OCR Text |
Show EnWOFVEIE' Reveals (he Operations of a Modern kmmun Monte Cristo as He Matches Hit Wits Against .trees ef EafWl CriaMab t& tactaty. Pea AHMClif I ADILM (COrVNIOHT. lata, v TMI A.ao. Dj ftnUntn UUIIIIIlIe CIATED NIWIrAPim UMITwO.) ' Horn, ' ' aaid bar father. ' ' Yob can help ua if vou would." "II waa your bargain and tan," aha answered coldlv. It it for you to make the bast of him." "You are vary hard, Dominica," pleaded her father. "We all did what we thought was for the beat." "Now, father, no cant. Yon didn't think of ate at all. Why should I think of vou aowl" He shivered, not more at the worda than at the cold indifference of the maaaer. "I did everything that I could for vou Dom." be raid. "I lave vou a brilliant education. I let you lead your Ufa ia your owa way. I believed that you had for ma a love that a father has a right to expect from a daughter." daugh-ter." She shrugged her shoulders again. "I have heard all this before," she said. "You have heard mv aaawer. I believed that I had the love that a father fa-ther is supposed to give to a daughter. I believed that that love would see me protected, shielded. "I saw how little it all meant when the crisis came. I am sorry, father, hut it is no use to play on that string. You broke it. You tied me, in a moment mo-ment of panic, to an impossible outsider. out-sider. I was the helpless victim. I bear the consequences in my way, in the .best way I cap;. "I do not ask your sympathy nor right that you should continue to ocru-py ocru-py an honored position at the bar. Yoa must give as your practice. That ia all I caa say at this moment . ' ' "I am ia your hands," said the barrister bar-rister slowl). .Nelson Waife turned to go, but Lady Carwardine 'barred his path. Her hands wars clasped above her -heart, aa though to control its beating. "Wow yon know all oar sin," aha cried, "we are helpless ia your power. Promise me at least one thing. Vou have shown sua aa I am to my son, you have told him of his mother 'a dishonor. Have yoa ao pity I Will you not spare my daughter? If ahe should learn the truth r . " "I eaa make ao pnyniahs. madam." Stepping past her he left the room. CHAPTER LIX A reign of terror existed at Heate. A wild man was running loose. Bui strode Stapley, his pockets full af bank notes given to him by -Nelson Waife, kept ao bounds. He toak boisterous command com-mand of Beate house aa and wheu he chose. Its master and mistress cowered before him. The only one who would not bend was his wife. Lady Dominica kept out of ki way when she could, faced him with a cold contempt when she must, fought him with complete eoatrol of temper when he enforced fight. She was marking time. She waa preparing for flight. CHAPTER L VIII. Continued. Hie manner took from these words any suggestion of a hint of flattery. He showed himself profoundly relieved that with all the reason for bitterness, for prejudice, for suspicion, which this man had, there waa yet in him suf orient ability and detachment to separate sep-arate the true from the fajee. He stemmed the tide of bitter words against Sir Morion Harmiland-Smith which bow came from his wife's lips. known to so many people, mast have become public Only the strangest combination of circumstances . has brought it through. Once begun, there was no going back. "So each new difficulty was met as it came." Sir Michael crossed to the side of his wife aad stood there with a certain suggestion of protection in his attitude. "Yon are, of course, entitled to judge me with full severity' he said in his deeD. crave voice. "You would be un- your help. You cannot ask either from me. You arranged this marriage yourself, your-self, you and vonr friends. You fought Htapley's battle for him. I waa alone against von all. You have bo right to change now. " "You are very hitter. Dom. Mv position po-sition would move any but a heart of stone. You are the oaly one to whom 1 ran turn. Yen are the only one who can help. I had a scrawl from Smith this morning." "I told you that vou would hear," she cried. "Does he eiplalnf Ha asks for mosey, of course t" "Yea. monev but no ey planation. He simply says that he is absolutely ruined, through me, mind you. I gave him the chance to he everything ev-erything that he became. Look." He thrust a penciled letter into her hand. "He ia half mail," she said, as she ran her eye hastily down the sheet. "A wild reproach, then a whining' appeal. ap-peal. ' ' ! "Not a word, you see." said her fa-ther, fa-ther, as she flung the letter on the la ble, "of explaaatioBs. 