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C H A P T E R X X II.
It <• time that we follow the fortune«
o f Second-cousin Sarah, whom w# left
with her ahabby sister-in-law In the
grounds o f Sedge Hill. Taken off her
guard by Mrs. Thotnaa Eastbcll's aiulden
appearance, disturbed by the erenta o f
the night, and ever conscious o f the dan­
ger which the presence of the two in­
truders in her aunt's house foreshadowed,
she followed the woman In good faith
some distance along the garden paths
and in the direct i o i f t f the high road.
"W e will go no further,” ahe said; “ tell
me what I hare to fear from your hus­
band and Peterson, and I will reward you
handsomely.”
"Listen then as well as you can. I
ain't a-going to apeak loud for anybody.”
“ I am listening."
Sarah Eastbell inclined her head more
closely to the woman, who began whis­
pering about her hmtband In a rambling
fashion that was difficult to follow, un­
til she went suddenly back three steps, to
Sarah’s surprise, and stood gating at
her, or at something near her.
"W h a t is it?" exclaimed Sarah; “ what
M
There was no opportunity to say more,
to scream, or to struggle. T w o strong
arms closed round lier, and a cloth, wet
and sickly with drugs, was pressed to
her mouth and nostrils by a merciless
hand, that seemed to snatch her at once
from active life to oblivion.
When she came back to consciousness
it was to a life apart from Sedge H ill,
and those who loved her there. She was
lying on a bed. with Sophy Eastbell dos­
ing by the side o f a scantily furnished
fire. There was a narrow window in the
side of the room, with some boards nail­
ed across it to keep the light of one splut­
tering candle from Itetraying itself to the
night.
Suddenly Sophy woke up, and gave a
nervous jump in her chair at finding her
sister-in-law crouched upon the bed, with
her great dark eyes glaring at her.
"W h ere have you brought me? W hy
am I in this dreadful place?” Sarah ask­
ed in an eager voice.
“ You’ve come round, have you?” said
Sophy. "W e ll, I am glad o f that. Blest
If I didn’t think they’d overdone it with
their klory-what's-its-name, and sent you
bang off afore they meant it.”
Sarah Eastbell was sitting at tffie edge
o f the bed now, regarding her jailer
with eager attention. She was scarcely
back from dreamland yet.
"W h y have I been brought here?” ahe
asked leas patiently.
“ You'll know in good time, gal. There’ s
no ‘caaion for a hurry, or a flurry. Take
it cool. You’re safe enuf.”
Sarah Eastbell was standing at the
door of the room when she had recovered
herself. I t was locked, as she had sus­
pected.
“ It's no use your thinking o f getting
out, Sally,” said Tom ’s w ife; “ don’t build
on that, or harm will happen to you.
T h at’s certain.”
“ Do you think I am the weak girl
whom you remember last?” said Sarah,
walking from the door to the woman's
side, and clutching her tightly by the
waist, “ or that I am to be frightened by
this trick of yours, and o f the wretches
who have assisted you? Do you know in
what peril you have put yourself?”
“ Oh, yes, we all know; it's all been
thought on,” said the woman ironically.
‘ ‘ W e’re o f the don't care sort, and have
chanced it. You can’t say it wasn't well
done, Sally.”
"G ive me the key of the door, or you
will find me the stronger woman o f the
tw o!” cried Sarah.
“ Don’t ketch hold o f my wrist like
that,” cried her sister-in-law, “ or you’ ll
be sorry if I go away, or if any one
downstairs comes up instead of me, be­
cause you are too wiolent for my com­
pany. You can’t behave like a lady, for
all your fine flash silk. I have only to
shreek out, and there are three men be­
low who don’t stand nonsense sich as
youm.”
Sarah Eastbell released her hold. Yes.
she was in danger, and must be cau­
tious. They who brought her to this
den had risked a great deal in entrapping
her, and would risk more rather than
allow her to escape. She must be pru­
dent and on her guard, not defiant and
aggressive.
“ I ain’t got no key, if yon must know,”
said Sophy, as she returned to her chair
and sat down; “ this is my room, and
we’re both locked in together. I ’ m to
take charge of you, that’s all, my gal,
and think yourself lucky it’s me.”
