Part 24 (1/2)

”Logical!” Alice exclaimed in a scornful tone ”Do you expect Mr

Foster to be satisfied with that, after what he has borne and the risks he has run for us? Nohen things look bad for hie of character”

”You iment is better than mine?” Featherstone rejoined, but without heat

”I know an honest man,” Alice said quietly, with some color in her face

There was silence for a few moments and by an effort of self-control Foster kept his face unmoved He did not irl's stateiven him

Featherstone brooded with knitted brows and a troubled look Then he said:

”You will understand, Mr Foster, that this has been a painful interview to uest and my son's friend; but I do not knohat has happened and we have no news of hiiveness for all that I have said”

”I will do et to work to-morrow,” Foster answered Then he bowed to Mrs Featherstone and Alice, and the girl gave him a look that made his heart beat as he went out of the roo his da clothes, andtheht Foster answered that he had no ti, went out Alice had not coood-by, but after all he had not expected this; thewould not have been free from embarrassment He had much to say to her, but must wait until he had kept his promise

He did not blame Featherstone and rather sympathized with him, but could not stay at the Garth or come back there until he had cleared up the rumble much when they went down the drive, but said he had no friends in the neighborhood and it was a long way to the nearest inn

XX

THE RIGHT TRACK

It was a clear night and although the ht touched the wet road as Foster walked down the dale He had much to think about and tried to fix his htful to dwell upon Alice's interposition on his behalf, but he must not attach too ht have been actuated mainly by a love of justice Besides, the sooner he kept his promise, the sooner he would be able to ask her what she had nificant that the fellow's attempt at extortion had not been very deterht about this, it indicated that Daly suspected that Lawrence was beyond his reach and had not been at the Garth It was possible that he had found out how he had been misled and meant to look for his victio without his money, or if he had received a share of the plunder before, since the circular check was not for a large sum In any case, it was lucky that Daly had visited the Garth when he did, because if he had waited another day, he ht have met Grahaht, Foster decided to act on the supposition that Daly would return to Canada Then, dis the matter for the ti in the neighborhood and began to look ahead A stone dyke, broken in places, ran between the winding road and the stream it followed; on the other side, which lay in shadow, thin birches straggled up a steep hill The moon was low and would soon sink behind the trees, when it would be very dark When he looked back he could not see the lights of the Garth He was on the road to the station, and re

Taking out his watch, he calculated that anybody who left the station on foot when the train arrived ht be expected to reach the Garth in the next quarter of an hour This was disturbing, but he saw nothing to cause him alarm as he went on Now and then a rabbit, startled by his footsteps, ran across the road, and once or twice an owl hooted as it fluttered overhead The river splashed a the stones and sometimes the shadows moved as a puff of wind came up the valley; but that was all Still Foster quickened his pace; it was soe where he knew of an inn, and he wanted to get there before the people went to bed He would not ad left in the dark when the ht his pipe and uttered an exclamation when he put his hand in his pocket

”I hae lost the guid pooch ye gavethorn where the wire fence stops, and theon slowly, I'll rin back”

”Never ive you another”

”Na,” said Pete ”If ye had been used with an auld tin and had a smairt pooch for the first time, ye wouldna' lea' it in the road

Besides, it was fu' o' a better tobacco than I often smoke”

Foster would sooner have kept hi to admit that he did not like to be alone It was not very far to the thorn tree and Pete would soon overtake him He went on, but did not loiter, and noted how his footsteps echoed along the edge of a wood ahead In fact, the noise he rass by the roadside was hummocky and wet The road was dark beside the wood, for the aps through which the silver light shone down

As he passed the first of the trees he heard a rattle of wings and stopped abruptly Wood-pigeons were fluttering a the branches, and if he had not disturbed them, there was somebody in the wood After a fewHe could not hear Pete coo; the road looked lonely, and he knew there was no house for soeons, it ht be unsafe to stay where he was, and he did not mean to turn back It was better to be cautious, but he e, he went on, a little faster than before but without hurrying, and for two or threethe road for perhaps a quarter of a mile and he was near theflicked against the wall behind hi forward sed into the wood The nervous shrinking he had felt had gone Noas confronted with a danger that was not ier and a fierce desire to coreater because of his previous fear

The as dark and thick Branches brushed against hiht his feet He could hear nothing except the noise he e passed away his caution returned He was putting hi enemy could hear hih Stopping behind a fir trunk, with his finger on the trigger of the Browning pistol, he listened At first no sound came out of the dark, but he presently heard a rustle some distance off There was another man in the wood beside the felloho had fired at hi as he kept still and the others did not knohere he was, he had an advantage over theood shot