White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-10-19
CHAPTER XVII.

to see Isabel still waited in vain
for news from France. He has just
decided to delay his visit to South
Morden no longer, when the errand
boy employed by Sharon brought
him this message: THE old 'un's
at home, and waitin' to see yer"
Sharon's news was not of an en-
couraging character. He had met
with serious difficulties, and had
spent the last farthing of Moody's
money in attempting to overcome
them.
One discovery of Importance he
had certainly made He had secured
horse in France at the high re
served price of twelve thousand
francs = being four hundred and
eighty pounds in English money
and he had paid with an English
bank-note The seller Ga French
horse dealer resident in Brussels)
had returned to Belgium Immediately
on completing the negotiation. Shar-
on had ascertained his address, and
had written to him at Brussels, en-
closing the number of the lost bank
note. In two days he had received
an answer informing him that the
householder had been called to Eng
land by the illness of relative, and
that he had hitherto failed to send
any address to which his letters
could be forwarded. Hearing this,
and having exhausted his funds,
Sharon had returned to London. II
now rested with Moody to decide
whether the course of the inquiry
should follow the horse dealer next
There was the cash account, showing
how the money had been spent. And
there was Sharon, with his pipe in
his mouth and his dog on his lap,
waiting for orders.
Moody wisely took time to con-
slider before he committed himself
to a decision. In the meanwhile he
ventured to recommend a new course
of proceeding which Sharons report
had suggested to his mind.
1T seems to me-" he said, that
we have taken the roundabout way
of getting to our end in view, when
the straight road lay before us. If
Mr.. Hardyman has passed the stolen
note, you know as well as | do that
he has passed it innocently. Instead
of wasting time and money in try
ing to trace stranger, why not
tell Mr. Hardyman what has hap
pened, and ask him to give us the
number of the note? You can't think
of everything, l know, but it does
seem strange that this idea didn't
occur to you before you went to
France"
"Mr. Moody" said Old Sharon, II
shall have to cut your acquaintance.
You are a man without faith; l don't
like you. AS If | hadn't thought OF
Hardyman weeks since!" he ex
claimed, contemptuously. Are you
really soft enough to suppose that
gentleman in his position would
talk about his money affairs to me?
You know mighty little of him ii
you do. fortnight since / sent
one of my men (most respectfully
dressed) to hang about his farm, and
see what information he could pick
up. My man became painfully &C
quainted with the toe Of boot II
was thick, sir; and it was Hardy
mans"
Il will run the risk of the boot, "
Moody replied, in his quiet way.
And put the question to Hardy.
MANI"
Eyes"
Very good" said Sharon. 'If you
get your answer from his tongue
instead of his boot, the case is at
an end-unless | have made com.
plete mess of it. Look here, Moody!
If you want to do me a good turn,
tell the lawyer that the guinea opin.
that he was the fool, not you, when
he buttoned up his pockets and re-
fused to trust me. And, l say!
pursued Old Sharon relapsing into
his customary impudence, you're in
love, you know, invite me to the
WCuulll6. IL IluhS SdCllIlCc. III
brush my hair and wash my face
in honor of the occasion"
Returning to his lodgings, Moody
found two love letters waiting on
the table. One of them bore the
South Morden postmark. He opened
that letter first
1t was written by Miss Pink. The
first lines contained an urgent en-
treaty to keep the circumstances con
nected with the loss of the five hun
bred pounds the strictest secret from
every one in general, and from Har-
dyman in particular. The reasons
assigned for making the strange re-
quest were next expressed in these
terms: "My niece Isabel is, | am
happy to inform you, engaged to be
married to Mr.. Hardyman. If the
slightest hint reached him Of her hav-
ing been associated, no matter how
cruelty and unjustly, with a sus-
picion of theft, the marriage would
be broken off, and the result to her.
self and to everybody connected with
her would be disgrace for the rest of
our lives"
On the blank space at the foot of