Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1892 — -ORHEIRESS or MAPLE LEAF FARM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

-ORHEIRESS or MAPLE LEAF FARM

chapter XVI. TBS COMPACT. A culprit apprehended by an officer of the law, a criminal accused by a stem judge, could not have mpre emotion than did the man whom Ralph Prescott had aooepted as Paul Dalton, at the soul-thrilling words of the excited Ruth Elliott. Strange words they were—wild words, bordering seemingly on incoherency. Were they the result of hallucination, •dolirium? No! As the rapt lurker studied the face of the beautiful girl, he knew that the penetrating gaze of reason, the great throbbing instinotof love, had aided her to see boyopd the superficial, and had unmasked villainy. In plain words, she accused this man with being an Impostor. In awful arraignment before the bar of her womanly conviolion, she oharged him with the •crime of robbing her of her husband. Then he was not Paul Dalton, not her husband, not the ex-Superintondent of Maple Leaf Farm! He was an impostor, a fraud, and, as the truth flashed upon Ralph Prescott’s exoited mind, he now comprehended many vague and perplexing utterances that he had overheard him use during the evenful evening just past. Furthermore, as he gazed, he marveled how he oouid ever have taken this man for Paul Dalton. There was a marvelous resemblance, but of features alone, for the dissimilarity in soul, in •expression, Was utterly laokjng. vVhat had aided to deoeive Presoott was the shaving off of the heal'd. This prepared him for a change in looks. As 10 the voioe, a slight oold might acoount for the huskiness that made this Paul Dalton talk so differently from the •other, the real Paul Dalton. Yes, there could be no doubt of it, the. truth was out, the plotter unmasked, a* fraud revealed that completely outvied all Ralph Prescott’s puerile villainy. This man, a relative of Paul Dalton, a man at least exactly resembling him, had heard of his legaoy. He had imprisoned the real hoirj the bearded man, his accomplice, was his jailer; he had boldly assumed Paul Dalton’s identity; ho was scheming to secure the Forsythe fortune and fly with it, leaving the real legatee a beggar. The bewildering complications that were thus put in play made Ralph Prescott’s brain fairly reel with surmise and uncertainty.

The false Paul Dalton oowered like a •craven before the flashing glance of Ruth Elliott. A woman’s shrewdness had penetrated his bold assumption of the identity of the man he resembled so extraordinarily. He had deluded Proscott and the lawyer, but now he was unmasked, and one ■word publicly spoken by the woman before him would not only cost him a fortune but might send him to a penal institution.

That word, however, was never spoken. Of a sudden, the nerves of the agitated Ruth gave way, the strain of the hour becoming too intense for her already weakened nature. With a moan she sank senseless to the floor. The impostor glauoed at her affrightedly for -rs moment or two, and then with a white, soared faee, hurried from the room.

Ralph Presoott was after him in a flash. He directed a hurried injunction to the woman who was attending Ruth to look to her charge, then he was dashing from the house in pursuit of a figure flying down the deserted street, as if pnrsued by a pestilence. “Stop!" As the impostor dashed across a vacant fir-llned lot the mandate rang out •clear, sharp, imperious. He was trembling all over, his face was the oolor of ashes, his eyes haunted with a fearful dread, his manner oowed, •crushed; little like that of the haughty, insolent tyro oi the early evening, as he turned and faoed Ralph Prescott. The latter, realizing his advantage, pressed it promptly. “What do you want?” “You.”

“Oh,” peering closer, “It is Prescott. ■Give me time to catch my breath, man!" He leaned against a tree and panted furiously. Ralph Prescott watched him, as might a cat a mouse. He had cornered his man. He knew what to do now, fast enough. “You’ve made a mess of it,” he said, bluntly, at last. “Havel?” And the other laughed uneasily. “What do you mean?” “I have followed you all the evening.” The impostor started. “I overheard your conversation with jour accomplice at the hotel, the bearded man. ” “Newcombe!" ejaculated the impostor. “Ah! is that his name? Thank you. Tes. Newcombe, the jailer of the real Paul Dalton at Black Rock. ” The shot told. Ralph Prescott had .guessed the truth. His companion shivered at his words. “You know all—l am lost!” he muttered. “At least, the game is.” “I furthermore," pursued Prescott, -coolly, “witnessed your interview with Ruth Elliott.” The impostor was silent. He was -overwhelmed at the fast-occurring disasters of the night. “Yes, I know all this,” continued Prescott. “I know your plans, and I hold the whip-hand now. No need of subterfuge now. You and I had better •come to an understanding.”. “What kind of an understanding?" stammered the abashed impo3tor. “Well, our interests are identical, in •one respect. ” “And what may that be?” “Did Geoffrey Forsythe’s fortune, left to the real Paul Dalton, coveted by you, and Rightfully my own. I see no means of regaining it by fair means. You have suggested and put in force foul ones. I hate Paul DaltoD. The first step toward revenge would bo the securing of the fortune.” -

