Gerald Myrtlemore's Escape

Gerald Myrtlemore I had known from liis infancy; known and-jf the word may be used without ridicme by a crabbed old bachelor - loved. At the time of my story he was a tall, handsome young fello w of seven-and-twenty, sturdy of limb and stout of heart. At his father's death, some five years previous, Gerald had come into possession of much property; but an unfortunate speculation connected with the downfall of a certain bank, whose name has still an ugly flavor on men's lips, had well-nigh ruined him. He lived alone with an old confldential housekeeper in a neat little house ealled, after the village, Ashdale Lodge. Here he was on the spot, looking after the wreek of his estáte, and trying hard to bring order out of mouetary chaos. He was lonely, and I was lonely; and, moreover, as I was his chief assistant in the abovementioned attempt, we were drawn much together. Of winter evenings - possibly after a brisk run with the Croxby hounds - we sat in my home, and smoked and talked gossip and politics by the hour. Of late, however, I had noticed a change in him, and with the keen eye of a lawyer I tracked it to its cause: Gerald was in love. Gerald Myrtleniore was certainly in love. I had made a diagnosis of the disease far too often to be misled. His visits were less frequent, and he was almost always absentminded when he did come. I remarked great extremes in his dress; at one time he was wonderf ully polished and precise, at anothervery lax. ïhen, too, 1 had cauglit him more than once in the streets of Ashdale talking very earnestly with Miss Tranten, an arrangement in pink and white, with whose cliarms a good many young men seemed smitten. Naturally, 1 laughed at him, and equally, accordmg to the rule, the laughuig ag{rava;ed the symptoms. I was s rry, hough, for anothor reason beyond tlie jurely selüsh one of losing a blithesyed frientl. A strng presentment of evil lay upon me. Miss Tranton miglit conceivably be next door to au angel; jut her fatlier, Captain Tranton, of Ilollies Hall, was best described as an avaricious autocrat. I knew him well; in an oilicial capacity I had had inany dealings with him, and had found his coldness only equalled by his pride, liis inflexibility only overmastered by his jreediness for gain. He had a certain reputation in the village as a moneylender, a veritable extortioner; and albhough his dignity kept it a secret, I liad ampie reason to believe its truth. Solicitors are not accustomed to trust rntieh to chance; bHt 1 would have wagered any day my whole professional reputation that Captain Tranton would never be brought to hear of a match between Gerald Myrtlemore and his daughter. In f amily, of course, Gerald was fully his equal; the Myrtlemores had been settledin Brakeshire for more than three centuries. But Gerald was poor and he was rich, and that alone the magnate of Hollies Hall would lind to be an insuperable objection. As to rebellion on the maiden's part, that, too, appeared unlikely. She was not of age - hardly nineteen - and was ruled at home with a rod f iron. The mcreusing gloom on my friend's face, and the resentment against the grinding bond of straitened circumstances that now and again burst volcano-like tlirough his ordinarily placid mood, gave new force to rny vague draad of trouble. I made, at least, a bold bid for his secret. Ioffered him a sympathy that was genuine, and, recogniy.ing it as such, Gerald told me the whole story. It was a dull leaden afternoon in early autumn, and the blinda were down in my cosy room, the gas alight, the logs blazing. Gerald made no effort to seek the shade; he was long past the period of blushing self-consciousnes. He stood upright, to the left of the üre-place, his flrm white fingers grasping tightly a chair's back, his gray eyes seeking mine. I heard him to the end without au interruption; a brief concise avowal, wherein passion wore the dress of simple words. 'Millicent and I have been acquainted for long,' he said. 'We have met often, and she seems to favor my advances. It is with her father that the difliculty threatens. You know Capt. Tranton? I think he begins to suspect.' 'Ah! As yet, then, you hare not deimitely enlightened him?' 'I have taken, up to this moment, no decisive step whatever; but I shall.' 'And if he ref uses V' 'If he denies me his consent, and Milly is stili favorable, I shall persevere.' 'She is Tranton's only child and a considerable heiress, no doubt,' I said. 