Show Uy fly Robert Author of Treasure inland Island Tho The Master of or t C Case Can of or Dr Jek Jekyll ll and Mr H Hyde de etc ete Who are aro ye C yourself was the next question after a considerable pause I am ani not ashamed of ot m my name nome said L Thoy They call mo me David Balfour At that I made mado sure the man started for I heard the tho blunderbuss r rattle on the window sill and it was after quite quito a long pause pauso and with a curious change of ot voice that tho the next question followed fol tol- fol- fol lowed Is s your our father Cathor dead 1 I wa was So bo much surprised at nt this thia that I could find no voice to answer n but stood staring Ay AJ tho man resumed hell bo be bod d dead ad no doubt and that'll bo be what hat brings s y yo ye chapping to my door Another Another Another An An- other pause and then defiantly Well eU eUman man ho said Ill let yo ye 0 In and he ho disappeared from tho the window CHAPTER III I inke Acquaintance of 01 My T Uncle Presently there thero came n. n great rattling of ot chains and bolts and amI the door was cautiously opened and aud shut to again behind mo me a as soon oon aa as I had passed Go Into the kitchen and touch nao- nao thing sail said the tho voice and ami wl while whilo Ie the tile person of or tho the house set himself to replacing tho the defenses les of the tho door I groped my way forward forward and and entered tho the kitchen Tho firo had burned up fairly bright and showed me tho barest room I think I ever over put my oyes eyes on Half doxen dishes stood upon tho shelves the table tabla was laid for supper with a a. bo bowl l of ot porridge C a horn spoon and andA a cup cur of small b beN beer cr nc Besides ldes what I have havo named there thore was not another thing ruing In that great vaulted stone-vaulted empty empt chamber chamber cham cham- ber but chests arranged alon along the tho wall trail an and a 0 corner cupboard with a padlock As soon a as aH the last chain was Wae up the theman theman man rejoined mo me He lie was a. a mean stooping shouldered narrow faced clay creature and his ago ale might have been lIeen anything between fifty and seventy Ills ISis nightcap was of or flannel and 80 so was tho the nightgown that ho wore Instead hustead of ot coat and waistcoat over his rag ragged ed shirt He was long but what most distressed and oven even daunted me he would neither tako take his eyes awn away from mo me nor look me fairly In Inho Inthe ho tho face tace What hat ho he was vas whether by trade rado or birth was moro more than I 1 could but ho he seemed most like an nn anold old unprofitable serving man who should have been baen left in charge of or that jig big house upon board wages waKes Are ye Je sharp-set sharp ho asked glancing glanc- glanc In ing ng at nt about the level of my knee Yo Ye Yocan Yocan can eat ent that drop I 1 said I feared It was his own sup sup- per perO O 0 said Raid ho I can cnn do fine wanting It L Ill I'll tako the ale though for It Blackens m my cough lie He drank the cup about halt half out still keeping an eye eo upon mo me as ho drank and then suddenly sud sud- denly donly held out his hand Lets Lots see the otter letter he said I told him It was for Mr Ur Balfour not for him And who do yo ye think I am says sas he me mo Alexanders Alexander's letter You know my fathers father's naino It would be bo strange If It I h he returned for tor he ho was my mJ born brother and little as ye seem eem to like Uke either mo or my house or my good Im I'm m your born uncle lo Davio my man and you m my o born nephew So give gh-e us ushe the he letter and sit down and fill your kyte If It I had hod been boon some somo years younger what with shame weariness and disappointment disappointment dis- dis appointment I believe I had hod burst into tears ears As It was waR I could find no words neither black nor white but handed him tho the letter and eat down to the porridge with as little appetite for tor meat ns as ever a 0 young man had Meanwhile my may uncle stooping over tho ho firo fire turned the letter over and over overn In n his hands I Do yo 10 Hen ISen en what's In It he asked y You soo BOO for tor yourself sir air said eald I I. I that tho the seal Ima lita not beon broken Ay y said laid he he but what brought you hero here To give Ivo tho letter said I INo I. I No uNo says he cunningly but ye ell 11 have havo ave had somo sorn hopes nac nao doubt I confess sir said I I. I when I was told old that I had kinsfolk well to I 1 IId Idid did Id Indeed Indulge the hope that thc they might help mo me In my life Ure But I am amno amno amo no o beggar I look for Cor no favors at your hands lands and I 1 want none that are not freely reely given For as poor aa M I appear I have havo friends of m my own that will bo ho bolitho blithe litho to help mo me Hoot said Uncle Ebenezer fly up In tho the snuff mutt at mo Well We'll sree aree agree fine yet And Davio DaYlo my man If f youre you're done llono with that bit I could Just take tako a sup of It myself Vy Ay y he continued as soon as ho he had ousted me mc from tho the stool and the tho spoon poon fine food food tood- grand food Ho murmured murmured murmured mur mur- a little grace to himself and toll foil to o. o Your father was very fond of his neat meat I mind ho he hovas was vas a hearty heart If It nora nor not a great gleat cater cator but as for me I could never ever do mair than pyke at food