“ W hat place is it?” Sarah asked again.
“ A place of bis'ness,” was the enigmat­
ic answer.
“ Coiners— the old gang from Potter's
Court— the Petersons,” cried Sarah.
Mrs. Eastbell did not answer.
She
warmed her thin hands at the fire, and a
convenient cough prevented all possibil­
ity of reply. She was a prudent woman,
and not likely to commit herself and her
friends by responding to leading ques-
tions o f this character.
The spiriting away o f a yonng lady
from home without her consent, and with­
out leaving a clue wherewith to trace her,
is no light feat in the nineteenth cen­
tury, and Mrs. Thomas Eastbell had
shown a natural pride in the neatness of
the achievement. True, the house was
five or six miles from a quiet city, and
was desolate enough at all times, the
hour was late, the circumstances were
opportune, and how to profit by the riches
of old Mrs. Eastbell and her granddaugh­
ter had been the study o f six months, but
still Mrs. Thomas Eastbell bad some­
thing to take credit for. It was a bold
stroke carried out by desperate men, and
It had succeeded where a more timid
llna o f policy would have assuredly fail­
ed.
I t was the boldest bit of bualneaa that
the Peterson gang had ever been engag­
ed In, and the Petersons had been en­
gaged, under various aliases. In innumer­
able shady transactions. They had come
to "fresh fields and pastures new " by
adopting the fair county of Worcester as
a sphere for their operations; they bad
rented a tumble-down old edifice In a
wild part o f the country, and put on the
door the name o f Jackson, button maker;
they had even made a few acquaintances
In distant villages, aud bore a respecta­
ble name among honest, unsuspicious folk
who believed In them and their buttons.
No one visited them certainly— It was an
out-of-the-way place, to which nobody
v* as Invited, and where only button mak­
ing was the order o f the day.
No one confounded the name o f Jack-
•on with Peteraon— and it waa possibly
good policy in the Captain adopting hla
own name when he went with Thomaa
Eastbell to Sedge Hill. It kept matters
clear and distinct, though he had not bar­
gained for Sarah Eastbell’s good mem­
ory, or imagined that he waa known to
her by sight.
It was he who unlocked the door of
Sarah’s extempore cell at seven In the
morning, and stood before her, the avow­
ed agent o f her captivity.
“ I have come to apologize for my
friends’ rough treatment o f last night,”
he said, reclining languidly against the
wall, and crossing his gloved hands, one
with a very glossy hat in it, “ and to ex­
press a hope that you have suffered no
inconvenience from your temporary with­
drawal from a home which you are ac­
customed to adorn. I, for one,” he add­
ed with a low bow, “ should regret very
much to hear one word o f complaint.”
"Th is is your work then," said Sarah
bitterly: “ it is as I suspected. T ell me
what my brother wants?”
“ I would say a fair, redress for the
injury which you have done him. Your
grandmother is rich, and will leave you
all her money. And your only brother,
a man o f many admirable qualities—
will be left to drag on his life in Indi­
gence. and to die In utter abjectness of
spirit, without you assist him as fairly
and liberally as a fond sister should do.
Thomas, who Is in difficulties, wants fif­
teen thousand pounds!”
Sarah drew a sudden and deep breath,
but did not reply. Ths thin face o f the
woman stooping over the fire peered
round at her, horrible in its eagerness
and greed.
“ Fifteen thousand pounda only from
that Immense fortune which muat come
to you when old Mrs. Eastbell die«, the
simple conditions being that the sum
muat he paid at once, as your brother is
very poor, and there is a balance o f six­
teen thousand three hundred and twenty-
eight pounds lodged at your banker’s, in
your name, for the convenience of a cur­
rent account.”
»H o w do you know what money is
lodged In my nnme at the bank?”
“ Thomas tells me— that is all.
He
sent me here with your check book— he
found that In your desk, too, he tells me.
You have only to draw a draft for the
amount, and you are free, M'sa Eastbell.
I promised a friend o f yours that you
should be at Sedge H ill this evening.
M iss Holland will tell you everything to­
night,” he said as he drew the check
book from his pocket and pitched It care­
lessly upon the deal table that was there.