'A marriage - with her father's goodwill - would set your estáte in order again, and many people - With a gleam of scorn he broke my carefally adjusted words asunder. "It ia invariably nioney, filthy lucre!" he bursi out. "The world has set up its idol - a great golden Moloch! - and everybody is in a hurry to bow down; and the struggle is, who shall succeed in making the deepest obeisance. You are a lawyer, Parke, and like the rest. I ought to have remembered that." "You will pardon me if I am a trille less sentimental than a young gentleman in love," I replied, with asmile. The storm was over, and the deep ominous calm back in an instant. Gerald could see the difliculties of the situation every whit as well as I, and t was the embarassment they caused that had led to the tiny ebullition. "I apologize," he said simply. "Of ate I fear I've been scarcely civil many ,imes. I am edging toward the Rnbicon, and it worries me. Fate is against me, but - I'll conquer yet;" and ie began to stride slowly up and down he room. Nothing was to be gained by a blinkng of the f acts. "Millicent Tranton is not of age; you are, comparatively speaking, a poor suitor; and lier father is both a rich and a hard man, Gerald," I said. He winced, but admitted at once my conclusions. "You think that Captain Tranton will say 'No!' in tones of thunder," he said, "unless the insolence of the proposition takes his breath away. I fear so too; but this discussion has at least quickened my resolve, and before many days have passed, that question, at any ate, will be decided. I will flrst make quite sure of Milly (what a world of enderness trembled about the name!)" and then I will try her father. I am not exactly rich, as all Ashdale knows, since that crash; but I am a gentleman; I hare health, honor, and brains; ! can surely keep a wife, and time will help to free what remains of the old property around the Lodge.' "That is true," I said. Our conversation now took a fresh turn, and we sat late. I was searching my office pigeonïoles next morning for a missing document, when my clerk announced Capain Tranton. A moment more and ie was befre me; a tall, thin, grizzled man, with an eye like a liawk's and a mouth continually hoveling between a sneer and a frown. He retumed my alutation as frigidly as usual and sat down. At flrst vaguely, and from asociation bf thought, I wondered vhether his errand had anything to do withnry friend. I speedily found it had not. Captain Tranton was going north; he had property beyond the fweed, and wished my advice upon a lain matter of business, a dispute be;ween a tenant and himself. Once again, and so far as a personal interview was concerned, for the last time, ;he ingrained selflshness of the man's ïeart was revealed to me. I pitied the unknown Scotchman who had incurred lis displeasure, and I made my advice of as mild a tenor au possible. He took notes of all I said in a little red-backed ocketbook, thanked me, and departed. :t was then the 8th of October. 'I shall be back on the 19th, or 20th at Litest, Mr. Parke,' he said, turning 'or an instant on the threshold; 'I will cali at once and inform you of the result, if I do not have need to write.' I bowed und returned his 'Goodmorning.' Half a dozen days later Gerald and I met at a dinner party at the rectory. !Irs. Tranton and her daughter were ;here also, for the Reverend Eustace Bronne was a bright and shining light in our social firmament as well as in lis oaken pulpit; his entertainments were invariably well attended and select. Millicent was the belle of the evening. She found plenty of obsequious admirers, from the sleek-faced ittle cúrate to the pompous old squire of the Manor House. I watched her this time keenly, critically, and gave my verdict in her favor. Her mother was a shy, pensive wtman, who took jut a languid interest even in the affairs of her own household, and who would no more have dreamed of defying her husband in a trivial matter than in a great one. Millicent exhibited, in her vivacity, a self-reliance and mild spirit of inquiry. She was slight, but of good figure; lovely to-night in a dress that both lltted her and was a tribute to good taste. She could sing and play as 1 had heard only one other country lassie do; and that was with quite old fashioned songs thirty years ago. Once or twicethat evening I fancied that signáis passed between Millicent Tranton and Gerald Myrtlemore, and after a certain episode behind a music-book, a tell-tale blush reigned upon both faces. I was not surprised next evening, when sitting alone in my room, a copy of a curreiit review in my hand and comfort all around, to receive a visit from my friend. Gerald carne in witli as grave a step as ever, but there was is strange a compound of joy and anxiety upon his face as I had ever seen. llegave my outstretched hand a grip in üilence, and took his old station to the lef t of the fire. "Fair stood the wind for France" I hummed. 