“But when you have seen these lines you may never afterward see me. Heaven knows. * * * * * “I have written the foregoing confession to put it away, lest death take me unaware, leaving me no time to tell the true story as I only can tell it. “WASHINGTON, April 18, 18—. “The time has come. I have learned some facts. The villain who spoiled my life, and would have spoiled my daughter’s life, was not Angus Anglesea, my brother’s dearest friend, college mate, and fellow-officer, but an impostor bearing his likeness and wearing his name, and now waiting trial as a pirate and a slaver, and having for his mate and fellow-prisoner one whom you have known and cared for as Roland Bayard, but who is really Roland Glennon, my son.’ “No! I cannot meet you! When you have read these lines you will see me no more.” CHAPTER XL A STARTLING ENCOUNTER When Abel Force had finished reading this manuscript he sat with it in his hand, thoughtfully gazing at the paper and almost involuntarily listening for any sound from the adjoining bedroom, where his wife lay in a very precarious condition. At last he folded up the parcel and put it into his breast pocket, muttering to himself that he must keep it out of sight until he could get an opportunity to burn it. Then he softly left the room and went and tapped gently at the door of his wife’s chamber. The nurse opened the door. “How is Mrs. Force?” he inquired. “She is sleeping under the influence of an opiate. The doctor thinks that if she sleeps well through the night she will be very much better to-morrow morning.” “Thank Heaven!” The nurse softly closed the door, and Mr. Force returned to the little room, where he lighted the gas, for it was growing dark, made some little improvement in his toilet, for it was dinner time, and then hurried downstairs, for he had eaten nothing since breakfast. He opened the parlor door, and was surprised to find a group of many people gathered around his own party. Wynnette sprang out from them all to meet him. “Oh! papa, I have not seen you since early this morning. Where have you been? We had all begun to fear that you were a ‘mysterious disappearance’!” “My dear, I have been closely engaged all day. Who are those with you?” inquired Mr. Force. “Who? Who but your old friends and neighbors, Mrs. Dorothy Hedge, Miss Susannah Grandiere and Mr. Samuel Grandiere. Come! Come and speak to them.” “They here! Why, how did they find us out?” “Joshua found them and brought them here, else they never would have found us out. And yet people say that dogs have no souls!” Mr. Force hurried to meet the friends from St. Mary’s, and warmly shook hands with them all. “We are so sorry to hear that Mrs. Force is indisposed,” said Mrs. Hedge, when these greetings were over.