Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-12-15 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CHLORO-LINSEID " Cough Lozenges, post free, 7d. Of Chemists.  "Can you wonder, Maggie ?" he asked, almost reproachfully. I shook my head. "Do I not a1.,0 look changed, Arthur ?" "Not much; the short hair, of course, appears strange, but you look as well as ever." I sighed : I would almost rather have borne some signs of trouble in my face. " Irene has changed the most," observed Arthur. " She seems to have grown quite into a woman."  "So I had when you went away," the answered, the ready colour mantling the peaches on her cheek, and making them prettier than ever. "It never struck me so," he said. After a pause, he added, "Nothing has been discovered of her—my darling's murderers ?" "Nothing," we replied together ; and Irene continued, "The chances of fluding oat anything grow less day by day. Even the detective is withdrawn now.''  "There was no clue to go by," I interpo3ed.  . "The matter must not be allowed to rest. We must resort to fresh expedients," said Arthur. "The detectives can be recalled from Scotland Yard at a minute's notion at any time." "How is Mr Godolphin Jeffrey?" I enquired. "He is very well, thank you." , "Why did yen not bring him with you to thellieetory ?" interrogated I bluntly, my heart beating high in suspense awaiting the answer "A very good reason why," replied Arthur, " benause he is too far off to come." " Has he left you to-day ?" I enquired. " No ; I left him a few days ago in Dinan." "And he followed you?' I queried. Arthur looked at me in surprise. " No, Maggie, he is there yet; what made you think he was with me?" A moment's deliberation as to whether I should give him my reasons for believing that Mr Godolphin Jeffreys was with him. Whilst I was hesitating Irene solved the difficulty. I saw him the day before yesterday afternoon in the village," she said quietly, "and Genie saw him earlier in the day." Impossible!" said Arthur, incredulously, "it could not be him—he is miles away." "Oh, but I knew him instantly. He must have known me also, for he stared vary hard, and then rained his hat."  "Mr Godolphin Jeffreys in Piston yesterday; raised his hat to you, and lutew you, Irene," wild Arthur in a bewildered tone. " There must he some mystery or mistake in the matter. Why, I received a letter from him at 'Allan only this very morning ; so you see it could not be him you saw." "Then it must have been his double," declarel Irene, with singular pertinacity. "I could have staked my existence on its being him—sworn to his identity. He is such a peculiar-looking man— tall and dashing, with , bold black eyes, striking enough, yet repel. ling. I always dislised him, as I believe we all did."  "Dislike him," exclaimed Arthur; " how can you? He is the moat agreeable companion; so nice looking, too." "Outwardly, perhaps," I rejoined; "but if you look in his face deeper there is something to distrust. I never liked him. Neither," as Irene observed, 'did any of us." " Maude did," almost whispered Arthur. " She did not," I declared, vehemently. "If he told you that he is false. She told me herself that she feared him." A cloud rose over Arthur's face. It quickly passed. "You do surprise me," he exclaimed, "when you say that none of you liked Godolphin. Perhaps you do not know him well enough." I passed over the subject of likes and dislikes, and returned to the strange coincidence of two of my sisters mistaking someone for him. "Are you sure—quite sure—that Mr Jeffreys cannot be in Piston?" I enquired. Arthur shrugged his shoulders comically. He thought it so utterly absurd of me to be so persistent. "I am as positive that he is not here as that I ant here. Is not that conclusive? Moreover, had Godolphin been in Diston, or anywhere for miles near, he would have made a point of seeing use. We are great chums." We could say nothing more, but my mind was in a whirl. There was some deep mystery somewhere. If the man whom Irene and Gertie had seen was not Mr Jeffreys, who was it? That was the question). Were