“Mr. Lester!” exclaimed Dr. Bilks, apparently very much annoyed at the intelligence. “Do you know Mr. Lester, Dr. Bilks?” asked Eugene. “I do not. I am acquainted with his son, who was in college with me, as I told you.” “I will return soon,” said Eugene to the servant. Dr. Bilks had thrown himself into a chair, and looked like a man who was discouraged--like a man who had purchased half a ream of paper, which could be of no earthly service to him. Hungerford had accomplished his mission at the doctor’s office. As he went out, he saw Sandy McGuire going in. “Do you wish to see me, Sandy?” “No, your honor.” “You are not ready to tell the truth yet.” “I am, faix! Sure, it’s nothin but the blessed truth I been tellin your honor from the big’nin.” Eugene left him. Sandy had not yet seen the doctor, who, in Hungerford’s opinion, would give one half of all he had in the bank for the paper on which the note to Julia had been written, and the other half to keep Sandy’s tongue still. Dick Birch was just coming out of the town hall, when Eugene joined him. “Where are those letters, Dick?” demanded Hungerford. “The coroner has them.” “I must see him.” “Hungerford, I shall be arrested before night,” said Dick, with wonderful calmness. “Arrested!” exclaimed Eugene, to whose mind such a proceeding had not yet presented itself. “The sheriff, the coroner, and the jury, in my opinion, think I had a hand in the murder. Hungerford, the shadow darkens over me. I am the man who cut off Buckstone’s head after he was killed, and I sank the body in the channel.” “You!” “They think so.” “Dick, there is my hand; my heart is in it. You understand me.” “I do!” exclaimed Birch, as he grasped the offered hand. “One such friend is all I ask.” Dick was more deeply moved than Hungerford had ever observed him to be before. The coroner’s jury were still engaged in discussing the verdict. Hungerford saw the sheriff, and procured the Poppleton letter. The paper was the same as that on which Eugene had just written the note to his sister. The quality, ruling, and stamp were identical, and there was room to believe that the letter to Buckstone had been written in Dr. Bilks’s office. Several notes written by Mr. Birch were found. They were not written upon this paper. In half an hour Dr. Bilks appeared again. He was apparently desperate. The case was not working right, and he had come to look after it. He heard what was said about the paper. He laughed at it. Probably Mr. Birch had written the letter in his office; he was often there; and Mr. Birch would not deny that he had frequently written letters at his desk. If it did not look exactly like Mr. Birch’s usual handwriting, it was probably because he had used a pen to which he was not accustomed. No one could say that the stained and hardly legible letter was not written by Mr. Birch.