'Ah, Gerald, 1 don'tknow, I am sure, what has brought those words to my lipa.' 'I have proved one chance, at any rate,' he said, with beaming eyes, 'and ain on the straight road to the other.' The light liad dimmed again, perplexity w;is paramount. 'She, Millicent, has accepted you ?' I said. 'Yes, subject to her father's consent.' 'You will try at once to obtain that?' 'Immediately on liis return froni Scotland. But, oíd f ellow, what if she is sent away in consequenc V' The same contingency liad occurred to my own mind as a not unlikely one. 'Ii'she really cares for you, it'is only a matter of years in any case,' I answered; 'you are both young, and time is on your side.' As it happened, I was away on the day of Captain Tranton's return, and did not reach home till midnight. A terrible shock did it give me, a terrible sequel was it to the light-hearted banter I have just chronicled, to hear in the morning that the master of Hollies Hall had been shot in his own room, and that Gerald Myrtlemore, the suitor of his daughter, stood charged with the crime. ii. The whole community was in a ferment, and, as in all such cases, the most absurd and exaggerated stoiïes were afloat about Ashdale. About the two main facts, however, of the crime and the arrest, I sorrowfully found not the shadow of a doubt. Captain Tranton had come down to Pedbury by the night express of the 19th, and had arrived in the village the next morning. At eleven "that evening he was a corpse. The chain of evidence upon which Gerald Myrtlemore had been flrst suspected, and then imprisoned, was apparently a strong one. It had few links, but those were ugly ones. The young man, I knew myself, had expressed his determination to lose no available time in the prosecution of his suit; indeed he did not himself deny :hat at half -past ten that night he had neen closeted with the doomed man m ;he very apartment of the murder. He had gone away agitated; that was sworn to on good authority. It was jrobable, thought I, that he had been refused and was agitated. Á pistol of a very peculiar pattern had been picked up not many yards from the house, and had been since identified as Gerald Slyrtlemore's property; a f act that I will confess staggered me not a little, and very certainly looked dark. On ;hese premises Inspector lloberts had ;hought it good policy to make sure f lis prisoner. Hollies Hall stood about a mile out of the village, on the high road to Flinchester. It was a lonely house, and ;here were only a few laborers' cottages any where near. I went up there at once, and found everything in disorder and under the surveillance of the iolice. The widow and the bereaved daughter had been mercifully taken away by the rector. The body lay for he present on a couch in the chambei of the crime. I sought the pólice inspector. Annoyed as I was at the charge against my friend, I had at this moment not the least doubt either of his innocence, or of his being able thoroughlj to clear himself. lloberts was sympathizing and fairly communicative, but it was easy to see that beneath nis civil sentences lurked the convicion tbat he had arrested the right man. 'You see, sir,' he said. 'Myrtlemore was observed en his way down from he Hall by the keeper who lives at the chalk pits. Brown says he was out in ds garden, smoking, and dark as the night was, noticed Mr. Myrtlemore paricularly. Mr. Myrtlemore passed quite close and was in a tremendous hurry, jroaning and, Brown says, swearing to ïimself all the way, things which, when put together, seem very odd, because generally that gentleman is a juiet one - very. And then there's the iistol !' 'What did Ger - Mr. Myrtlemore say when you went down to Ashdale Lodge?' 'He was in bed, sir; and when I saw lim he looked as pale as death; but all ie said was, 'I am very sorry, lloberts. ['m perfectly innocent, but of course l'll go with you at once.' 'And innocent I am sure he is,' I answered warmly; 'but somebody lias committed a foul crime and must be detected. You have made a thorough search, of course, indoors as well as out, and have examined the servants 't' 'E very one, sir, without exception; jut they are all accounted for right enaugh. And, what makes it darker, Mr. Parke, harder to make out, is, ;hat it clearly wasn't done for robbery. 'Unless the thief thought to lind the room empty, and, to save himself, shot Captain Tranton.' 'No, sir, no ! There is not the least si gn of breaking in. Beside, the pistol !' tape was bringing me mercilessly back to his üxed idea; it was horrible ! A busiiiess-like thought seized me. 'I am the family solicitor, as you doubtless know,' I said. 