The Telegram. — 1899-05-30 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

ITE TELEGRAM, TUESDAY, MAY :30, 1899.  ^on, a :now a good deal of what goes on at the vicarage," replied Mrs. Mlthers. "One of my maids is a daughter of the servant there; and I have heard, as of course we all have, about the arrival of the young fellow, and of his sudden illness. Just at the same time as the squire's, too." As she said this she looked pointedly into Ronald's face. "He seenal to have got into some sort of scrape, too; for it is said that he has evidently been in a fight, or something. So curious, too, that no one has heard a word of how it can have happened, and no one seems to have met anyone who ran have hurt him. It must be a terrible trial for a girl like Ruth Ellicott to have such a scapegrace of a brother. ihey say he's bad enough for anything, too." "Well, I know that you'll excuse my going," said Ronald. "I have had a very trying and tiring day, and although I should like to bear all that you can tell me about the mysterious brother—is it brother ?—at the vicarage, I mast really come some other time. I have all fRy dispensing to do yet." And with that, deerflte Mrs. Mathers' pressing invitation to stop, Ronald went away, feeling very serious at the pria things were taking. "That woman makes me feel sick," be said to himself as he left the house._ _  ... If the squire, on the one hand, believed that he had seen the man who had struck him at the vicarage, and Mrs. Mathers, on the other, knew, or even guessed, that Lawrence was really staying there and had been hurt on the night of the burglary, it was almost inevitable that the truth should get soon to the squire and then to the whoa. As he walked slowly and thoughtfully home he reflected that as Mrs. Mathers was bent on marrying her daughter to Tracey Reudell it was more than likely that she would be ready and willing to prejudice him against Ruth by letting him know that the man who had nearly killed him that night was the brother of the woman he proposed to ;parry. Something must be done, and that soon; yet it was diflicult to say what that something should be. Yet how urgent it was to do something was clear the next time he went to Use Manor House to see the squire. "Always an infernal lot of surpriste in this thin," said Tracey Rendell :dulcet 11.9 soon as Ronald entered the room. "Look here. This came to-day." He handed a letter to Ronald, telling him to read it. It was very short, and unsigned. "The villain who robbed you and nearly killed you is Ruth Ellicott' s brother, and he is to be found now at the vicarage. Ask Dr. Ravford. Ile can tell you much. —A Friend." "There, what do.. on make of that 1' asked the squire. "What the deuce can it mean ?"  "Can it possibly be true ?" asked Ronald, after a pause. "I hope to goodness that it is," replied the squire, with an ugly laugh. -It'll put that girl into my power. I'd give a thousand pounds to have it so."  The squire's words, as well as his manner of speaking them, and the way in which he seemed to gloat over the prospect of having Ruth in his power, sickened Ronald, as he thought of the girl being reduced to such a plight. "I guess someone's done this little trick," continned the squire, when Ronald made no answer, and waving his hand with the letter in it, "in order to try and set me against the girl—and some fellows might well enough shy at having the sister of a thief, and a murderer in all but the act, for his wife; but I'm not made that way. The little devil has bewitched me, and I'd marry her if she'd done the thing herself. When shall I be able to get out, doctor? It's killing me not to he able to have a sight of my little Ruth's face now that I know she must be mine."  Ronald made no answer to this, and m soon as he could get away he left the house, full of foreboding for the future of the girl he loved so well, and foreseeing with dread how the net was closing round her which would place her in Tracey liendell'a power.  (To bt coutinried. 1