IT WAS A LOVE MATCH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6065, 4 February 1891, Page 4

IT WAS A LOVE MATCH.

«. CHAPTER VII. (Continual). A light luncheon sufficed for their supper. Tho larder of their chambers was not extensively supplied, but this was not from a spirit of peunrv, nor yet from a lack of the love of creature comforts. They feasted elsewhere. The meal was despatched, a candle and pipes lighted, md then Caspar remarked, with a darkening smile : " You aro a good reader of physiognomy, Governo:-. Can you tell me what particular stone I have turned over in our path ?" " No, Caspar," replied the parent " I wait to learn from "your lips. Your face simply reveals the existence of a fact; your lips must elucidate." "Well," said the eon, with another smile—a smile of sinister import—"l have got our work welt iv hand. By an extraordinary stroke of good fortune, I have been enabled to select a sure vantage ground, and when the time comes, I think we shall be able to strike an effectual blow " " Go on, my boy, let me heir the whole story." Caspar seemed miserly of his good news. He had a budget so much richer than could have been possibly anticipated, that he was slow to open it. Ho disliked to giveto his father such a volume of golden promise at a single sitting, but after a timo he concentrated his thoughts and finally answered: "Well, Governor, in a nut shell, then,here it is : This very day we have been out to the Brookside — Half ord and I—and we have done some very important busines for Madame Rachel. First, by her order, wo destroyed two old wills—the only wills of her making then existing. After that, she dictated a new will, which I wrote out in form." " And by that will—" "As we had supposed," replied Caspar to his father's implied question, " she leaves everything to her adopted child, Christine. A few legacies are given in other directions; but they are picayunes iv comparison with the bulk of the property." "Do you know, my son, how much property there really is ?" " It cannot vary much from the estimate I gave you a week ago. It will foot up not far from two millions." Alpsander Hugo rubbed bis hands together with a griping motion, and his dark eyes gleamed expectantly. " Where is the new will?" he as v ed. "In our office. We are to make a copy, and return the original to Madame Rachel." A brief silenca ensued, which was broken by the father : " Save you planned further? Will the copy be made ?" " i-Tot if I can prevent it," answered Caspar. " But, if lam forced to make it, be sure I 3hall inform myself of the place of its deposit. However, we must act in the future as circumstances shall direct. Our work is well commenced, and we will not fail. There were witnesses to the will, of course?" " Yes, two hayseeds who are employed upon the place They are from New Hampshire ; and I doubt if they are known in this section beyond the Brookside. It will not be much trouble to silencs them." Auother cause, at the end of which Alexander asked: " Did you see the girl ? " " You mean Christine?" "Yes." " I barely caught a glimpse of her as I was coming aw.-.y." " And you think her very handsome ? " " ' Handsome ' is no word for it." " Do you still think of her as you did ? " Caspar's eye flashed aud the warm blood mounted to his cheek and temple. His hauds were clutched nervously, and he ground his heel upon the floor. • " I will have that girl," he said, "if tho deed i J within my power. I want her for two reasons : In the first place, I want her for her beauty ; and, in the next place, with her in our keeping, either as my wife or otharwise, our work will be more safely accomplished If our work succeeds as I hope, she cannot stand in our way. If I can so manajre that all tracer of this new will aro obliterated, we may snap our iiu"-ors at all the opposition the law can put in our path. But lot her pass for the present. She is engaged to a young man of the name of Waybrook—Paul Waybroolc—son of a. Milk street jobber. I have seen the fellow, and he is of good blood. We mny have to tackle him before we are through with our work. If we do, I shall leave him to yon." " All right," resnonded the father, -"Be mire I will do my part. By my life, Caspar ! we begin to see light ahead. Our labor is likely to be rewarded." " If we are persistent and circumspect— yes," replied the son, with a firm closing of fthe'lips. " But we havo work before us ; and we must shut our eyes to all consequence .except success." Alexander Hugo arose and laid his hand upon his son's shoulder. " Depend upon me, by boy, for any work you may have on hand." "I told you of the two witnesses to the will," said Casper, looking up. " Will you take them upon your hands f Remember, I have the old lawyer and the written documents to care for." " Put me on their track, and 1 will be responsible for them." "Then let us spot them at once. I must go out to the Brookside this evening to look after Madame Rachel's health. If you will come with me, I will point out Eben Sanders and Seth Davis to you." "Be it as you will, my boy. I had thought of the night at Cary's crib ; but this will be better. When will wo start ?" "At once; but not as we are. We'd better don our working-rigs." They adjourned to one of the smaller rooms, and when they omerged thence, there had occurred a transformation as surprising as it was complete. Caspar had donned a .rough suit of soiled and patched cotton stuff, fneh as was worn by the very lowest rank of day-laborers, and upon his head he had placed a wig of matted, sandy hair, with deep side-whiskers to match. He had'soiled his hands ana pencilled diug-y lines upon his face ; and, as he now stood, even Adam Halford could not have discovered a single trace of the likeness of his confidential clerk. The father was equally -well disguised, ai.d together the two bet forth, tatring a Roxbury horse-oar on Coruhill, and riding upou the platform. Arrived at the end of the rail, they left tho car and made their way to tho Brookside proceeding directly to tho dwelling of the 'cardener, whom they found at home. have come," said Caspar, assuming a coarseness of speech, " to see if wo can hire some r.ien to go out to Kansas to work on a railroad.' "Ye can't hire me, replied Downey, emphatically. •' We had not thought of such a thing,' said Caspar, whii a smile ; " but wo were informed that there were two men at v/.ork here whose job with you was nearly at an end. We want to hire Americans if wo can because wocanoifer them inducements to settla out here." Downay looked cautiously at the garos of the two men who thus proposed to offer big inducement* in the way of settlement. Hugo noticed the look, and understood its meaning. " I am dobJg au errand for my employer," he said," " ;ln(1 am myself just from tho gravel-pit. He heard the names of the two men who were cX uo.~k for you—" "Sanders Mid Davis:-" interrupted tho

