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Tiik Unmcxow.v Ifuins, oh Tins Contkstkd iMiKniTA.vci;.
hi search, without having found n ch;c
Hint would lend to n disproval of the ap
parent guilt of Ids I wo grandsons. JJo
forc lie left Mr. GnrncM, lie took especial
notice of Daniel Tolinson, and rccogniy.ed
him as the son of his wilful daughter Isa
bel. He hud several times seen him in
previous years but with himself usually
unknown to the latter.
Kcllcy, us we must now call him,
seemed in no respect to recogui'.o his
ginndfaihcr, changed as (ho latter was by
the wearing of a full and heavy beard.
Although inclined to regard him more fa.
vornbly than hitherto, yet, Mr. Bennett
could nut make up his mind to take him
under hi charge.
" He may be well enough disposed now,
but I doubt it He won't hold out. Tt
isn't, in him to do so. He ran into evil
from he first as naturally as n duck takes
to water. At any rate, he is belter oil'
here."
With this resolution he sat out on his
.return that evening at dusk, his compan
ion of his morning journey carrying him
back. Alter a ride of a few miles they
reached a damp and lonely spot near the
shore of Squam Lake where the road trav
ersed a piece of timber. It was remote
from any habitation, and the, deepening
shadows added gloom to the scene.
'.'How wild it is here! Have you not
lost your way V The road does not seem
so well traveled as the one wo took this
morning," said Mr. Beimel with evident
uneasiness.
" No, I only took a shorter road so that
we would not be so late in getting there,"
said his companion by way of explana
tion. They had come to n secluded spot in the
little-used road, when the young ninn
(Stopped the carriage, declaring that some
thing was wrong with the wheels.
He got out, fumbled about the carriage
n few minutes, and then requested his
companion to get out also and assist him,
having invented a plausible pretext. The
old man did so, but as soon as he stepped
upon the ground, his evil-minded guide
was upon him.
The old man, thus taken at a disadvaiu
tage, was po match for his burly tint ago
nint, and was soon borne to the ground.
This sinister proceeding was hastened by
the approaching sound of cow bclK
"Now, old man, fork over yer dimes,"
hissed the villainous fellow, at the tame
lime raising u club.,
At this instant a sound of rapid foot
steps was heard, and a third person was
seen hastening toward the scene of the
disturbance.
CHAPTER V.
ON TIIK THAU..
Let us now return to the two brothers.
Richard and Stephen, the career of whom
had met with so sudden a change.
"While Richard was being sent to prison,
Stephen was not inactive. As the expen
ses of the trial had drawn heavily upon
their little stock, he began to look around
for temporary employment, but in vain.
He soon found that he. too, as well as his
brother, was now suspected and shunned,
as he was formerly respected and ad
mired. They who were once his best friends
now turned away from him, and he was
compelled to go elsewhere until he could
choose a definite course of action. His
habits of industry forbade his remaining
idle. On the day that his grandfather
saw him upon the street he was leaving
the town.
Unable either to sell or rent the little
housr, he closed it up and walked away
carrying n few effects upon his back.
With the belief that both he and his
b.'otlier were the innocent victims of a gi
gantic wrong he was not disposed to ac
cept Ills now wretched condition as a final
ity, but resolved as soonjis he should be a
little belter able, to make a persevering ef
fort to clear up the matter.
He did not pause in his journey until
lie reached tho distant town of Peterboro,
where he soon found employment from n
quiet, but honest and respectable farmer.