“ I have left everything for that young
lady to explain. It Is a story apart from
yours, and suits not my style o f narra­
tive.”
“ This money la held In trust for an­
other,” she said; “ it belongs neither to
me nor to my grandmother.”
“ I f to Mr. Cnlwick, we— I should say.
your brother Thomas objects to the title.”
“ Let him!” cried Sarah with a sudden
outburst o f anger.
“ Am I to understand then------"
“ Th at I will not sign one o f those
checks. Yes, understand that for your
friend.
You may kill me,” ahe cried,
“ but you shall not touch a penny o f Reu­
ben Culwick’s money.”
C H A P T E R X X III.
Captain Peterson, merchant service, re­
ceived the ultimatum of Miss Sarah East­
bell with his customary sang frold. H e
was a man whom it took a great deal to
disturb, or who concealed his annoyance
by an enviable semblance o f imperturba­
bility.
“ A fter that, I need not trespass further
on your time,” he said. “ I will communi­
cate with Thomas at once."
H e unlocked the door and went to the
landing place beyond, closing and locking
the door behind him. Finally he went
down the rickety stairs, which were
crumbling to pieces with the house, halt­
ed at the bottom o f the next flight, and
listened at the right-hand door, as though
there were another prisoner close at
hand. The door was not locked, and he
opened it softly, and put his head into
the room beyond, withdrawing it In si­
lence, as if contented with what had met
his gaze; and proceeding down another
flight o f stairs, to a room on the ground
floor, where three tall men, In shirt
sleeves, were cowering before a Are. I f
these men were Petersons, Captain Ed­
ward had taken the good looks of the
family to himself.
“ You’ ve done your parts well, boys,” he
said In a quick, sharp voice, "but there
may be more to do.”
“ H o w ’s that?” inquired scoundrel num­
ber one; ‘‘ we’ ve done enough now to get
ourselves lagged for ten years.”
" It 's not easy,” said Peterson, "but
tt must be gone on with at any risk.
Failure means Worcester Jail, success
means ten thousand pounds between us
all.”
H e had mentioned fifteen thonsand
pounds upstairs, but he and Thomaa
Eastbell were keeping an extra five thou­
sand to themselves. Edward Peterson
did not tell hla brothers everything when
money waa In questiou.
"W h a t more la to be done?" asked the
first scouudrtd, who was the worst-t4tu-
pered and most disputatious member of
the gang.
“ You will know when It’a necessary,”
was the short answer; “ at present the
young lady ia refractory."
“ W ill the girl sign the check before the
day is out? that’s the question.” asked
number oue, “ for we cau't go ou like
this.”
“ I have said that It's her money or her
life, and I mean It! She will be back to-
uight at Sedge If 111, or she will never re­
turn again. Mark that. Do you think
any woman would prefer to be found In
the Severn, to paying away tuouey that
•he can afford to part with?”
“ W e don't want to hear anything shout
the Severn," said the first scoundrel; "you
know what’a safe better thau we do, hut
we’ll have no hand In It. Dennis and I
and Mike have talked It over, and won't
go further than we've doue already—
there!"
“ You fools, have I asked you?” shout­
ed Peterson, springing to his ''ect;
“ you’ve done the work I ’ ve set you to
do, and I will pay you for It and be rid
of you. The money's safe, and I'll keep
my word— •• I always do, and always
will. I don’ t want your help— you are iu
the way, and must go.”
"G o !” echoed the men.
"T h is house will be unsafe after to­
night, and we must vanish before It's
•potted. I will be In London to-morrow
evening, at the old place, with your
money."
One by one these men drifted nwav
from home, without a thought o f Surah
Eastbell’s safety, aud with an immenao
amount of consideration for their own.
It was not murder that troubled their
mind so acutely as complicity with It, de­
tection, and sentence.
I f Ned would
take all the risk, he might murder half
W orcester for what they cared; but it
was out o f their line, and they would pre­
fer to return to London as quickly ns
possible, and wait for the money that had
t>ceu promised them, or the bad news
they half expected Instead. It was two
o'clock In the afternoon before the last
of the three meu passed out of the houae,
and went away down the narrow lane
which led from the high road.
