The Childerbridge Mystery

ecisively stated his intention not to give his consent to the marriage of his adopted granddaughter with the young Squire of Childerbridge. What his reasons wer

for a change in the other's feelings towards himself. He had the satisfaction of knowing, however, that Helen loved him, and that she would be true to him, happen what might. He was not a more than usually romantic young man, but I happen to know that he carried that letter ab

it was quite impossible for him to discover the smallest clue as to Murbridge's whereabouts. To all intents and purposes he had disappeared as completely as if he h

their stories was at once proved in every case. One man, it was discovered, had been on the high seas another had never been near Childerbridge in his life; while a

or later. If the police authorities cannot catch him, I'll take

the portrait of his father, whic

"if there is any justice in the world

ll the same want of success at

an gather from the tone of this letter that they are losing heart. I ought to have taken up the case myself at the commenc

oom and placed her

d, "I am sure you know

. "No one knows better. But I can see there i

t man has wronged us, I cannot help thinking that we should not always be praying for vengeance agains

d taken such a hold upon him, and had become such an integral part of

stammered, "that you are willing to forgiv

lied. "I say again, that I am sure it is w

more, if no one else will, I mean to bring him. He took that noble life, and he must pay the penalty

sigh. She knew her brother well enough to be sure that, havin

amateur to attempt to find a man in it, who desired to remain hidden, was very much like setting himself the task of hunting for a needle in a bundle of hay. He neither knew where or how to begin. While he was turning the question over in his mind, his quick eye detected the solitary figure of a man walking across the park in the direction of the house. He watched it pass the cl

ice!" he cried, "i

lice, leaving her chair,

, yet I've often boasted that I should know his figure anywhere. If it were not the most

erence be doing here, so many t

reached the front door, had opened it, and was wildly shaking hands with a tall, spare man,

orse-boy, and for upwards of thirty years had remained his faithful henchman. In every respect he was a typical Bushman. He could track like a blackfellow, ride any horse that was ever foaled, find his way in the thickest country with unerring skill, was a first-class rifle shot, an unequalled judge of cattle, a trifle pugnacious

ked Jim, who could scarcely believe that it

ar to Australian Bushmen. "It's a longish yarn, but, my word, I am just glad to see you aga

r father's death, Alice came forward and gave Terence her hand. He took it in his

Every moment I expect to see you vanish into mid-air. If I had been asked where you were at this moment, I should have said 'o

ame. I had put by a matter of between four and five hundred pounds, and, thinks I to myself, there's the Old Country, that they say is so beautiful, and to think that I've never set eyes on it. Why shouldn't I make the trip, and just drop in and see the Boss, and Master Jim,

pause, during which

't heard, Terence?" Jim e

wered. "I was six weeks on the water, you s

shed the Bushman's consternation may be better imagined than described. For some m

table beside which he was seated. "Tell me that they're going to hang the blackguard who killed the kindest ma

ow was genuin

im. "The police have been searching for him ev

to string up the cowardly dingoes out back when they worried the sh

up the case myself. You were a faithful servant to my father, and you've known me all my life. You've got a head on your shoulders-do you remember who it was that f

nce replied. "You mark my words, we'll fi

due course, accompanied by Jim, he inspected the stables and was more tha

ut like racehorses; all the same, I wouldn't like to

orly dressed, while treating his master with the utmost respect, conversed with him on terms of perfect equality. His amazement, howe

the head gardener afterwards, "but there's no denyin' the fact that he's amazin' clever with

and readiness to take any sort of work, however hard, upon his shoulders, won for him a cordial welcome from the inhabitants of the Manor House. As for Jim a

ay from Childerbridge, and another scene, equally familiar, rose before his eyes. He saw a long creeper-covered house, standing on the banks of a mighty river. A man was seated in the verandah, and that man was his father. Talking to him from the garden path was another-no less a person than Terence. Then he himself emerged from t

r, "that is my birthday present

g his hunters for him, while the father, who all his life had proved so generous to h

hinking of, Jim

e. If only Helen were my wife, I'm not quite certain that I should not want to take you both back-if only for a trip. It seems to me that I would give anything to feel the hot sun upon my shoulders once again, to smell the smoke of a camp fire, to see the dust rise from the stock-yards

as seated. He had scarcely departed in the direction of the stable before Jim descried a carriage en

lighted; "in response to your letter, I

replied, "for I have been most anxiou

his study, where he invite

m remarked, as he closed the door. "Have yo

tive shoo

of him to every police station in the country, but so far without an atom of success. Once, when the body of a man was found in the river at Greenwich, I thought we had discovered him. The description given of the dead man tallied exactly with that of Murbridge. I was disappointed, however, for he turned out to be a chemist's assistant, who had been missing from Putne

ked anxiously. "Because you have been unsuccessful so f

lity that we may hit upon some clue that will ultimately lead to Murbridge's arrest; it is possible that he may give

appens, I am not going to give up. If the authorities are goi

Was it possible that an amateur could really believe himself to be capabl

ly be giving yourself ne

m not more successful than the police have been, I shall have the satisfaction of knowing that I have done my

the eating-house upon it, and handed it to Jim. The latter placed it carefully in h

half an hour later, Jim gave instructi

am going up to London to-morrow morning to commence my

at I've never been in London. If it was in the Bush, now, I won't say but what I should not be able to find him, but I don't know much about these big

ence had not the vaguest no

had been expecting it for some days past, and was not at all surpri

our way. It will be so desolate in this house without you, especially as Mr.

hoose a quiet hotel in the West End, and you must

informing her of his decision, and promising to let h

e train steamed out of the village past the little churchyard, Jim looked down u

have to devote the rest of my life in bri