"Well?” muttered his auditor vaguely. “If we can arrive at a harmonious conclusion, can make an equitable arrangement, I might be tempted to allow you to go on with your imposition. At the end of a week, unless I interfere, you will reoeive the legacy from Lawyer Drew. ” “You forget—that woman may speak.'’

BY GENEVIEVE ULMER.

“Ruth Elliott? She may not know of your plans in that direction." “She could denounce me—she suspects that I have imprisoned her husband." “But she is ill; the delirium may return, and—eee here, my friend. Agree to pay me one-half the fortune when you get it, and I will guarantee to keep Ruth Elliott silent until the week has passed away.” “A bargain!" cried the other with brightening eyes. “Very well. But there must be no deception, no double-dealing." Am I not completely in your power?" “Perhaps. Still, I shall watch you closely, and must be made a confidant of all your past history and present plot®. Now, then, go to your hotel. I will join you there and report progress in an hour." “And you?" "I shall return to Ruth. I . shall remove her to some safe place, where she will be kept a Becure prisoner until your plans materialize." “All right!" Relievedlv, hopefully, the impostor sped towards the hotel. He gained his room and lit a lamp. “A close shavel” he muttered, as he removed his hat; “but better half the fortune than none, and if I ever get my fingers on the money I’ll find some way to delude this meddler. The girl is the main oause of fear, but with her a prisoner, I can consummate my plots without fear of hindrance or detection. Ah! what is that?" He paused, and glanced down at a white objeot lying on the carpet at his feet. It looked like a folded note, slipped under the door of the room. He took it up and opened it. Ho started wildly as he scanned the single line it bore. Then a groan burst from his lips. Wretchedly pale, wretchedly heartsick, he read the simple words that conveyed a terrible warning, a mystic revelation to his guilty soul. “Leave Rldgeton, abandon your wicked plans, or I swear to unmask all your past, ” It ran. And the signature the horrid scrawl bore was: “Your deserted wife, Isabei*."

CHAPTER XVII. PHHCIOUS PRRV. Rldgeton had something new to talk about next day. The woman who had been called by Ralph Presoott to attend upon Ruth, had told her story with dawn, and the villagers were consequently treated to a new bit of gossip. Her story was a remarkable one. She had been summoned by Prescott to the house of the recluse, to find the pretended nurse, the real Ruth, in a dead faint, she said. . She extolled Prescott for his kindness to the sufferer, as did the attendant physioian. Later, Paul Dalton had appeared, and had left hurriedly. She returned to the sick-room to find the patient in a worse swoon than before. She left her a few minutes to go to her own home. When she returned Ruth Eliiott had mysteriously disappeared. Ralph Presoott flitted about town the next day, apparently terribly anxious as to the whereabouts of the missing girl. He craftily circulated the story that Paul Dalton had wedded Ruth only to gain her grandfather’s fortune, and, seouring that, would disappear; that he had undoubtedly secretly removed her to some friend’s home, away from the village. Farmer John Elliott heard all this gossip in silenoe, but with a lowering brow. What was Ruth to him now? What Paul Dalton? What oared he for their doings and Intentions? They were strangers to him henceforth and forever more! So several days passed by. The false Paul Dalton either kept closely to his room at the hotel, or did not appear in town at all. He visiteid Lawyer Drew several times, and tried to hurry up the settlement of the estate. He urged that he needed money to j#rohase some land to be had at a bargain. Ralph Prescott kept pretty clear track of his movements. The impostor sat awaiting his arrival early one evening. Affairs were about to materialize, the sohemers felt sanguine. The impostor. was anxious to secure the money and esoape, ere some new complication balked his projects. Ralph Prescott was determined to be on hand at the finish, and insist on a fair division of the illgotten booty of crime. The false Paul Dalton had grown terribly nervous of late. That there was a mystery about his past history; that ho might, if he would, explain many a dark passage in the life of the man he personated; that his own career had been olosely linked with that of the imprisoned man, Ralph Presoott was positive, but his new colleague in craftiness refused to divulge his secrets. The latter had been a changed man sinoc he received that warning missive, that menacing note that was signed “Isabel."