Captain Peterson stood at the front
door. H e waa in excellent spirits, nnd
he waved hia hand to the disputations
Barney, who was the last to leave, by
way o f friendly salutation at parting.
"T h e y ’re gone,” be muttered, "and
they're better gone, whichever way this
affair is likely to turn out."
H e lingered at the door meditating on
the great scheme of hia life. The sky was
overcast, and he looked up at it and
prophesied to himself that it would rsin
before the morning. He walked round to
the opposite aide of the house and gazed
moodily at the water flowing twenty
paces from him, and at a boat lying on
the long grass above the river bank. One
glance at the darkened window In the top­
most story where his fortune lay, he
thought, and then he returned to the
house meditating on the difficulties in
hia way, and o f his genius to surmount
them. H e went Into the house, and uflk
stairs to the first floor room, wherein we
have seen hint gaze wit{j interest at an
early hour of the morning.
“ Bess,” be said in a sharp voice, nnd
at the summons a small thin-faced child.
In a hat and cloak, appeared at the door.
“ You have coine back then, father.”
"Yea.”
Edward Peterson went downstairs, fol­
lowed by the little girl. A t the front
door he said:
“ You were wise to keep to your room
to-day, little woman, for they hnve been
very cross, and Mrs. Eastbell has been
worse than ever.
You must find your
way to Worcester to-night, all by your­
self. Tw o miles from here la a railway
station— you know It, where the red and
green lights shine out like big eyes after
dark. You have run about here a good
deal, and know your way well, and you
can find the station. Now, take care of
that money.”
H e placed some money In her hands,
and she wrapped it up In a comer of a
dirty white handkerchief, and tucked it
down the bosom o f her dress, wrapping
her cloak round her afterward with all
the carefulness and confidence of
a
woman.
“ A t the railway station ask for a third-
class ticket for Worcester.
When the
train comes up to the platform, get in.
When they call out ‘ Worcester,’ get out.
A t Worcester a lady, very pretty, and
with hands full o f toys, will he waiting
for you at the postofflee. Ask the way
to the postofflee like a woman ns you are,
and when you see the Indy under the
clock, say, ’P a keeps his word— I ’ m Bes­
sie.’ ”
“ A ll right,” said the child again, with a
rare amount of confidence In her own
comprehension o f the details, which,
however, he asked her to repeat, listen­
ing attentively to the recital.
She needed no second bidding to be r ff
— It had not been so happy a home that
she should grieve for It or him, and there
had been a promise of a glorious change
for her, and a bright child-world. She
ran off quickly toward the narrow lnne,
already full of shadow that murky after­
noon.
(T o be continued.»
T h e y A r e H ensitive.
T h e aenaltlveneas o f the fam ilies of
distinguished men ns to the early oc­
cupations o f tjjelr ancestors la some­
w hat remarkable. Recently an author
w as asked to w rite a b rief history o f
the life o f a man who had done service
to his state. L ik e Lincoln, this man
had been a woodchopper, a fact to
which his historian gave prominence.
“ Don’t say he was a 'woodchopper,' ”
said the spokesman o f the fam ily.
“ T h a t w ill never do.”
“ W h a t shall I say then?” asked the
author.
“ Say— let me see now. Just say that
he w as connected with the lumber
business.”
D on't use you r voice when hoarse.
Ayers
Bell Hoy (outside o f room 56)--Hay,
ths gas Is escaping lu there. Country­
man (Inside o f room (IS)— No, It ain't;
I locked the door.— Ex.
Mother— Johnny Jones, did you get
that aw fu l cold out skatlug? Hon —
Mother, I think I caught It wusblng
my face yesterday morning.— Judge.
Chumply— I don't know whether I
ought to take your daughter from her
father's roof. H er F a th er—Hhe doesn't
live on ths roof,— Philadelphia Bulle­
tin.
" I say. Broom!”
"C a ll ms by my
whole name. I f you plcaae. It haa a
handle to It, and It waa meant to bo
uaed, air.” "T tia t'a so
W ell, Broom-
handle. how are you?”
Impure blood *lw*ys show»
somewhere. If (he skin, then
boils, pimples, rashes. If (he
nerves, then neuralgia, nerv-
ousness, depression. If the
Sarsaparilla
stom ach, then d y sp e p sia ,
biliousness, loss of appetite.