'You will al-, low me to go into that room, and make investigations for myself 't' 'Certainly, Mr. Parker; a man is on guard there all the while, of course.' Disordered as the place had been by the events of the night, method still reigned on Captain Tranton's table and desk. There was a tliin case of documents, bilis and receipts, evidently brought home the day before from Scotland; probably the issua of my own latest advice was bidden there-, but I had no heart to look. There were flled letters answered and unanswered. There was a mixed pile of pamphlets, political and legal. There was a county court handbook and the little red-back book in which the unfortunato gentleman had made notes of our last meeting. 1 opened this, and found it to be a record of engagements and important memoranda. Brevity was its chief feature. A f uil half of the entries Were quite unintelligible to any but the writer. Letters did duty for words, and numbers had apparently a mysterious and hurried meaning. Money was, from the first page to the last, its great burden. If I had been looking for evidences of the captain's secret money lending business instead of for the elueidation of a life and death mystery,my search would have been amply rewarded; as it was, ihere was very little to interest me. Stay! What folio wed the memorandum of the visit to my ofliceV Only this: 'C. on II. IL- J98-10.30, 20th. Imp. Qurr.' Only a line that seeraed as inscrutable as any of the others. I ran myeye hastily the remainder of theleaf - there were a few, a very few, more entries - and closed the book, baflled. As the inspector liad said, the room bore no trace of any violence preliminary to the one great crime. Neither liad there been a struggle. An altercar tion with Gerald Myrtlemore - a deathwound. In any nnprejudiced case I was bound to confesa to my own judgment that, like the policemen, I should have linked the two facts together. Gerald was imprisoned in the inspectors own part of the village jail, and thither I went to seek him. On the road I met Mr. Markham, popnlarly known as the "the Squire." All the old man's pomposity was shaken out of him, and he reined up his steed, with a face as grave and bewildered as my own. 'A terrible affair! a sad business.Mr. Parke!" he said. 'Very. Mysterious to a degree.' 'I really would not have believed it of young Myrtlemore.' 'I don't!' dryly, and with an accent of indignation. 'No more does Bronne, nor I - nor I - thoroughly. We shall have to get a London detective down; I do not believe these pólice will unravel it.' 'Roberts thinks it's plain.' 'Yes; that's just the reason. Possessed by that iiisane idea, they will allow the real criminal to escape.' 'Ah ! Have you seen Myrtlemore ?' 'No; I am just going there; to a jail, indeed!' Even from so friendly an encounter as this, it was plain that the tide of suspicion was running heavily against my fiïend; among strangers it would be ten times worse. Sick and sad at lieart, 1 held on my path. Gerald was sitting bowed down at the little deal table as I entered his room. He rose to his feet and looked me fully in the face - a look that went through me like a knife, and yet had no enmity in it. I met his gaze as flrmly, as sadly, and as decisively. If my features liad worn the least shadow of the surrounding suspicion I believe tfce old bonds would have been broken be;weea us for ever. It wa3 otherwise; md in silence he gripped my hand with a strong convulsive grip. Then he spoke. 'I thought you would come,' he said. 'You were sure of t, Gerald.' 'How does Milly takeit?' 'I have not seen her. She was very self-possessed, they said for so young a girl, and under so great a shock.' 'And they suspect - nay, charge- me with murdering Milly's father! They are a wise folk these pólice, and Markham's like the rest.' The irony was hard and grating; it ;old of chaos within. 'Personally, I have no doubt whatever, Gerald, of your innocence, and I have told tliem so, but there are circumstances - capable of speedy explanatiou, of course - which, on the face of t looks black; and af ter all the duty of ;he pólice is duty.' 'Exactly, exactly. I should rememier! But, it is an awful ordeal, my Tiend;' and his voice broke, as only ;he voice of rare, overpowering emoj.on can break. Gerald shuddered before he could repress the revolt. 'Will you teil me what actually took place last night, so far you are concerned ?' 