He started at his own shadow; he rarely went out on the streets until after dark, and then his movements were uneasy and watchful. The man was haunted. He had bribed Ralph Prescott to silence; he had closed the Ups of Ruth ElUott, but there was another foe that he feared, and he alone realized why he so dreaded her. “She means what she says," he muttered concernedly, “but she has made no move yet—has made no effort to appear. Oh! I must get the money. It wiU buy comfort, luxury in a foreign clime —it will place me beyond the reach of the law I fear. Why, Prescott! What is the matter?" The man he had been waiting for had burst into the room abruptly. His face was ghastly, his manner agitated. “We are ruined!" he gasped incoherently. The imposter looked alarmed. “Speak, man!” he exclaimed; “something has happened?” “Yes, the worst—the very worst,” groaned Prescott. “Not only wUI you have to fly, but I myself as well, for now all my connection with this wretched affair will come out" “You mean ” ‘The girl, Ruth!" “What of her? Not dead?” “No. She has escaped. ” The impostor reeled where he stood, as from some terrible shock. "Impossible!” he gasped. “It is true. You know the night we made our compact, I removed her to the charge of a sordid old woman living in a osoluded cabin in the forest?”

"fes." “She watched her, drugged her, held her a olose captive. Two hours since I visited the place to see If the girl was all right. ” “And found " “Her gone, and the old woman tied hand and foot near the open door. She said that a woman had appeared a little before, and had demanded to see her oaptive." ' “Which she refused." “Promptly. The woman did not watt to argue with her. With a strength that was remarkable and effective she threw her down and bound her, unlocked the door of the room in whieh Ruth was confined, led her from the cabin, and disappeared." “A woman!” muttered the Impostor, with drawn brows, his anxious face growing white every moment. “Yes; dark-eyed, wild-faced, and having a scar under one eye " “Isabel!" groaned the impostor. “She threatened—she meant it. ” “And who is Isabel?" demanded Prescott. "Ask me no questions, but act," cried the other, excitedly. “Ruth Elliott is free. Her rescuer knows, or at least surmises, every detail of our plots, and is bound to balk them if possible. There is only one thing to do." “What is it?" “Secure the fortune." “If we can." “We must!" “But " “I saw the lawyer this afternoon. He characterized my haste as unusual, but the offer of a large fee induced him to expedite matters. I signed some neoessary papers, and he said if lie oouid get certain securities from the bonk this afternoon, he would close up the matter with me this evening. Come." “Where?” “To Lawyer Drew’s house." The impostor walked the street like a man who had just escaped prison or was fearing arrest, with his apprehensive backward glanoes and his cautious forward ones. He did not impart all his suspicions to his companion. Had ho told Ralph Presoott all, the latter would have shrank from going on with a plot in which a wronged woman's hand was yet to turn, the die of destiny, They found Mr. Drew immersed in documents In his library, deep in the intricacies of businoss rotating to the case in hand. “Not too late —she lias not been here, at least!" Lceathed the impostor, rellevedly. “I will bo ready for you in a moment, Mr. Dalton," spoke the lawyer. “I presented your papers in court, secured the necessary bondsmen, and as there is the really Btill left in my hands that would oover any possible future claim against a man who never contracted any debts, I dm Justified in paying you over the money Geoffrey Forsythe left you, only, I flkd it difficult to convert all the securities into oash." “Well, give me what you can," interrupted the impostor, impatiently. a 6h; I have realized on nearly all the persbnal property,” announced Drew. “Here," and he handed over some receipts, “are some papers to sign.” W.ith feverish haste and a'trembling hand the avaricious schemer signed the documents tendered. “Here you will find over thirty thousand dollars of the legacy, ’ continued Lawyer Drew, extending a long pocketbook. “The residue you can call for or have sent you within a month. ” Little danger of his ever calling for it; once safe in foreign lands, he would be fully satisfied with the bulk of the fortune, deoided the eager impostor. He took the wallet and counted over the crisp bills It contained and stowed it in his pocket, watched with wolfish, suspicious eyes by Ralph Prescott. He bade the lawyer a hurried goodby, and hastened down the street with the urgency of a man bound on a mission of life and death. fTO BE CONTINUED. 1