Y ou r doctor knows the
remedy, used for 60 years.
- Kslnrntns from Ilia ('» k in war. I w u •
M itn -t wrerk
Mr kleod
ka<l. >»<1 mr
hsslth was guns, ll.it . f.w M I l M t l Z r « ' *
Sarasuartll* coinplstsif tarait ma "
11. O. liuaui.su. Scrsuloa. fa .
t'O .,
f .T.
C. ITBN
IT
I I N « bolita,
mammatfámlal
for
Mtu.
Impure Blood
Curloao— Your name la Ephraim, la A id t h e S a r s a p a r il la by k a a p ln ii t h *
It? llo w ’d your parents come to g iv e b a w e la r e g u la r w it h A y a r • P illa .
you that name?
Modeatus I don't
know for certain, but I suspect It was
It takes tw o to maka a quarrel until
because I was a boy.- -Boston T ra n ­
you have one o f your own. and then tt
script.
la alw ays the other one who make# It.
"W om en claim that the w ay to get
r*rmu)«ntir » aran. Wo nuor nom him
on w ith a man la to g iv e him plenty
•fiar lIrstdA/'suMufIn.Kllwr'kifrsAt M a
o f nicely cooked fo od ."
‘ ‘ Well,J’ an- ■ M ■u»r*r
Hr ml for K r*«S 9 triol fiotti« and irw
M
Pife
awered Sirius Barker, Irritably, "w h y 1*. M. IL Elio«, Usi..IO.' Arri» fit.
don't some o f them try It?” — W ashin g­
HucOffU.
ton Star.
Rome people think eurcees means
A Great Debt: B ragg I o w e noth­
simply to get rich.
Others think It
ing to any man. N e w ltt— Oh. yea, you
mentis merely to keep out o f J*II. One
do. B ra gg— No, air! N ew ltt- Oh. yea.
o f these definitions Is about us near
Y"ou ow e an apology to every man who
correct ae the other, says a phlloee-
hna to llaten to you blow .— Ph iladel­
nhor.
phia Preaa.
FITS
Im provem ent at the Gaa Office; "D id
you have any luck when you went to
complain alrout the gaa bill?” “ Better
luck than laat month," unawered Mr.
Meekton; “ the man didn't laugh this
tim e.” — Ex.
19ft
l e y LIOUOR-MOHPMINt-TOBACCO
HABITS rnOUHCNTlY OJRtD
* * *
— ros m i enartcuiASi —■
Sometimes we mey learn more from
s man's errors than from his virtues.—
“ Funny about Ralston w anting hla Lougfellow.
form er w ife to get a divorce from her
Mothers w ill find Mrs. Wlnslows’s Southing
second husband so that they might get
married again.” “ Not very. He'a al­ R jru p the beat remedy to use lor lhair ohtldraa
d u rin g the teathlug (*rlo d ..
w ays been fa llin g !u love w ith other
men’s w ives.” — Ex.
Indians and negroes, ss • rule, are
D ally Guide to F la ttery : I f there Is possessed of keeuer lira ring tliau whits
something on the table that the people.
hostesa knows Is so badly cooked that
Plso • Cure Ik • remedy for coughs, no Ids
she feels bored ubout It, ask for more and consumption. Try it. Price 26 oenU,
and eat tt with the greatest apparent St druggist*.
relish.— Baltim ore American.
The population o f Japan
la tw elve
"H a T s you any taste fo r Thacke­ times as druse as that o f the United
ray?” asked Mrs. Oldcastle.
“ N o * I States.
can’ t say that I have," replied her
hoatess; “ la that anything like this
paprika they’re puttin' In everything
n o w ? '— Chicago Record Ileruld.
W hat he W ould Rather H a ve E x ­
pressed D ifferen tly: Gushing I-ndy—
Oh, but Mr. Jones, ^ should love to l»s
beau tifu l—even If fo r only luilf an
hour! Jones— Yes; but you wouldn't
like the coming buck a ga in !— Punch.
ABSOLUTE
SECURITY.
Conductor— A ll al*oard! I ’ lense get
at*oard quickly. Miss;
the train Is
about to start.
