The Pomfret Mystery

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1472, 2 November 1905, Page 4

The Pomfret Mystery

' > t , ARTHDE DODHT YIMItN

w ' CHAPTER VII tl J -Imbue Vancs P ~ The neit morning whilo the squiro was id the BankrJack Hillhoaee. tho ttvvcru g ' keeper end (be Btrangor walked into the 'room. , ' "Mornin', Snwve," said tbe tavorn j keeper; this is Mr. Vanoe, He'B a bordm' /with rue and wantß ter leave a little _ >'moneywithyoulor awhile. I tole him j I mewed you'd accommodate him for a > • while." . j ", " Certainly, sir, certainly. Pray take a j * iea*," said the Squire \ thon raising bis voice be called, "Mr\ Chester!" i '"Well, seem'as 1 ain't do further use I , '; gaesa I'll go. Mornin', gentleman," aod ] the tavern keeper loft the room. 11 Mr. Chester," said the Squire raising hig'voice and addressing the cashier in the ( -outer office, '■ this is Mr, Vanoe, howiahoa to nuike a deposi." •« "Howmuoh, sir?" I \ t ' "Five hundred," said, Archie, taking ,' out a pocket book and extracting from it -ien fifty-dollar bills. .s'"j3:ep this way, pleads, sir, an* sign '' the book. Thank yon, sir. Arthur ''''Vanoe," continued the cashier reading "' hind, take a Beat for a minute and I'll have the deposit book ready for you," '• Tou come from New York ?" said the ' Squire. -" Yee, that is my home," said Yanoe: l " at least as much dome as I have anywhere, But I have neither fathor nor mother, sbter nor brother, wifo nor child. " ■■ I have been a wanderer all my days." #;<sion paiDtj dpn'e ypa ?' ■;, : : : ■■•;■:. have studied man; years abroad bot been'much; in" my own country ' ,|£Bquire,ind I have often felt ashamed of ipnf'Owrj igubiahoe of it,: so .when I - came - 'B over ihiß time I- thought I would make a England J and: in my ■ I hoard of Pomfret and came ; ,;delightecl withwhat I have i^iielsn-of your town, •;■ p:;, '.■■•' ' ■ •'. r : r.r i :\

',;,', ) The door opened anil Ethel Leslie came '» in, cloaked and bonnetted for a drive. ,'/ "Goodby, papa," she said. "Mm ) 'Moore lent for me to come to dinner, and Benny's waiting at the gate to drive me V out.'" I 4 "Thins my danger, Mr Vance." *' Imw Miai Lbblio id church yestor- *• " And we all noticed yon too, 'We ate < , s »ti)l countrified enough to take note of i ''etrfyjers." ' t /> " Will yoa be baok to tea, daughter ?" '»,' "Yei, papa. Benny will drive me ■thick, 1 " Then I shall be glad it you will drop /in to tea," said the Squire to Vanoo; , "geven o'clock, if you have nothing better lo do." ', ._ "1 shall be delighted, I assure you, ,J Permit me, Miss Leslie, to band you into c your carriage." . * • ln'nc/wißereluotant to receive the polite l - attention of the good looking stranger, ],, Ethel Leslie emilod acquiescenee, and he r f, kod assisted her into the light buggy and 7 the lap robe snugly about her. I ' i,!/ Benny Moore was a connoißsoar in horse I '. flesh, and the gray gelding which he drove as soon as the !r level road outsido the t6wn was reached. relaxing his awnbon to bis horse {'; Benoy looked around at bis companion. <■ ■- How pretty she looked. The wind had <s> blown her jaunty hat a little baok from forehead, had freshened the bright 'S [ colour in her cheeks and had brought a , 'merry eparklo into her eyes and a smile ?|; around her lips. \ P> fj "Tbisi« iplondid, Benny/ 1 she said, ,*'vt noticing his glance of admiration ," Duke ' f»ster every day. " ' A" was he who helped you into the ,* "Mr jVance. Don't you think he is - handsome ? i\ -' iWell, no; I don't like his looks," } "w'J'Poor Benny; ho was just in that conr', 1' dilioo of mind that perceives in every ud- „.' married man a possible rival. -/' "Nonsense," was Ethel's rejoinder, * y " von haver)'* really seen him yet. He's !•, ,to come jo tea to-night, so you'll see him. ■> f -'Because you'll stay to tea, you know, after '-^you'vedrivm me baok" *J 'i« Well, I don't know, yoa'baven't ask\tJ~sfAm before." ■x', /IJonsense: you know yoa arc always 4/%atay when you're in town," Ethel really know that Benny '% loved her? Was she real y willing to keep J j biro near her as long as pi' 'o or was 'I -the simply trying her pou over tie C A young (ello#M all womon like to do? '' \ Benny would have given much to know. '* «<■' When have I seen that cashier before!" ' \ said Vance to himself as be wandered * ? outside the town by the river's side that ,- afternoon/'" It is not like me to forget i 'faces, and I have a notion that when 1 ' ,«/ saw him I 'fixed him in my memory to t" be remembered again, Pshaw I It will / come back to me presently. Pretty ' .little girl,the Bquire's daughter, Wonder i/il she's engaged to that young fellow u 4rf 'be buggy. I have a i'j great mind to make up to her myself, n v ' If ibe would marry me -we could settle \ down here and' live happily and 1 would <3 - gradually take the Squire's place, That j, would be > change indeed, Some of my ut Jriends vjould hardly recognise me as a /A bank-president," He seemed to be 4 nrodb amused at the idea and laughed out i' loud. " lf "AH that afterneon he was unusually /• ■

thoughtful, soeining to avoid tho conv pkny of those villugo folk' whom lie met; but ffhen evening came be remembeveii his engagement uud having dressed himself oarofally ho walked up to tho Sqniro'B house a f i the appointed time. ■ He stood for a moment by the Snuiro's fence with biß hand upon the latch oftho gate Thore wan a plun—only half formed —in bis'mind, and ho wai trying to.'de'yelop it. Ho was aroused from lijb roverio by a deep Bavage grow), and etatting bo saw in the path before hiin r a dog with his hairs.. ereot and bristling with angor - .1 ' " That oonfounded dog I" ho exclaimed. "Hero's a go," ."Gr-rr-rr!" growled Rover, showing his v teeth, as if in anger. "Good doggie I Poor follow I" Vance exclaimed as he stepped forward keeping a watchful eye upon the animal. " GFr-rr-rr," growled the dog again, backing away from him, " To bt cJntimed ,