1 would have sent him anything he asked for, if he had only told me Bow it all came about. "I spoke to Stapley, thinking he was responsible for Smith's ruin. He only laughed, made a face, and swaggered. Dom, I may be the next victim. Make it up with hkm. rind out what he is doing. Stay his band." Her oaly answer to this appeal waa to ask her father if he intended to respond re-spond to this request for money. "T suppose I must," he said, with " the flaccid uncertainty of one who ean-not ean-not make up his mind about anything. (To be continued.) "I am net at all surprised," he aaid. "Leave him to his fate. Let us forget him. Now, Mr. Waifr, what deaf" "What happeaed." asked Nelson Waife, "on that lath day of July, "I will tell you all that concerned me aad my wife," aald Sir Michael, as he began slowly to pace the room. "I waa ia great trouble that day. 1 waa so deeply Involved financially that I was on (fee edge of ruin." "OTou forget. Nelson Waife inter- rupted, "that I have the confession of Sir Vterion Harmiland-Smith. Three af yon were threatened with prosecu-i prosecu-i ion for the forgery of my father ' aame. Warbourae brought the threat. Hia Loadoa priaripals had the forged acceptances. You need aot be careful, therefore ia sparing your eonfedrr a tea. What was the precise part taken tak-en bv this mas Warbouraet" "He took bo part," answered Sir Michael. "Ha knew everything I list waa done, however, " said Nelson waife. "You must make vonr own iafereaces about that, Mr. Waife. A telegram came announcing the death of Lord Rests ia Cannes. There was some hesitation hes-itation as to who should carry the news to Lady Reate. Lord Dominic Trvon waa ea the worst terms with his sister in-law. The doctor hardly knew what he was about. The duty seemed to fall an me. I volunteered to do it. "I had been drinking very freely at luaeh, Mr. Waife. I doubt but for that whether all this great trouble would have fallen. I was aot myself at all. I was aot responsible for what T did. just to think too harshly of my wife's course. She was very vonng. She was the daughter of cultivated parents. Though they had beea very poor ahe was trained to refinement. Her artist father died la Cornwall, leaving mother aad child to a struggle ao severe that it killed the mother, "The helpless girl waa forced into a repulsive marriage. She was forced on the departure of her husband for the United States to live amid uncongenial associates. She was in bitter misery. "It was I who influenced her to consent con-sent tw oar plan I can trnlv any that I rushed her into it, that aha hardly realised what she was doing until it waa too late for her to turn bach. I do not ask lenient judgment for myself. Mr. Waife, but I do ask that bar youth at that time, her inexperience, bar misfortunes, mis-fortunes, should plead for bar. I " "Please, Michael," broke ia Lady ' a r ward inc. "do aot go OB. It Is aot to excuse me, or to ask consideration for me, that you should plead. Mr. Waife she turned and took a step toward to-ward him, appeal in her eyas, her voiee "I take the full responsibility for my acts I do not flinch. ' 1 1 ask m ere v for the innoeeat, for my aoa, and for my daaghter. Spare them. You have thought It right that my bob should know the truth about his mother. moth-er. That has been my heaviest punishment. punish-ment. Must my daughter also knowf " "Try ob was aot told," answered Nelson Waife, In his inflexible voiee, "from any spirit of vindictiveness. Ha wished to marry into the one family which it is my right, from my mother s sssociation with it. to protect. I have said already. f.adv Carwardine that T IBIS moaning, the day after Nelson Waife had issued bis commands to Sir Michal and Lady Carwardine, she fouad oa iaquiry at her bankers that the first installment ef the promised allowance from Nelson Waife had been paid ia. She promptly drew a check for the entire sum, and hid the notes in her breast She left the little branch bank almost al-most with a light heart. She looked up and down the steep, narrow street of the town, bidding it farewell. Her plan was to motor to Gloucester that aiiamnon aad take Issue there for London. The next day would find her In her beloved Paris, and an offensive husband hus-band and all troubles eonld be forgotten. forgot-ten. She walked quickly to the gates of Baste, and up the long drive to the house. Her father, awaiting ber in the library, li-brary, looked at her as though her bright eyes, alight with the animation which had come from hope of escape, from the sharp walk in the cold air, was a personal affront. "How yon can keep up like that," he said querulously, "beats me. Where Is hot" He looked apprehensively at tbe door as he asked the question. "I have not seen bim this morning." she answered. "He does aot get up till Boon, you know." Lord Reate drew a weary hand across a careworn brow. ' ' He told yon, 