Year: 1878

pense; to offer a reward if he thought it ne
cessary; to have detectives down from Lon
don, and goodness knows what. Mr.. VIE
gate introduced me- and was kind enough tc
say that there was no necessity for detectives
to be brought, as they had 80 eminent
functionary as myself in the town.


It was supposed that this would be merely
preliminary examination, but it turned out
differently. A few of Lytherly's compan'
ions-although, as it transpired afterward
they fully believed him guilty-were yet de-
termined he should have chance, and 50
subscribed a guinea for old Jerry Crotton, the
most disreputable old fellow in the town, but
very clever lawyer for all that; and Jerry
soon came bustling in. He had a few min
utes conversation with Lytherly, and then
asked that the hearing mig ight be put off fol-
an hour. This was of course granted and
By the end of that time he had overwhelming
evidence to prove an alibi, for his landlady
son hadn't slept wink for his toothache, and
he was with Lytherly until dinner-time on
Sunday; and then the accused went for a
walk with couple of friends, and did not
return until after dark, having spent two or
three hours at public house some miles Oft,
as the landlord, who happened to be in the
town, it being market day, helped to prove
the rest of the time he was in the Bell, ELS
was usual poor fellow.


There was no getting over this. There was
not shadow of pretense for remanding him,
and so-much to Parkway's evident annoy.
ance-Lytherly was discharged. He became
more popular than ever among his associates,
although the respectable people of the town
looked down upon him, and they had sup
per in his honor that night, at which old
Jerry Crotton presided. In default of Lyth-
erly, no clue could be found. Not shilling
of Miss Parkway's money was ever discover.
ed in her apartments 80 her murderer had
got clear away with his booty. Many wise
acres said we should hear of Lytherly quietly
disappearing after things had settled down.


Some little excitement was created by Lyth.
erly attempting to get into the sole funeral
carriage that attended the hearse; but Mr..
Parkway would not admit such thing, and
was himself the only follower 1t was very
clear that the stranger, in common with many
others, was not half satisfied with the explain
alton which had secured Lytherly's escape,
and as was on the ground at the funeral, l
saw, as did everybody else who was there, the
frown be turned on the young man, who, in
spite Of his rebuff, had gone on foot to the
church yard.


Mr.. Parkway left that evening, having
placed his business in the hands of Mr. Win
grave; for as there was no will, he was the
her-at-law. Now this was very curious af-
fair about the will, because Miss Parkway
had told her landlady not many days be-
fore, that she had made her will, days before,
and in fact had shown her the document as it
lay, neatly tied up, in her desk. However, it
was gone now and she had either destroyed
it, or the person who had killed her had ta-
ken that as we'll as the money and even if the
latter was the case, it was hardly likely to
turn up again. So, as / have said, Mr.. Park-
way went home. The solicitor realized the
poor lady's property; and all our efforts were
in vain to discover the slightest clue to the
guilty party. As for Lytherly, he soon
found it was it was no use to think OF re.
naming in Combestead, for guilty or not, no
one in any respectability cared to associate
with him; and as he owned to me, the
WOTSC phTL VI IL dll was Oiu OAoteobt
the lawyer, whenever they met at any tav-
ern, would laugh and wink and clap him
on the shoulder, and call on every one present
to remember how poor old Jenny Crotton got
his young friend off so cleverly; how thsy
"Aummoxed the magistrates and jockeyed
the peelers," when it was any odds against his
young friend.


So we went; and great many declared he
had gone to enjoy his ill gotten gains, but l
never thought so and one of my men going to
Chatham to identify prisoner, saw Lythery
in the uniform of the Royal Engineers, ard,
in fact had a glass of ale with him. The
young fellow said it was his only resource
dig he could not, and to beg where he was
known would be in vain. He sent his res.
poets to me, and that was the last we heard
for long time of the Combestead murder.