“Did I understand you to say that it was very likely we had met before?” continued the detective.

“Yes, you understood me all right,” replied Wilse, changing color a little. “I have been a great traveler, Mr. Kent, and is it more than likely that we should have met before?”

“Oh no, it is no more than likely. I hope I have not been too inquisitive, sir?”

“Oh no, there is no harm done,” replied Wilse.

One peculiarity about Kent was that he had never called Wilse Reed by any name. When he referred to him, he always said, “your wagoner.” Mr. Sowers took a little notice of it, but not much. He had other things on his mind.

We will visit Mattie again; she was sitting in her easy chair reading when Ella Armstead entered:

“Dearest Ella,” said she. “You are always so kind to me. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“You can make speedy reparation by not mentioning it, Mattie,” said Ella in a low sweet voice. She had a tray of food, which she deposited on a low stand near Mattie.

“Ella, have you heard from William yet?” queried Mattie.

“No, indeed I have not heard from him,” said Ella gloomily.

“Were you engaged to him when he went away? Come now, Ella, tell me, for it will be confidential and strictly private.” Ella was silent for a while, then she answered:

“Yes, we are betrothed, but I don’t want to be telling everybody. Oh, wouldn’t I like to see him now.” They were silent for a few moments. Then Mattie said good humoredly: ÷

“I have been looking over some of Byron’s poems and poetry, and I was wondering if your affianced was like one of Byron’s characters. Here are the words:

‘He deemed that time, he deemed that pride.
Had quenched at last, his boyish flame
Nor knew till seated, by her side
His heart in all save hope the same’^[1]

That is it. I wonder if your William is that way?”

“I daresay he is. At least I trust he is,” replied Ella. They conversed for some time on different subjects, but we will not tire the Reader, as their conversation might not be interesting. So, we will go with Mr. Sowers. As soon as he finished his dinner, he went to the stable. He found Wilse there—

“Wilse, how did you and the detective make it?” inquired Sowers, as he took a seat on the steps.

“Oh, we made it well enough, and if I am not mistaken I have seen that man before, I don’t know exactly where, but I have seen him before,” replied Wilse readily.

“Well, I have a notion to discharge him. He isn’t doing any good,” said Sowers.

“I don’t believe he is trying to do any good. That is my belief,” commented Wilse. He did not know that an eavesdropper was near. But such was the fact. A man was laying [sic] in the hay just over Wilse Reed’s head. He heard every word uttered by Wilse and Sowers. The man was no other person than David Kent. He laid [sic] very still to hear more. He hadn’t long to wait, for Wilse began again.

“Well, Sowers,” said he, “I want some money tonight for my employee.”

“How are you going to get it to him?” inquired Sowers.

“Oh, I will get it to him easy enough,” answered Wilse. “And to tell the truth,” he added, “I don’t think he is doing much out there.”

“I am sorry I ever went into this plot,” said Sowers gravely. “It has been a miserable revenge, a miserable revenge I can tell you, and I’ll bet she has suffered enough for it.”

“I think it has been as miserable to you as it could have been to you,” said Wilse.

“Yes, I know it has,” replied Sowers. “I have suffered as much as she.”

Kent started at hearing those revelations. Says he to himself, “I ought to go down and arrest them both if the—well, I won’t do anything with but one. I will shame the other. I will let them off this time.”

He had hardly ceased speaking when Wilse said, “Well, Sowers, meet me at the ledge after you get that confounded Kent to bed. Meet me at eleven o’clock.”

“All right, Wilse, I’ll be there,” replied Sowers. “And I hope it is the last time I’ll go there.”

“That is, for that purpose,” corrected Wilse.

“Anyway, at all. If my daughter was not in such a precarious condition, I would tell Kent all,” replied Sowers desperately.

“Yes, you will either tell me all or else I will tell you all,” thought Kent.

“Tell all on yourself; don’t implicate me,” said Wilse deliberately.

“Well, if I tell what I done, I will be compelled to tell what you done,” replied Sowers.

“Mark my words, Sowers, if you do so you do it at your peril!” Then Wilse thought and said to himself, “Oh, if he knew how utterly powerless I am to harm him he would defy me.” Kent was listening all the time and treasuring up every word.

“If I only knew where William Reed or Albert King is, I would bring everything to a close,” thought Kent. “But as it is, I will abide my time,” continued he.

“I must go to town this afternoon,” said Sowers, as he rose to go. He and Wilse went out of the stable, and Kent stole down as quietly as he had stole [sic] up. He had made a confidante of Hugh Walters, so he proceeded to the mill at once to tell Hugh. He knew Hugh was a trustworthy man.

“Hugh, I want to tell you something,” said Kent as he seated himself on the husk beside one of the Burrs. “I never did make a confidante of a young man before, but I hope you are one that can keep a secret.”

“Oh yes, I can keep a secret, and I will keep a secret,” replied Hugh.

Kent then related his adventure to Hugh.

“I know that there is something going on between Wilse and Sowers,” said Hugh.

