The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-23
CHAPTER XIII.
The Tall Tinlbers of Old Harpeth.

CHAPTER XIII.
The Tall Tinbers of Old Harpeth.
II the door of the mansion was
IA admitted by my good Cato,
who was attired in a very long
red flannel sleeping garment
with red cap, also Of the flannel, tied
down upon the white wool Of his head.
"De governor is up in his room, and
you kin go right up. I meyer heard Of
no such doings as is going on in his
house dis night, with that there wild
man with a gum five feet long coming
and going like de windv'
With which information Good Cato
started me up the stairs. First door
to the right, front, and don't knock"
he called In whisper that might have
come from his tomb In death as he
slowly retired into the darkness below
with his candle.
els that you, Roberto came . ques.
ton in Gouverneur Faulkner's voice
from large table over by the window,
The room was entirely in shadow ex-
cept for the shaded light upon the
table, under whose rays ! remarked
the head and shoulders Of that Gouver-
neur Faulkner at whose bidding had
come out into the dead Of the night.
"Come over here, and walk softly, SO
as not to stir up Jenkins" he COM
manded me, and went Immediately
to his side, even If did experience a
difficulty in the breath Of Roberta,
marquise Of Gree and Bye.
"What Is it that you wish, my Gou-
verneur Faulkner /" I asked as looked
down upon him as he sat with paper
in his hand regarding 1t intently.
"Sit down here under the light be-
side me-" was his next command to
me, and he reached out one Of his
slender and powerful hands and drew
him.
"What is it?' I asked as my head
came so close to his that felt the
warmth of his breath on my cold
cheek.
"Hold these two fragments Of paper
together and translate the French
written upon them literally" he said
to me as he handed me two small
pieces of paper upon which there was
writing.
And this is what I discovered to be
written:
Honored Madam-The one at the head OF
all has sent me to this place to inspect
grazing lands and make report. send In
a report Of what Is not here and the sigh
ing of the papers by your Gouverneur
Faulkner must be done quickly in blind
ness before discovery Of what Is not
"It is written to a woman" said
very quietly as I made finish Of
reading.
eyes, boy, to a woman. have
made my last fight toto hold an old
belief, which in some way seemed to
be-be one Of my. foundation stones.
The general is right, they are all alike,
the soft, beautiful, lying things. The
truth is not in them, and their own or
a mans honor is a plaything. That
piece Of paper was sent me by man
up in the mountains Of Old Harpeth,
who loves me with the same blood
bond that I love you, boy, all on &C
count Of gun struck up in the hands
of his enemy. Here's the note he sent
with it:
Bill, we cotched furren man Ter reve-
nue. up by the still at Turkey gulch, ana
this was In his pocket. I made out to
read yo' name. I send 1t. The man IS
kept tied. What is mules worth? Send
price and what to do with this man crit
ter by son Jim. Believe me, they AIM no
grazing fer 5000 mules on Paradise ridge,
but know place. jim IoDD.
what is the significance Of this pa
per, nv Gouverneur Faulkner" asked
after 1 had made the attempt to trans
late to myself the very peculiar writ
ing he had given to me.
II do not know just exactly myself,
Robert" answered my Gouverneur
Faulkner as he dropped his head upon
his hands while he rested his elbows
on the polished table among its scat
tered papers. II am convinced now
that this mule contract business is the
plot against my honor that the general
believes it to be and has been trying to
get to a legal surface. In some way
Jim Todd has got hold of one end Of
the conspiracy. 1t has been hard for
me to believe that a woman would sell
me out. If I take it to Ler in the morn
ing I'll perhaps get an explanation that
will satisfy me. The men who are in
with jeff Whitworth are the best fnan-
ciers in the state, and it is impossible
to believe that
(Tn IA