Page:The Land Claim.pdf/40

 "You seemed anxious to shift Newcome's crime to other shoulders."

"I shall always be anxious to have justice done, I think, Ed."

"Perhaps you could yourself direct these people to some new object of suspicion, if old Newcome could only be spared. You take a great interest, apparently, in a man who, according.to your belief, is the murderer of your friend."

"How do you know I believe that?" asked Allen sharply and quickly.

"Because I heard you tell Flag so."

"I thought you were dreaming!" said Allen.

Ed gave a short, strange laugh; but his eye fell, and he soon turned into a path by himself, "to meet an engagement," he said.

The next morning Ed announced that he had business out in the western part of the adjoining county; and Squire and Flag were left to their lonely housekeeping, and to long, sad talks about their late friend's tragic fate, and the doubt that seemed to hang about the identity of the real and the suspected murderer.

If ever in these frequent conversations the memory of the apparition they had seen haunted their thoughts, and troubled their better judgment, they endeavored to dismiss it as unworthy their cooler mood. And yet, in spite of reason, it led them to make a closer investigation of facts than otherwise would have appeared necessary, and started a question in their minds concerning a certain other person, which prudence obliged them to keep concealed in their own bosoms, until some further and more tangible evidence of its truth should transpire.

, I declare, you look quite like yourself this morning, all but your hair?" exclaimed Mrs. Wyman, when she had carefully dressed her young charge, and placed her in the great, high-backed rocker, in the little parlor of the constable's house.

"Oh, yes! and I feel quite like myself, too. There, thank you! don't worry over me any longer, for I am just as comfortable as possible. What a beautiful day! I don't think the world ever looked so lovely as it does this morning, Mrs. Wyman."

"That's because you've been shut up in your room so long, dear. But it is a-most always pleasant in June. I was married in June, right in the rose season; for I told Silas I wanted to keep the anniversary of our wedding, and that was sure to be a nice time to have