1 suppose,' he said, "that he came here yesterday nftor-noont" nftor-noont" Lady Dominica smiled as she shook her head. She had shrugged her thoul-tiers, thoul-tiers, and a faint crackle of the hank ' ran witn the telegram in mv hand dowa to the old castle wall, where we knew that Lady Baste was. She saw ma coming. The telegram was open in my hand "I saw her leap to her feat aa I came near. We do aot know whether aha caught her foat ia a root that was tkere aad flung to the ground, whether the sadden exertion brought faintness, ftf ar whether she swooned from some pre-mooition pre-mooition of bad news. All I know is that when I got to her side she was lying full length, apparently uacon-aeious. uacon-aeious. "Miss T ravers had been fitting on the wall about too feet away from her, aad aha waa by' Lady Reete 's side iust as I came up Then ahe turned her head aa we beat 'dowa together aad jumped to her feet screaming. She Eointed a shaking finger to the cliff. I saw instantly what had happened. I ran to the edge, T taw the child being entered this house without knowing what tbe penalty was to be, for I did not know the full measure of the crime. "Kir Michael has acquitted himself on two major charges. He did aot fling ma into the river; k accept his word for that. He did not suggest that this doctor should come to my house and murder aa unconscious mas; I accept his word for that. "Now I return to a question that I put twice before. I have aot had bb aaswer. Was there nothing in the career ca-reer of this doctor, Sir Michael t ar wardine. which would lead you to believe be-lieve anv black act possible to his craven crav-en SOU II" "I cannot think." answered the barrister, bar-rister, "what you mean by that? Hla guilt was leaa than mine." He was obviously at a loss. "When you derided, all of you, oa this dangerous crime,'' said Nelson Waife slowly, fixing ois eyes upon the notee had rearrhd her ears. She could not help but smile, for this was her List day of martyrdom. "I did not see him last night," she said. "1 dined with the Willings, got back late and crept in through the back. I beard him stormiag about as I weat up the servants' stair caae. " "This cannot go on," said her father fa-ther gloomily. "He had beea drinking when ha came. He made the most painful pain-ful scene. " "The old story, I suppose!" said the girl, almost indifferently. Her heart, waa stone against this father and mothsjl er who had been so ready to fling ber as a sacrifice to this terrible Stapley." ' ' Yes, ' ' ha answered ia a voice that shook with impotent anger. "He demands de-mands a large allowance, settled oa him, not on yea. I pat him off with promises. " "Oh, you did promise, then?" "What was I to do, Dominica 1 You coum nave nearri bis voice at the stables. sta-bles. The windows shook. It ia killing your mother, Dom. I have tried to par. suade her to go away. She does not dare to. "We don't know what's going to happen next. We have canceled every invitation up to the new year. How can we have people here with that man behaving a he doest Tour mother is not used to a quiet life. She sits and broods, aad " "Aad turns and nags you wbouever vou come near," the daughter finished for him. "She does it to me, too." ''There is much in her complaint. a.. ...i .ii nil Djr t lis '-iirreni "Jaw "Be the child," asked Nel-f. Nel-f. aoa Walla, "when vou approached Iady Reetet" K ' "I sever saw him there at all," he answered. "I was told sfterwards that he waa bv his mother's side. She was between him and me." "Had anything been said at Hilltop." ashed Nelson Waife in his cold, clear vofea, "after opeaing that telegram f" "Tea," admitted tha barrister. "Some hasty words with reference to the fact that this child was all that stood bow between Lord Dominie and wealth was all that stood between all I of us aad safety." K. "When you ma te Lady fteste with that telegram then, veu had that idea I ia your mind?" 'Par ha pa," answered Sir Michael. "I eannot say. I think that I only theegbt that f had a hard duty to per form, aad that I must get It aver. I Waa mad. of course." ''Tasjr statement." said Nelson F Waife, "about the falling over of the aalM hardly agrees with suspicions that 1 I have sometimes bald. " "If too mean." aaawered Sir Mich I Ml with heat, "that you have believed that I threw him over, you have beea ahsahrtely wroag, I " & ",? lae child's life. Mr. Waife." Inter ie.ted Ladv Carwardine. Her eyes sparkled angrily tV -V1 "sadwataad that, madam," said Neleoa Waif a "Still I have thought t ' it possible that oa a sudden impulse he might have dene It aad then have re-$ re-$ greted Us action." "It ia aot so." was Sir Michael's Baewer. "The storv is precisely as I have told von " "Ha flung himself over," cried tdv I Carwardine. "If he had hesitated aa instant he would have been too late. Ha had dived from there before. Mr. Waife. but aever at that state of tbe 1 tide. It waa a mad thing to do. It was almost impossible that he could escape. t. He aavad your life at tha risk of his R aura." "I ask nothine oa that ground." said Sir Michael. "If I had been quite mv Ctf Bathing, ef course, would ever have ipasasil. I got tbe child to the hank at the faat af the cliff below the rot ' tage. I was hardly eeeeeioua "I cannot remember what happened deaaitelv. I think that I had a vague I idea that T was bearing a burden hack te shore which would be the ruin of us all. Dominie Trvow aad Smith came running. I think I gave expression to that vague thought. "I kaew that there was a little ehild ia the cottage above who had died onlv V aa hour before. ' ' "We naad not go on with that part I of it," said Nelson Waife. "I am aot coaearaed with that portion excepting on three er fear major points. " He glaared at Lady Carwardine. She waa steading erect, her twe hands clenched tightly by her side. "I must add oae word." said Sir Michael. "I aeseat full responsibility L for having suggested the exehsage af children. It was a mad idea, with every I chance against us. I was hsrillv eon. seious when I Basil it. Those who I heard it were sot ouite saae. Thev ware face te face with ruis aad dis f? grace. 'It w all dear in aa instant, with I hi l I'onsideratios of he dearer, with- gjt ent reeogairinr that there were a hnn j ired chances te oae agiat suceaw. I a erdiaasy eajwrieare a deed like that. J mmmaCS m barrister, "it waa clear that if Lady Reste's recovery was immediate, you were lost." "In the first' minutes." aaswered Lady Carwardine before her husband could speak, "bo one thought of that. No one thought of Mr. Warbourne. We were, all ef us, almost ia a scale of frensy. could see it afterwards. Every Ev-ery hour ia that ship was a torture to me. I weat away with you ia my arms, knowing nothing of what was going to hsppea. ' "We had little reason." said Sir Michael, "to fear that Lady Rests would recover in time for the funeral. Smith reassured us almost immediately. He said that her nervous breakdown waa such that she could aot recover for weeks He was a very wuug man. and aot too inexuvrieBred. I fait that Ladv Rests ought not to be ia hia hands alone. I went to the local man, but he was away. I wired for a well known London man, whose address T knew." "Vou wired f" asked Nelson Waife incredulously. "Yea, to Chalmers of Wimpole st. " "Bat year interest," aaid Nelsoa Waife. ' that Lady Reete should aot recover." His eyee, hawklike ia their still intensity, were filed on Sir Michael's face as he uttered these worda. "I came to saaity the aext mom lag." Sir Michael returned. "I realised real-ised what 1 had done. I would have wished it undone, of coarse. We all ef us felt tbe aame. We were caught ia a moment almost of despair. We yielded te a dreadful temptation. We would have gives anything to have lived that dav over again, have lived it differently. ' ' I had an answer from Chalmers. He would be down the next morning, he aaid. He did aot come. Smith reported that l.adv Reete was better whea I told him. Chalmers wired to postpone his coming for twenty-four boors. Smith then telegraphed, unknown te me, that Chalmers earning was unnecessary. "I waa shocked and surprised to learn later of her death." "And doubtless relieved. Her death removed the last obstacle from vour path. You had nothing to fear now." Sir Michael raised bis busby brows. "It made ao difference." he said. "We had started on our path; there was no turning back. Once the child was buried she was powerless. But, Mr. Waife. I do not see 1 " " And you had no suspicions, ao donhtsl" " No: whv should 1 havet " Suddealy Sir Michael started. "Yon do not believe, be-lieve, you do aot suggest No, that is impossible. It was unnecessary, useless." use-less." "I have two confessions." Nelson Wsifr laid slowly. "Hers states oaly, 'He did it.' His, that there waa aa accidental double does of morphia given giv-en Deliberate or accidental, my mother met her death at the haads of tha decker dec-ker whom I have ruined " 8lr Michael drew a deep breath. Hia fare was very pale new. Behind him his wife had suah inte a chair, trembling, trem-bling, her breath coming in quick gasps. Her self control was nearly exhausted. ex-hausted. "I did not know." 8ir Michael aaid at last. "I did aot even suspect- ' There was a pause. "I accept vour word," Waife said at last. "I will commuaicate with von aajala.' He turned and weat toward the door. "I will write von at Oar act. Sir Michael Carwardiae. It is not 1 |