Year: 1869

TO nOGlce nOLn1ng aullSS Will neT, IQ0ugh
her eyes were often red with weeping,
and her face wore settled look Of melan-
Choly and despair. Not that he failed in
affection or tenderness, only he was one
of those men who, in the goodness of
their own digestions and the smoothness
of their life-stream, look upon dyspepsia
as popular delusion, and cannot under
stand why any one should be unhappy. It
was the evening of the fourth day since
Murray's arrival, and after dinner I had
left him and Charlie discussing bottle of
81 Chateau Margaux and their old Paris
days, and was wandering down q side
path that led to the plantation, when I
suddenly trod on something. Looking
downward, l saw that it was pocket,
book of somewhat bulky dimensions.
There was only one thing to be done,
namely, to pick it up, unclasp it, and ex-
anime the contents, which l need scarcely
add I faithfully did. This investigation
having been satisfactorily accomplished,
placed the pocket-book in my pocket, and
strolled ON into the plantation to reflect
what my next move with Mr.. Murray
should be. knew the game was in my
hands "now;' my only puzzle was how
to play it without making disturbance
Still, what was 10 be done must be done
quickly. AS 1 came to this determination
l found myself standing by the side of q
small lake that lay in the midst of the
plantation almost at the same moment
l heard groan as of some one indistress
Turning eagerly to the direction whence
it seemed to come, through the dusk which
was now growing into darkness saw the
futter of white dress near to the head
Of the lake. know not what possessed me-
but thought seized me that sent me tear
ing through the bushes and brambleS with
frantic speed. A few seconds more, and
l had caught Mrs. Forester by the wrist.


What would you do, woman?"I ex-
claimed, breathless.


She made no answer-only fell fainting
at my feet.


When got back to the house l found
Murray alone in the dining room, paying
the closest attention to second bottle of
the "a Chateau MargauX, to better appre-
ciate which the lamp had been brought
in, 80 that he might examine the marvel
Gus beauty of its color. Charlie was clos.
eted in the smoking-room with his farm
bailiff; in short, the opportunity of an in
terview alone with Murray that I so
much wanted presented itself / was not
slow to take advantage of it, and flinging
myself into an armchair close to him,
poured out glass of wine, and settled
comfortably to my task. 1t was pretty
plain that he was anything but pleased at
not altogether easy in his chair.


II was thinking of taking a stroll in
the garden he said, half rising from his
chair. I SO eesf4


"a pity to leave such excellent tipple,"
l replied; besides, it's rather chilly. Do
you know" I continued, 81 have been
of that observation you made the
other night, When said we had met be-
fore, and upon my word believe was
right after all. l have such a capital
for faces that l cannot imagine
myself mistaken"


"Indeed," he laughed, roughly, "you
seem to have great confidence in yourself
Unfortunately, as / told you, in this in
stance, you are quite wrong"


Well, perhaps am" was my answer,
as drew my chair a little nearer to his
" The strangest part of my error was that
I fancied you were one of two men de-
Tended at Reading some four years ago,
for conspiring to cheat q young under
graduate out of his money by playing with
loaded dice" sH, pa


He was far too much on his guard to
make any sign; he only said, with smile,
"You certainly paid me great compli-
ment." But saw that he was drawing
away his right hand, which had hitherto
been resting on the table.


at was remark rkable case" continued,
Z" chiefly from the way in which the
roguery was detected. The hand of the
man who was manipulating the loaded
dice was, as yours might be, on the table,
to all appearances in the most innocent
manner possible with that, as if to give
him ocular demonstration of the way in
which the cheat had been effected, took
hold of his hand, and held it on the table
-"when a stranger who had been sitting
at the farther end of the room came quick
ly to the side of the rogue, and in an in
slant more had pinned his hand with a
carving-fork to the mahogany" felt
that had carried the play on long enough,
and quickly inserting my finger at the top
of his glove tore it down the back. He
jumped to his feet and so did l. e" You are
that man. I said, "whose hand was so
pinned to the table, and that scar is the
evidence should call if it were necessary
to prove it. Therefore sit down, and hear
what else have to say"


He glared viciously at me, lifted his fist
as if he would have struck me, and then
sank into his chair again.


GA man who could try to rob poor
silly boy by such disgraceful means"
continued, "could hardly be expected to
haYe any pity on helpless woman but,
fortunately, I have been witness OF
your endeavors on more than one occasion,
by threats and menaces, to extort q large
sum of money from your hosts wife, and
that by representing to her that her first
husband was alive, and at Otago,I in New
Zealand, when you knew as well as do
that he was dead, and has been so this
two years."


"He is not Dead" growled Murray. le9


"He is Dead" replied, & and your own
pocket-book proves it."


AS / said this held up to him the wal
let that had tumbled upon in the planta-
ton walk, in one of the pockets of which,
among a number of other exceedingly sus-
picious looking documents, had found
a certificate of the death of Arthur Ber.
nard. ..- ,tg..f =.


But as have been very long time in
telling my story-DarrlsterS are proVefD
tally long -winded, you know must hur
ry to conclusion.


The morning following our interview
Murray, with many excuses and regrets
found himself unavoidably compelled tc
return to town. AS he got into the phe
ton that was to take him to the station hi
kindly whispered in my ear, g I'll live t.
pay you out for this yeti" promise tina
/ somehow or other fancy he will fulfil