The Cotton Factory Times. — 1913-02-07 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

CHAPTER XXVIII.  At nine o'clock that Friday night Sir Robert was still at the works. It waa not unusual for lam to be there late nowadays; tears and reproaches are hardly calculated to attract a man to Ins home, but that at rune o'clock he should still be in the office was unprecedented. The night watchglanced and glanced again at the lighted window as he went his rounds. " What'ns tp now?" he asked. " Whaens up now?" And even at nine o'clock Sir Robert wan in no hurry to leave.  •• Poor Emily! 11l give her time—plenty of time. Poor Emily!" he kept on saying to himself. lie vim, in fact, nervously anxious that that painful departure should be safely accomplished whilst he cue away. What had happened was, as far as li. could understand things, no fault of his, yet ‘ery surely he was being punished for it. And his punishment left him astonished and resentful. _ . .  But When the office clock pointed to the half. hour Sir Robert judged it safe to go borne. It nes striking ten as he went up the garden, and though the windows of the drawing-room wore lighted up, he wars conscious, even in the garden, of that peculiar adence that seems to hang over a house when those we love are not in it.  "They're gone, then—they're goner!" he caught himself saying d-roarily half aloud. His own man met him in the hall and took his eon t.  Her ladyship is away, air," he said, with that entire absence of erpression that sometimes expresses so much. "I know," &flowered Sir Robert heavily. "Did she leave any letter for me?" The steady tramp of feet came between him and Fordham's reply. Men were coining up the garden —tight or ten of them—moving wail slow and measured tread, as though they carried a heavy  burden. .Conftei.ous of a aLackensing pulse and fail.  ing muscles, Sir Robert went out again on to the bleps. What he NV4113 afraid of he could not have told, but he wag genuinely afraid. And with reason_ The group coming up the garden halted as they saw him--fisherrnen, eight Cr ten of them—oa.rrying between them something laid on a rough stretcher, hastily formed of oar. and • sail, something from which the water &timed steadily, snaking little pools and splashes o, the gravel path. A man in a dark uniform ...rh silver letteiv on the collar of his coat oanie k,rward. air Robert knew him for an inspector of polio. _ _  --.-iiiTitobert Carteret, I beriever " Yes," mud sir Robert. His tongue felt dry and too large for his mouth. " I'm afraid I must ask you to prepare for bad news. A body has been found in the water below Jlunteza Cliff-'"  Sir Robert griped his arm. Body I N%-bose body ?" he whispered.  Your son's."  With a great and exceeding bitter cry the unhappy man threw his arms up against the creepercovered wall and dropped his grey head upon them. Fordham slipped a trembling area about him, without his support Sir Robert would have fallen, and together they stood, their faces pressed hard against the leaf-clad wall, while that dread burden was carried in behind him.  Master, my dear matter," faltered Fordhant, holding him clean—in that black moment dais dortioctions did not exist--" it's a blow, but you 'mist face it The inspector is ahking far you. Come in vrith one, dear inserter." Ile went in, a broken, tottering old man, clinging feelrly to Fordham's arm. "If he hasn't done it himself. oil, oh, if only ".•re haan't done it himaelf," he kept on whispering. And Fordhem, who wee not without a clue to the happenings, unde.rstood. lie touched the 4,mi-tor's arm. . .  " What is it? Murder or suicide?' We're afraid it's—murder."  Murder!" Tian word seemed to ralranine Sir