The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-14

Ihere were several eyplanatt,r.
FIRST, these lackeys might be mai,
good sum for holding their ton.,,'.s'
second the countess might have s..,,
at the last moment the improrri.ty 80
trusting them and concluded :. r.,
the body where they would knov uo,,'
ing about IT,
Martih waited till one morning b..
saw a little boy in the grounds of M.
brother In charge of a nurse Tho, t,..
was sure that substitute for the lepi,
innate heir had been found. who wopl1
eventually claim the estate Then Mar
TN laid his plans His first moro
would be TO learn whether the laekovs
knew OF the burial place. If they ain
MS next would he TO learn II tba,
could be bribed to reveal fl Ru, tb,.
earl had doubtless paid tbem wan -,
nad, more likely, promised them IN.
stallments. to be paid over a form ne
years so long as they would keen III.
secret. Ii either of them wpre ais
honest he might be successfully brihed
out the matter would be dIfHrul,
However, Martin could see no otba,
way to proceed. and he must do s.
on those lines
he learned that the two lackcvs H.
the secret were the only ones at the
time OF the burial IN the manor bouSc
the other servants being women II,
found a means of communication with
them in one Higgins. who kept a puh
lie house
One day James TIcalcy. one Of ths
lackeys, went to Lady Riversham aul
confided 10 her the fact that he had
been offered 80 Il lie would reveal n.
burial place Of he box he had carried
out aud brought back on the occasion
described. lie wished to be- Informed
whether she would object to HIS earn
ing the money
The countess was puzzled She ASK
ed the man many questions, but coud
not 'earn from him who desired the IN
formation or why II would be worth
ESQ. IIealey told her that Higgins had
offered MIN the brihe, but the countess
did not believe that Higgins was act
Ing for himself She told Hcaley 10
put off iIis .nS for awhile and Sh,
would thinE the matter over She be.
lieved that her brother.ln-law was az
to some deyitry, bur she could not i'm
agine what It might be
The next dav she told IIcalcy that
he might accept the hrihe provided
he took whoever paid Il to the grave
himself and Informed her when lie was
to do So. But she advised him to
stand out for larger sum. llealey
was quite up to This work and told
Higgins that he had been paid fl0c
to keep the secret. Nothing less than
f200 would tempt him 10 diyulgc t.
This being reported TO Martin he went
to London and put "A mortgage on biz
house as security for the money.
Tire loan agent happened to Inspect
the property while Lady Riversham
was about to enter her place In her
carriage. The man asked her some
questions about Martins property aud
revealed the fact that It was to he
mortgaged. Then she slipped five
pound note into the mans hand and
asked him TO send her the name and
address of the mortgage. Within q
few days she had bought the mortgage
paying bonus.
Healey having been offered the
amount he claimed for his secret, IN
structed by the countess, agreed 10
pilot the brber himself and no other
to the burial place at midnight on u
certain date Before the grave was
opened IIealev was to be paid the
/ f2O0. His terms were accepted, the
going to the grave at night being eSpe-
cially agreeable to Martin. who desired
to make his investigation unseen.
The appointed night proved TO bt
very dark. \ few minutes before mid
night Healey and Martin met at aI
angle OF the Riyersham estate. Mar
I tin had dark lantern, which he he
/ under his coat and a spade, which he
held I'm his hand. Healey piloied HIM
TO sort Of bower few hundred yard
from the manor house, vacant space
shut In by trees on all sides. Martin
knew the place well. II had been .
favorite spot with him when boy
In its center the ground was hcapea
indicating that grave was beneath.
+ Healey demanded BIS money ahl
Martin counted il out 10 him. Heale'
holding the lantern directed upon ihc
bills. After counting the bills Hcale,
took the spade and began to dig. l n'
box had not been deposited far belo"
the surface and was soon reached
Martin took from his pocket screw
driver and as soon as the loX huo
been lifted from the grave began L.
loosen the cover Then he removed
the lid and. taking up the lantern
brought 1t to bear on the contents.
There lay the body Of the dos mar
rim had seen driving with the countess
and her son.
With an oath Martin asked Heaiel
why he had sold him out In that 'asu
ion. =,