gardsner. " Ye», those are the men." " Well, tbey are in the house at this moment, and you can see them for yourself. Come in." The two Hugos followed Downey into tho cot where they were introdaced to Eban Sanders and Seth Davis. The Now Hampshire men listened to the proposition of the visitors, iuid respectfully declined to entertain the terms. "But," suggested Caspar, "suppose wo should havo something better—something worth your while—where might we find you ?" '«Taint very likely yon am have anything o' the kind," auswered Eben Sanders honestly ; " but you'll find us hero, if you 'want to see us, any timo ifore the snow flies." . , And with this information, the visitors OTOB6 to depart. "Don't be too sure, said Caspar, with a smile, a» he stood ar, the door. " There's m> pickings out in Kansas and Colorado. Men grow rich there in a your. But never mind now. If I hear of a better chance, and our employer has the bestowal of it, we may call again. If I can't come myself, my friend, Mr Stepper will come." Going out from the gardener's cot, tho father proceeded to the high ;yuy, while the son went up to the stone cottage, where he contrived to call Lora to the door. He pretended that he had heeu sent by a neighbor, to see if John Downey could be hired for a few days, to work in a garden ; and the servant was able to answer him emphatically in tho negative. Then the tramp ventured upon tha sickness of the mistress, of which he had heard, and before he went away ho had learned that Madame Rachel was no better, aud that three doctors had been there during the evening. She had had another fit, and for a'time she had been given np as dend When Caspar Hugo rejoined his father he said: '

" I think our work has commenced in earnest. Madame Rachel is near her end. Yon must stay here and establish communication with the gardener, and I must be informed of the verdict of the doctors. They have held a consultatioi i this evening, and of course they know very nearly what the result is to be. If wo make a false movs at this point we lose the game, dead sure. I must know in the morning how the matter stands. Will you see about it ?" Alexander Hugo replied in tho affirmative. " And at the same time," suggested Caspar, "you can be looking out for the two witnesses." . "I won't lose sight of them,'' said Alexander. Without further remark, except to arrange for future intercommunication, the two separated—one to return to the city, and the other to lie in wait for information. ;to be continued.]