'Just what you can guess, just what you knew would. I went up to Hollies [lall about ten, as flxed by an answer :o a note solititing an interview. I made my proposals, asked for Milly, put my case as well as I knew how, and received a 'No!' given in a passion and with insults. Poor fellow! I am sorry for the c.iptain now, and I never wished him any harm; but he jot my own temper up, and our partng words were v.'arm once. I carne iway by the road past the chalk-pits, crossed the fields, carne home, and sat ;hinking till two in the morning.' 'And that is all? Pardon ine.Gerald; do you know anythiug about a pistol?' 'Yes and no. That is a strong point against me, and my explanation must naturally seem weak. Roberts shewed it me - that pistol - and I cannot deny that I bought it at Tillman's sale ast spring, and had possession of it for long; but a month ago I lost it.' 'Where?' 'I believe it was stolen, and I had a suspicion that I knew by whom but it was only a suspicion, and I never accused the man.' 'Who-washe?' 'A very insignificant person, a marine store dealer I'd had a quarrel with years ago. The pistol was placed in my storeroom during some alterations at the Lodge, and he was the most frequent and likely visitor.' 'You can prove this ? Your housekeeper knows it ?' 'No. I did not say anything to her, except to ask who had been in. The good old soul is as honest as the day, and would have worried for weeks.' Thoughtful as ever! the last person to make a criminal, a man-slayer! But all the same, a story like this made me still more grave. To a jury such a defence would seem sadly halting. I went home and pondered all day bootlessly, pondered well-nigh all night with equal success, sofar as any connected theory went. The inquest and the magisterial investigation were both held, and the verdict of each was one of wilf ui murder against Gerald Myrtlemore. The Flinchester Assizes drew near, and on my shoulders the burelen lay heavily. Gerald's mother, stunned by the blow, had hurried home from the continent, but his brother could not be reached by the news. I had been to London to retain the ablest advocate I knew, and was coming down by rail to Pedbury. Suddenly, as I sat back in a dark corner of the carriage thinking - always thinking - whatto-day I can cali an inspiration flashed upon me. Side by side with the fact - the terrible fact - of that stolen pistol I read the mysterious line in Captain Tranton's pocketbook. In letters almost of blood it stood before me: 'C. on R. H.- 198- 10.30, 20th, Imp. Qurr.' In that instant I had grasped a clew. in. In Fliuchester Jail I once again met my client, pale, but self-possessed as ever. Gerald could teil by my face that I had news to bring, and a great hope beamed f rom his eyes and answered mine. 'You - you know something ?' 'I believe, Gerald, I am on the right track as last; but before I teil you my idea I must ask questions again. You suspected a marine-store dealer of the theft of your pistol. Ilis name is Richard Ilyles?' 'Tes.' 'You had a dispute with him - what about?' 'O, he assaulted a servant, and I lectured him; it's an immense while ago.' 'It may be that he has never forgiven you.' 'I do not think he has; but that - ' 'Means to my mind a great deal." And then I told Gerald Myrtlemore both my suspicion and my plans. I had been up to Ilollies Hall, and had obtained both the fateful red-backed memorandum book and another, a semi-key thereto. For long hours I studied them side by side, and ampie reward had come. The 'C. on' occurred many times, and stood before the notes taken in my own office prior to Captain Tranton's trip northward. It was evidently a contraction of "ealled on," and presented littledifliculty. The '198' I construed to mean so raany English pounds. Over and over again records of moneys lent were there in this questionable guise. The '10.30, 20th,' was the chief link of all. I read it - rightly or wrongly remained to be proved- as 10:30 p. m., Oct. 20th, the actual day and hour of the murder. I took it to fix an interview with the mysterious 'E. H.' an interview that had taken place and had ended in - crime. The 'Irnp,' according to the key, meant lnvarisbly 'Imperativo.' The 'Qurr.' I freely translated 'Qaarrelled.' The line now stood thus: CaH.ecl on K. II.- L198- 10:30 p. m., Oct. 20th. - Imperativo. Quarrelled.' Who was 'It. II. 't' I strolled into the village, and identifled those letters within a dozen yards of Ashdale church. A little bungling shop, its Windows crammed with all sorts of incongruous goods, had 'Kichard Hyles' painted above it; and putting my friend's story of the lost weapon and the passionate, implacable marine-store dealer in connection with these trumpet-tongued symbol, I constructed a theory. 'Ak,' said Gerald, as the light broke in on him too,' 'you think Richard Hyles stoie my pistol, borrowed money of Captain Tranton, had a row with him, went up to the Hall after I had left, and - did the thing!' 