rood He lie took ook a pull at tho the small boor beer which probably reminded ed him of ot hospitable duties for his next speech ran thus If If yero yoro dr dry yell ell find Ond water behind tho ho door To this I returned no answer standIng standing stand- stand Ing nc on 01 my two feet and lookIng looking look- look Ing nc down upon my uncle with a n. mighty angry heart heart- Ho He on his part continued to o eat like a man under somo some pressure of f time and to throw out little darting glances lances now at nt my shoes and now at ot my nv homespun stockings Once only when he ho had ventured to look a n little higher our eyes met and no thier taken tak- tak en n with a 3 hand In a 0 mans man's pocket could have hayo shown n more moro lively vely sl signals nals of ot die die- tress This Thia set me mo In a muse whether its his timidity arose from too long lone a 0 die die- use uso so of any human company compani and whether perhaps upon a 0 little trial It might pass off otto and my undo uncle change Into nto an altogether different man From this this I 1 was awakened by his sharp voice Your fathers father's been long dead 7 be he asked weeks sir said IlIo Ilie IHo I. I lie Ho was a secret man Alexander a secret silent ellent man he continued Ho lie Hoever never ever said whon hon he ho was wa young loll hell novel never have havo spoken of ot m mo me Q 1 I 1 know sir air un until you told It me yourself that ho he had any brother Dear mo me dear me said Eb Ebenezer Nor or yet of Shaws I daresay Not so SQ much at as tho the name sir said ITo ITo I. I To To think 0 that said sald he A UA nature of a man moan For all that he e seemed singularly satisfied but whether with himself or me mo or with this his conduct of or my fathers father's was more than I could read rend Certainly however he 10 seemed to be bo outgrowing that distaste dla dis- taste asto or will Ill that he had conceived at t first against my person for tor presently present- present ly 1 y ho he Jumped up came camo across the room behind me and hit mo rime a smack upon the tho ho s shoulder Well agree fine One yet yot ho 10 cried Im Just as glad glod I let you In n. n And a a. now come awa to your our bed To ro my ray surprise he lit no lamp amp or candle but act forth Into tho the dark passage groped hi hili hie way breathing deeply up a light flight of stops steps and passed b eforo foro a door which bo he unlocked I Ivas Iwas Iwas was vas close cloo upon hU his heels having Mumbled stumbled stumbled Mum Mum- bled after aUr him as best beet I might and ho he jo bade rno mu BO go o In for tor that was as my chamber hamber I did as aa he lie bid but paused after atter a few tov steps and begged a a. light to o KO go o to bed with toot Hoot said laid Uncle Ebenezer theres there a 0 fine moon Neither moon nor star atAr air and pit pit- lt- lt mirk said ald I I. I I see the bed toot Hoot toot hoot said he Lights In a house houn Is a CL thin thing I agree iree with Im I'm unco feared of fires Ores G night Good to ye Davis Davie my man And nd before I 1 had time to add a a. further pro test eat he pulled the door to too and I heard I him ilm lock me In from the tho outside I 1 did not know whether to laugh lough or cry ry The Tho room was aa a aa cold aa as a well and nd the bed when I 1 had found my ray way to o It as a danl damp as a a. p peat hag but by good fortune fortuna 1 I had caught up my bundie bundle bun- bun die dle le and my plaid and rolling myself In inthe the he latter 1 la lay down upon tho the floor under the lee lea of the big biff bedstead and andell tell fell ell speedily pe dlly asleep With the first Oret peep of ot day I opened my ly eyes eye to find myself In a great chamber hamber bun hung bung with stamped tl leather with tine fine embroidered furniture furni- furni tuu ture ur and lit by three fair window windows Ten years rears ago aKO or perhaps twenty It mu must t have been an as pleasant a room to lie 11 down own or to awake In aa a man mean could wish but damp dirt ll a e. e and the inks rales and nil spider had bod done oae their worst wont since then Many of ot the window panes besides II were broken and Indeed this was so common a feature feature- In that house that I believe my undo must at some ome time havo have stood a siege sAKe from Als flis Indig Indignant nant nel neighbors neighbors perhaps with Jennet Clou Clouston ton at their head head Meanwhile the sun Bun wa wu shinning outside outside out out- side and being very cold In that miserAble miserable miserable mis mis- erable room I knocked and shouted till Ull my Jailer came and let me rue out Ho lIe carried me to th the back of the Ule house where was wan a draw well and told mo to wa h my ray face tace there If Ie I wanted and when that wan wall done I made tho the b beat bt t of or m my own way ay back to the tho kitch en where he had lit the Ore fire and was wa making the porridge The table was laid with two bowls bowl and two horn spoon spoons 1 but tho the same single measure mure of or small beer ier Perhaps ps my ray eye rested on this particular with t some ome surprise and perhaps my uncle observed d it for tor he spoke up as u It If In answer anwer to my thought asking me If I would like to drink ale for tor for so no he be called IL It ILI ItI I told him such was u m my habit but not to put himself about Na a na said Mid lu h he Ill rn deny denT you nothing In reason Continued Tomorrow |