Part 30 (1/2)

”Ah,” said my father, ”there is a woman for you My son, in the side pocket of my coat you will find a snuff box Would you kindly open it for me and permit me to take a pinch? And you, perhaps? No? It is a pleasant sedative”

He took a step nearer the rail, and theboat stiffened to attention

”Get them into the boat, Mr Aiken,” he said, ”You and I will sit in the stern, my son Your arm, Brutus, so”

”Stand by to loay,” directed Mr Aiken in a harsh undertone; and the blocks creaked and ere in the river

The oars had been muffled, so that we moved to the wharf in silence

”Land the men, and tell them to wait,” said my father ”You shall come with us, Mr Aiken, and you, my son, and you, Brutus”

We walked silently up the path, with Brutus and my father in the lead

Once he paused and listened, and then proceeded forward

”I believe,” said my father, ”he is quite alone Ha!”

He had stopped dead, and Brutus had leapt forward, crashi+ng into a dense thicket of overgrown bushes

”Put up your pistol, Ned,” said my father ”Brutus has him”

There was ahiain, and Brutus was back

”Noho the devil ure that Brutus was holding, and then he paused, and in the dark I fancied he was reaching for his coat lapel

”Lunacy, thy name is woman,” said my father softly ”Will they never stay where they are placed?”

It was Mademoiselle whom Brutus had thrust before him

”I came in the boat,” she stammered brokenly ”I--”

”You wanted to see the end, my lady?” my father inquired ”Surely you should have known better, but it is too late now You are going to be present at a harrowing scene, which I hoped to save you Mr Aiken, help the lady over the path”

And we proceeded to the house together A rass which once marked our brick terrace

Brutus opened the door and ere in the dark hall, lighted by a square of candle light froain and listened, and then strode across the threshold A blaze was burning high in the hted on the center table, and seated before it, exa my father's papers, were my Uncle Jason and Mr Lawton

”Ha!” cried Mr Lawton, springing to his feet and eyeing my father intently ”So you are here, Shelton, and every card in the deck”

He paused to nod and rub his hands

”Yes, b'gad! There's the girl and there's the boy and there's the nigger

It was Siht as a trap, Jason

I told you he was”

My father sighed a little sadly