'It looks very much like it. I shall put detectives on the scent at once; there is no time to lose, and we must be cautious, or our bird will fly.' 'What a wreteh the man must be!' 'Your courtship of Captain Tranton's daughter must nave been current talk in the village. and probably other people beside me put it down that you would be refused. Hyles must have snown this, must have learned somehow of your göing up to the Hall that evening, and have thought thus to escape himself and to pay another old grudge by putting the crime on your shoulders.' 'And has nearly succeeded too. Does Milly think me guilty 't' Alas, how was I to teil him ?' 'I really do not know' I answered. 'Poor girl ! Her motlier and herself are both at the rectory still, with the Bronnes; they do not feel at all able to go back to the Hall.' Despite the fearf ui position in which ie stood, Gerald was always ready to ïear or talk of Millicent; he would ïave gone to the death for the girl as blithely as ever went fanatic to the scaffold. He delayed me many minutes now. I had ridden back to my office, and was busy in writing letters for several waiting clients, when the door opened, almost without warning, and my clerk ushered in a lady in deepest black. I rose, and, when the vail was lifted.met ;ue shadow-haunted eyes of Miss Tranton. Dark rings were around them, and their expression was one of earnest appeal. All the roses had died out of Milly's cheek now. 'You are quite alone ? I can speak to you in confidence a minute or two, Mr. Parke?' 'Willingly; I am quito at your command, Miss Tranton. 'The assizes open next Monday; Gerald - Mr. Myrtlemore is to be tried.' 'Yes.' 'He is quite innocent, Mr. Parke.' 'I am a ware of it.' 'I would have seen him before this but for mother; she will not believe - I must see him. Mr. Parke! They will not convict him?' In that last sentence, passionate and rapid, the last vistage of reserve had pei'ished. It was a woman forgetful of herself, thinking only of a loved one, with faith in lus integrity, with dread of his danger, that stood before me. 'I have very little fear,' I replied. Yesterday my words would have been less contident. 'I must give evidence,' she said; 'I know something. I was too bewildered to think at - the inquest!' Eagerly I listened; hoping a further clew, and not being disappomted. 'I knew Gerald was coming up that night. I couldn't rest in my room; I stole along the corridor and through the hall, and heard people talking loudly, rudely. I went nearer to the door thinking it was Gerald. It was not; it was somebody with a very gruff, deep voice; and I went away. Ten minutes after, there was a shot, and - " a smothered sob linished the sentence. This was very important evidence, and I instantly resolved to utilize it for my theory. 'I am very glad you carne, Miss Tranton, and that you know Gerald to be innocent. He will be exceeding grateful for a visit. You will aid me in preparing the defence if I want you, even before the trial ?' 'O yes. Mr. Parke! Will you take me to see Gerald at Flinchester ?' 'Will this evening do?' Yes.' And so we arranged it. The interview was a very pathetic one: its phases f ar too sacred to be recorded here. The detectives were surprised, but chimmed in at once with my further schemes. Personally this Kichard Hales was but little known to me. He was a short, bull-necked, heavy-browed worthy, who had battled on in Ashdale for many years We mounted a strict guard upon Mm, and conducted succeeding investigations with caution and success. We contrived to secrete Miss Tranton behind a screen in a f riendly house, and to get the jnan to cali on an errand thereat between the visits of several more. A very troublous and furtive expression was remarked in his eyes, but he did not appear as yet to suspect any plot. If guilty, he evidently was intending to stay in the village and to brave it out. Miss Tranton at once selected his voice as that of the person she liad heard talking with her father on the night of the murder. Unseeing as well as unseen, the poor girl could scarcely be prejudiced, and the tones made her shiver anew with horror, she said. Then, too, we found, by patiënt search amongst Capt. Tranton's papers, clear and concise evidence of the debt we had hitherto only suspected. Lent at an exorbitant rate of interest, the money was considerably overdue and still remained unpaid. To trace the pistol was a more awkward task, and if pressed too close at the outset might have given the vil lian warning. What was of as much importance was the pwrchasing of ammunition by Richard Ilyles on the morrow of Captain Tranton's departure for Scotland - a