“Well, all we have got to do is maintain silence,” said Kent advisedly, “’bide our time,” says [sic] he after a short pause, “and we’ll come out all right.”

“Yes, I believe that all you say is True,” replied Hugh, “and I hope I may live to see the wronged ones righted.”

“And they shall be if [I] live to see autumn! Just as sure as you are sitting there, the wronged shall be righted!” Those were the words of Kent the detective.

“You seem to be confident of your ability in doing justice,” said Hugh smilingly.

“I am confident it will only shame one, but the other will have to be dealt with according to law,” said the detective impressively.

“Here comes the proprietor,” said Hugh, and as Sowers entered the office Kent and Hugh let on they were busy ciphering.

“Mr. Kent, I have concluded I would give over hunting for Al King. I don’t believe you will succeed in finding him,” commented Sowers as he took a seat, but Kent wasn’t going to be thwarted in his plans, so he said imperatively: ÷

“Mr. Sowers, I must and will succeed. I came here for that purpose. Albert King must be found.”

Sowers said no more for some time. He was busy thinking. “Well,” said he, breaking the silence, “if you will, you will.”

“Yes, we officers must do our duty in all transactions,” said Kent.

Sowers went out in the mill and left Hugh and Kent in the office.

“Just to think of such a man as Sowers making a confidante of Wilse,” Kent said gravely, “and then tell me about giving it up. I’ll ask him if he is trusting to me fully, and I’ll ask him also if he has anyone in his confidence that he has not told me about.”

So when Sowers came in, Kent asked:

“Mr. Sowers, have you been trusting in me fully to work up this case?”

“Yes I have, but you are not making any progress,” said Sowers readily.

“Well, I have another question to ask. Never mind about the ‘progression,’” reiterated Kent. “Have you anyone in your confidence beside those I know of?”

Sowers paled. The muscles of his face quivered for an instant. Then he made a powerful effort at self-control and said boldly, though the lie stung him, “No sir, I have not.”

The words sounded hollow. As he uttered them, the detective smiled his satisfaction. Sowers left the mill and went to his house. As soon as he was out of hearing, Kent said to Hugh gleefully:

“He is a first-class liar. But I’ll bring him to the knowledge of the truth as sure as he lives. Ha! Ha! Ha! Hurrah! Hurrah!” He laughed a long, hearty laugh.

“Hugh Walters, you will see fun before a great while,” continued Kent, still laughing.

“I hope it will be fun instead of sorrow,” said Hugh. “It’s three o’clock already,” continued he in another tone.

“I tell you, Hugh, we will find Al King. Time enough to complete our fun,” Kent said to his companion.

We will give a description of Kent. He was an elderly man, as previously stated, with raven-black hair. He was about five feet six inches in height and weighed about one hundred and sixty pounds. He had a fair complexion for his age. He was a jolly man in general—persevering—honest and industrious. He was ever a ready ally to defend the right and offend the wrong.

His history was simple. We will speak more of it hereafter. Let it suffice now for us to say he had been the hero of a perilous adventure in his younger days.

“That ledge business I am interested in,” said Kent, after a few moments’ silence.

“Do you think you will go down to see and be seen?” queried Hugh.

“No, I will not go down to see and be seen, but I go to see and not be seen,” laughed Kent.

“You’ll go to bed and then get up and creep down there,” suggested Hugh.

“Yes, I’ll take Mr. Sowers as a guide. As soon as he goes down, I’ll climb out of my window and follow at a good distance,” said Kent. And so the evening slipped away. At supper, Kent talked as much as usual. He had a little chat with Ella.

“Miss Ella, how is your patient?” said he, by way of commencement.

“She is getting along finely, thank you,” replied Ella. She was called “nurse” at Brookland because she was so proficient in that profession. Supper finished, they all advanced to their posts. Ella to the sick-room. Sowers, Kent, and Hugh to the mill. Wilse to the stable. It was a clear, beautiful evening. All nature seemed to be smiling.

As soon as Sowers could get to himself, he murmured, “I believe Kent knows something of my former life. He looks at me so curiously. I will get him away as soon as possible.”

The evening soon passed. At nine o’clock, Sowers and Kent started to the house.

They sat in the dining room for a few minutes. Kent was thinking of the adventure he anticipated participating in. He was determined he would not close his eyes in sleep until he followed Sowers to the ledge and heard what was said. He had been successful in the haymow enterprise. Why not be successful in this?

They went to bed, but neither went to Sleep. One was compelled to keep awake; the other was determined to do so. It was a warm night, so Kent raised his window to let in air of course. Why not?

The detective was impatient for the time to pass. It never did seem so long to him from nine to eleven o’clock in all of his previous life.

Finally the hour came. He heard stealthy footsteps in the hall. They came nearer and nearer, then they were exactly opposite his door, then they receded in the distance and died out altogether, and the detective rose with an exclamation thus: ÷ “I’ll see who will get there first! I’ll be a match for you.” So saying, he quickly made his exit out of the window and started off rapidly but cautiously toward the underbrush over the ledge of rocks!