Young I.ady— But I
wish to kiss tny sister good by. Con­
ductor— G et almard, get altoard; I ’ ll
attend to that fo r you.— Y a le Record.
H o w to H old Actors;
“ It alw ays
makes me mad to talk to an actor. He
pretends to llaten politely, but bis a t­
tention Is wandering all the time. Ever
notice It?*’
“ No.
1 a lw a y s talk to
them
about them selves.” — Ph iladel­
phia Ledger.
Genuine
Carter’s
Little Liver Pills.
M u a t B e a r S ig n a t u r e of
Ow ner o f Fishpond (to man w ho la
trespassing)— Don't you see thnt sign, I
“ No fishing here? A n gler— Yes, nnd
I dispute It. W hy, there's good fish­
ing here. I>ook at this basketful. Th e
man must have been mud who put
that board up.
Cbolly— A fello w told me to day that
I didn't know enough t# go In when It
rained.
Miss Sharp— And what did
you say? Cholly— I nssuhed him It
was quite unnecessary, doncher know,
because I nevah go out when It rains.
Philadelphia Ledger.
" I t was only five years ago that I
started In with our firm at five dollars
a w eek," said Iirngg, “ and now I earn !
fifty a week w ithout any trouble.”
“ T h a t’s so; It’s easy to earn that,” re­
plied N ew ltt, “ hut how much do you
get?” — Philadelphia Press.
Ida— I don’t believe Mr. Sm art be­
lieves my handkerchiefs are
linen.
M ay— W h y not?
Ida— I told him I
had my pin money wrapped In my
handkerchief and lost I t
H e said
there was a great deal o f money lost
In cotton these days.— Chicago News.
Fond Mother— I don't know w hat to
do. I w ant to send my daughter to
college, and yet I don't want to send
her Into the w orld unprotected. W ise
visitor, who has observed the daugh­
ter’s disposition— You mean that It
would be unkind to send her out Into
the unprotected w orld!
N ever say again that a newspaper
w riter is not a master o f diplomacy.
One o f the fratern ity w as to w rite up
the history o f an old lady o f 08. H a
was told she had never so much aa
learned her letters. Did he blurt it
out In print?
N ot a bit o f I t
n«
merely stated on hla finely w ritten
article that “ she can read the fines'
print aa w all aa sha ever could."
5ee Pec-SI ml le Wrsppar lie low.
FOB
FOR
FOR
FOR
FOR
FOR
FOR
s
HEADACHE.
DIZZINESS.
BILIOUSNESS
TORPID LIV ER .
CONSTIPATION.
SALLOW SKIH.
TN EC O R IPLEX IO I
OBfTM NII W
M
T M
A
Y
» A^»M
AT
M
W
i.
riTSm I Ptnraty ▼ e y ta h U .x W —
C U R E B IC K H E A D A C H E .
HOWARD L BURTON. Aisavn and Chemist
Kpeclrnen M see, < -"M. Kllvcr, I,.*<1, f t : ( told, Hll-
T#r,7.*!;< .old, tOeiZIooorCoppar.gl. Cyanide teeL*.
Mailing envelope* and full pricelist santon applies.
Unn. Control and t'mpire work solicited. I.ead-
v llle . Colo. Ilafersnc# Carbonate Nat’l Hank.
W. L. DOUCLAS
8 4 .00, 8 3 .5 0 , 8 3 .0 0 , 82.50
Witt S H O E S TtA'&Ko.
\V.L. Douglas shoes
are worn by more
men than any other
make. The reason
is, they hold their
shape,ntbetter,wear
longer, and have i
greater intrinsic
value than any
other shoes.
8 old Every when.
J fionk for mime nvi _ _
D o i ik I br imea C o r o n a C o ltn k ln , w h ic h 1«
pivfiry w h e r e c o n e e tle d t o b e t h e fln e R t P e t e n l
L e n t h e r y e t p r o d n ee d . Fast Color E yelett used,
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1 by idaii , 2B rrnto Aftrw. Write for Catalog.
W . L. DOUGLAS, Brockton, M
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PISO S CURE FOR
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■sat Cough Irm e. Tutes Good. Usa
In tisse. Bold by druggists.
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