purchase sworn to by an ironmonger and gun-dealer at Flin ches ter. A web was woven now which it would be hard for any sophistry to break. My natural fe lings of triumph were only dimmed by pity for both murderer and victim. The detectives and I waited flrst on Inspector Roberts, the night before the trial. He, from whom the idea had jealously been kept, was astounded. Kegret at his own failure and pleasure at the probability of an innocent man's release struggled for the m.istery, and pleasure won. Beneath his official livery, red tape had a heartlike the rest of us. "It looked dark, you can't deny it.Mr. Parke," he said; "but it's as plain as noonday now." I think so. You will coue with us to the Manor House, Mr. Roberts ?' The Squire literally danced. I never saw old Markham in such a state of pleased excitement even at a hunt dinner before. Arined with his warrant, we walked into the village and arrested our prey. A great wave of terror, anger and despair surged over Richard Hyles's face as he saw what this visit meant and knew that deapite hiscunning the toila had closed upon him. It was over in a couple of seconds and a cloak of hastily f urbished up astonishment that deceived nobody was donned in its place. 'I - gentlemen - want me! What for?' 'For the murder of Captain Tranton,' said the inspector coolly.and in another instant or two the sharp click of a pair of handcuffs rang out upon the ears of a waiting group. The inspector warned him to be cautious in what he said, but there was small need for the injunction. Silent, moody and with a face that was now inscrutabie, the prisoner passed out into the darkness and beyond my sight. Lato as it was, I rode to Flinchester. So far as my province went, everything was in order for the even tf ui morrow, and 1 wantedto inform Gerald of progress, 'The trial can be little more than a form, my friend,' I said; 'that is quite certain now;' and 1 brief ly reGapitulated all my fresh details. 'My mother and Mily have both been before you,' he said in reply. 'Bronne drove them over; they've only just left, in fact.' 'Ah! Trust a woman in love to be flrst to bringyou news!' Gerald laughed. He could even be merry now the load was lifted, and merry with a very different sound from that of the grim irony I remembered so well from my first visit. The assize court was duly opened by Mr. Justice Doyle on the Monday; and the trial in which half the countryside was interested, was very nearly as formal a one as I had anticipated. Gerald was freed without the shadow of a stain. As for Richard Ilayle, his arraignment never took place. Conscious that there could be but öne dark issue to such a eontest, the wretched man committed suicide in his eell, leaving, however, three roughiy scribbled words behind him which were sufficient to convince even those minds which were most loth to put aside their flrst suspicions. Whether that "I did it" spoke of repentance as well as eonfession, no man knows. What recompense for unjust imagiinations an ashamed society could offer, Gerald Myrtlernore received. His answer to Markham may stand as typieal of the rest. "I do not blame you at all, sir," he said. "The case was decidedly a dark one, and perhaps I shouldhavethought the same. I am only the more gratef ui to those who did believe in me, and who did their best to help me." Melicent Tranton and her mother went away from Ashdale and lived in str'ctest seclusion for more than eighteen months. Millicent was the heiress of all her fathei 's wealth. It only remains to add that after that time there was a wedding and that Ashdale Lodge has since been biïght with a true love's presence. - Time. One of the most notable late achievements in engineering has been the refl'jating of the French iron-clad Richelieu in the harbor of Toulon. About the last of December, 1880, she took flre and was scuttled. She was brought to the surface again by relieving her of all the removable weighty attachments, by sealing all open ings, and by pumping down air to displace the water in the compartments while the water was pumped out. About 300 barrels, each containing 1,000 litres of air, were also employed Perhaps the largest pasture in the world is the property of Mr. Taylor Maudlin, on the border of Texas, having forty miles of rock fence on one side, and yet requiring two hundred inore to inclose it; the owner expects to raise one thousand tons of oats upon it, and to feed one hundred thousand head of cattle To Stain Floors. - To strong lye of wood ashes add enough copperas for the required oak shade; put this on with a mop, and varnish afterward. That virtue which requires ever to be guarded is scarcely worth the nel.-