It was a lair of
carrier pigeons
Take these, my dear daughter"
Hagar had said. eff you are ever in
trouble and need me send MESSAGE
py the birds. Their homing place is
our gypsy rendezvous in the Blue
ridge. Even if 1 am not there when
the message comes, some Of our tribe
will be. They will know where I am
ana fetch lie the word''
SO Esther, under the open espionage
or Blair's mother, had taken one of
Tie pigeons from it's cage on the porch
and had hastily written the message
to send by this aerial carrier to Haear.
1ne message read briefly, Come at
once, dear mother; I need YOU" She
simply signed it Esther
From her lattice window she re;eas-
ed her feathered messenger. 1t flew
swiftly to the west, straight as tho
arrow flies
The sheriff and his deputy We're not
long In reaching Stanley hall. They
a1ghted with a businesslike clatter,
ana the sheriff dumped up the steps
ana across the wide, hospitable portico
ana made the great iron knocker wake
the ecnoes OF the silent mansion. With
an indicative gesture Of his th11mh ho
had sent his deputy to guard the rear.
'oe' the natty and worldly wise col
ored man servant of the until recantlv
wiz young master Of Stanley hall, was
wondering at the impudent urgency of
the clamor that had aroused him as no
AedcAed the bottom Of the staircase
Wien ne stood stock still, shaken for
o1lee out OIL his usual superior airs and
SCH possession, to behold his youne
naster' Wild eyed and disheveled. rush
IRON the library and seize hia. OK
els'1nlng as be did so: Don't. open that
ooor! L have killed a man. and the,,
are after mev'
with chatteiing teeth and SHAKING
Anees the erstwhile dandy darby chung
~. support in the weakness of his
Arlgnt TO the pedestal of the balustrada
at the foot of the old colonial stair
case 0''n-
sui the sheriff hammered ot tho
ooor' crying s.entoriously, "Open in tho
naue OF the law!' and still the fright
ehed darby chung to the balustrade III
V1ded in his terror between the owfu1
authorlty OF the law that he was die
ooeylns and in fear of the fate This iii
no" sophisticated servitor had felt for
his young master.
ohe glance from the low French win
Vows thar IOol-o,1 fro,,, "