The Second Dandy Chater

nding, as he did, an absolutely innocent man, he yet had time to recognise that he had taken upon himself the ident

ry her-the mysterious appointment made, for that same night, in the wood behind the mill; all these things seemed to point to but one conclusion. Again, the man running, as for his life, to catch the train-and witho

blood-stained thing, which seemed to point to him-innocent though he was-as surely in death as it would have pointed in life-swept over him. He caught the lad by the arm, and dragged him to his feet; the while his mind was fiercely working, in a wild attempt to set

"Is this a time to be snivelling here?

. There is a trail of blood for some yards; she must have tried to crawl away-and have bled to death. Master Dandy, can't you see that she w

with a sudden burst of petulant anger-"why do you stand staring like th

her, with a groan-"it must be found, sooner or later.

g aside the false personality under which he lived, he added, hurriedly-"But you must have nothing to do with it, Harry; we mustn

plied the lad. "And it may not be so bad, after all; you

ad enough; but this is another matter. She's dead, and cannot speak; even if she were alive, she must point to me as Dandy Chater. And I cannot speak, because the

im; for, though he stood in deadly peril of being charged with the murder of this girl, he was actually ignorant of the spot where her body lay. He shuddered at the thought that he might stumble

appetite-unless I were a hardened villain indeed. Being innoce

of wine. The world beginning to look a little better, in direct conseq

ter-and never was. If I can only as readily persuade people that I am not my twin brother, as I have persuaded them that I am-I've nothing to fear. That's the point. However, I must know what the danger of disc

rang the bell, and requested that Harry might be sent to him. In a few moments, the servant who had ans

. "Look about for him, man; he m

d the man-"'e 'as been seen leavin

" said Philip, carelessly. "Se

ly more than a boy-and in that boy's hands hung the life of Philip Chater. That he should have gone out, in this fashion, without a word, was a circumstance suspicious enough at any time; that he should have done so

. "After all, there may be only a few hours of liberty left to me-pe

ty and danger, he turned, as it were instinctively, towards the woman who had kissed him-the woman who had whispered that she loved him. In his bitter loneliness, as has been said, his thoughts had

in my life, that I can afford to throw it churlishly aside, when it is given so freely to me. Madge,

n had been drawn, and traced the paths by which he should reach the cottage; he found, as h

. It was a good-sized house, of but two stories, and rambling and old-fashioned; thrusting open a gate, set in the hedge which surrounded it, he walke

a moment, he hesitated, and half drew back; but the figure came nearer, and he saw that it was Madge Barnshaw. In his great relief, and i

voice was very low and soft-"

en-been very busy; so many things have occupied my attention-so many th

hat you might be in danger. Dandy"-she was twisting a button on his coat round and round in her fingers, and her eyes were be

son; but, as he was desirous of hearing as much as pos

hat abo

able, or that this is a mere woman's whim. You remember that you

angry this time-no matter what you s

last, looking at him strangely-"you have never been so good to me as you are to-night; never seemed

" he said; and indeed, he thought then that

at him happily. "And you will promis

faithf

rhaps it is God's gift to her, for her greater protection. The world is a sweet and precious place to me-especially since we have b

a rising tide of passion had flushed he

oe, Dandy. Beneath his smiling, soft ways, he hides the heart of a devil; and I have seen that in his eyes, when you have not o

part to play. Therefore, with a shrug of the shoulders, he replied, lightly-"Indeed-you do him a

n to whom her heart had been given had been unworthy of it; that he was dead, and that another stood in his place-ready to take his place in a

he asked suddenly, a

ter to talk about than cousin Ogledon. See-the moon is rising-the moon that calls to lovers,

as possible to do with that man. Ah-do let me speak"-this as he was about to interrupt her-"I know, only too we

," exclaimed Philip. And indeed he had small desi

you. There"-she bent forward, and kissed him lightly-"that in token that the matter is ended between us. Now-what shall we do? The mo

p, with a laugh. "Come, my sweetheart-let us ra

dered where it led. She swung it open, quite as a matter of course, and as though that had been a favourite walk of her own and her lover; and they passed through, into a sort of little plantation. The moon was high, an

ip Chater's mind while they walked

you speak-for disliking Ogledon so much." He said it slowly,

the matter, and were not to

I ought to know," he said, doggedly.

m at every step. So intent was he upon the girl, and so eagerly did he listen for her answer, that he did not observe that the plant

ce, presuming upon a chance meeting with me, he protested-oh-you will not remember this afterwards-will you?-he protested his love fo

face wholly within control. So violent had the start been, that sh

matter? Dandy d

er," he replied, with a fain

had come, borne upon the still air, the unmistakable thud-thud of a spade in stiff earth. A ques

en's name-what

is part, seemed to count the steady thud-thud near to them, as he m

Surely you know that this is the wood

n something which brought him to his knees, with a suppressed scream; the body of a young girl, about whom all the earth seemed stained a dreadful crimson. Beyond that sight,

e reached the woman's side again. "Come away," he whisper

the silence that brooded awfully upon the place, a piercing scream; and the next moment she came plunging headlong past him, and wen