ble serv't to

Abner Dudley

After this, too, had been examined, Drane explained. A short while
before, he said, he was returning from a ride to Frankfort, and as he
was on the road just by the woodland pasture belonging to Mason Rogers,
had dismounted to dislodge a stone from his horse's foot. As he was
preparing to remount, he spied a folded paper peeping out from some
underbrush on the roadside. He had examined it. It was this enigmatical
letter from "B. S." to "A. D." "I had my strong suspicions," Drane
continued, "as to the identity of both writer and recipient; but, of
course, not being sure that the document belonged to Abner Dudley, I
did not think it wise to give it to him. Furthermore, it seemed that in
view of what you had revealed to me in regard to certain malignant
conspiracies with the Spanish Government, it behooved me to be
cautious. It was too late in the day to see you; so I returned home,
resolving that at the first opportunity I'd advise with you. The very
day after finding that letter, last Thursday afternoon, Dudley rushed
into my office and asked for writing materials. I furnished what he
required, and he sat at my desk to write. He made several attempts and
ruined several sheets of paper, which he tore up and tossed into the
fire--all save this scrap," indicating the fragment shown above, "which
lay on the floor under the desk and escaped his notice. He finally
wrote a letter to suit him. This he sealed and directed, and then,
saying a messenger was waiting, he thanked me hurriedly and rushed out.
I have little doubt that this messenger was the 'S. Swartwourt'
mentioned in 'B. S.'s' letter; for Swartwourt was in town that
Thursday. I had seen him at noon at the tavern in close converse with
William Murray, Isaac Adamson (in all likelihood, the Messrs. 'M.' and
'A.' of 'B. S.'s' letter), and Abner Dudley, who is as certainly 'A.
D.' as 'B. S.' is Benjamin Sebastian; and that torn fragment before you
is that shameless young hypocrite's answer to Sebastian's letter of
October 12."

"You are undoubtedly correct in your surmises," said Gilcrest when
Drane had finished. "The 'Power' referred to in this torn piece, and
the 'T. P.' referred to in the letter signed 'B. S.,' both mean that
vile and most dangerous diplomat, Thomas Power; and, see, Dudley
mentions 'the enclosure,' too, which he had probably shown to Murray
and Adamson, and then forwarded to Thomas Power. Notice, too,