Show zau burta y IT my by FREDERICK ERICK JOHN BURT UPHAM ADAMS I 1 of the kidnapped 4 monro etc elt I 1 IM 1902 lie BT A all 7 rights 11 iao 1 T 1803 1003 alt T uinam ADA I 1 re reserved ived A J 1 z I 1 CHAPTER continued the hotel furnishes matches re rc F blake coolly heres a mate said kingsley thanks old chap morris calmly struck a light and abe bright divi new thousand dol lar bir note a few feet eel from blakes head ho he ignited it very clever morris said slake blake re replacing placing his pocketbook must be a new sensation to burn my money did you burn your linger again i morris dont go too tar far with me blake morris exclaimed ill not stand eland lor for it do you hear ive lost and im still a gentleman youve won and are yet a cad youve taken my money and won tho the woman keep 11 way away from me 1 I seek this interview said blake his lace face flushed with rising anger but since alnee its to bo be our last one im going to tell yoa you something ive not a dollar of your money and am not our ilvah in any respect listen to me morris find and ill tell you something that will sober you do you remember john burt burl I 1 guess you do he was the country boy who dragged you out our of a chair by tho the scruff ot of the rieck neck for insulting a young lady upon whom you had forced your society what ot of him mandod demanded dc morris sullenly at the mention ot of john hurts burts name the scene with all its horror came to him I 1 john burt burl what ot of him repeated morris that country lout can come back or stay away or go to the devil for nil all I 1 rare care that country lout has come back eald bald blake deliberately 1 I had the pleasure this afternoon my dear mortie morris ot of transferring to john burt the various stocks and bonds which ilich you and your father tendered to james blake company in settlement of your liabilities permit me to let you yon into a deep secret my dear morris john burt Is jarnes james blake company I 1 ani am nothing in my tee hie ble way ie attempted to carry out john burts instructions you seemed to stand across bis big path and he ha blotted you out ile he forced ou to als ic 7 f I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 A 9 7 J I 1 it if F I 1 f S i I 1 11 J 0 I 1 I 1 ar r I 1 i e i I 1 1 I I 1 11 I 1 b 1 I 1 11 I 1 IN aj fly 11 F 11 1 aff I 1 i 1 I 11 lj 41 I 1 1 I i r if if alf i 1 li 0 W I 1 i 11 11 I 1 like a froan ib booe be fell 1 gorge general gardens cardens fortune he will wed the woman on whom you have forced your addresses do I 1 make myself plain morris morris gazed at james blake and for a moment seemed incapable of r speech 1 I 1 I 1 I think you sou lie he blake he be stammered after a long pause blake raised his bis eyes and saw john burt and mr hawkins haw kins entering the room pausing not a second to weigh the he L consequences he be grasped morris by the shoulders and whirled timi hru around morris threw one arm behind it him im but blake scornful of his big opponent and thinking only of the dramatic climax which offered itself took no warning calm ouis cn morris ne 8 aada soothingly anger does docs not become you I 1 want you to look your best for or here comes our mutual friend john burt hello john blake released his grasp and mor alor TIB drew back in a defiant attitude with careless contempt blake ignored lI morris forris and his eyes followed john burt and hawkins as they came towards him at the tall call otliss of ills name john turned and saw blake his face lighted with a smile its as lie he stopped and then walked towards the group the muscles ot of morris tace face twit twitched elied and a desperate look came to ills his eyes with a quick motion his arm como come from froin behind his back and sm thing glittered in hla his hand hello jini jim v said john are we on time 4 mr burt said blake his dark eydi twinkling inkling tw with deviltry and his hie voice clear as a a bell permit TOO me to introduce he turned to morris with a mocking smile on his big lips he heard the click clack of metal and taw bow the flash dash of polished steel as morris raised his arm and leveled a revolver at john burt 1 I bought this tor for myself take it john burt lie be cried he tired before the words were out of 0 bla big mouth month the spectators who stood their ground saw james blake throw himself forward the moment before a spit ot of fire came irom from the muzzle of the weapon they saw his figure reel through the smoke and they saw morris fire agan again like ilke I a sharp echo came so ao answering shot from blake ile ho had halt fallen with his right knee and left hand band on the marble floor morriss second shot was aimed over his big head bead at john burt who w ho had dashed at morris and was vai almost over the wavering figure of his friend when blake fired morris arms went up tip with a jerk his hl revolver fell v ath a crash on the floor I 1 godl morris cried like a column pushed from its ita base I 1 he fell ell he turned halt half over and lay motionless ive got him john gasped blake and I 1 guess hes got me are you hurt lohn john I 1 he again raised his weapon unsteadily and pitched forward into john burts burta arms areas I 1 stand back and give the man air roared john hawking pushing aside aalde the morbid crowd which surged around the motionless bodies bear a banff john well nell take jim to my room with bated breath john watched the surgeon sur gron as he opened the waistcoat and cut amity the blood soaked shirt for a moment he be laid his head bead against blakes breast it seemed an age before the answer came ile lives sold said tho the surgeon reaching tor for an emergency case ile he held bold a vial to blakes and the watchers saw the taint faint shudder which told of 0 a halt in the march of 0 death Then the breast heaved heave convulsively and james blake opened his bis eyes and looked squarely into john burts burls face hello john I 1 be said faintly the matter happened old mana man you must keep quiet jim said john burt burl tenderly clasping blakes hand and pushing back the damp locks from his forehead to you tire are a long way from being dead old man but your must reserve your Bt renith and obey the burgeons burn cons I 1 dont abil a surgeon not noi now declared blake in a stronger voice and a quickening intelligence in fit his lark dart eyes hello hawkins yo wont lie be offended will aou ou hawkins it I 1 ask you and the doctors to leave me alono alone with john for a minute or two certainly not my boy it 11 the doctors doctore say so the surgeon turned to john and whispered a few words which did not escape blakes strangely revived senses probe for nothing until I 1 talk to john he asserted ima imago going to live long enough to tell john something that no one else shall hear send them out ot of here john or ill I 1 II 11 getup and chase them out the surgeon administered a few drops of stimulant and motioning to haldas and the physician the three silently left the room sit close by me john and let me hold bold your hand said blake dear old john tears glistened in his eyes as he clasped the others hand 1 I dont wish you to tell me anything jim said john soothingly lust just keep quiet jim and make up our ofir mind that aou ou eta aie going to get well aud and bo be the same generous old jiro jim blake that I 1 hate haie known all these 3 ears you know what ive done exclaimed clai nied blake his big eyes glistening w with ith excitement you know all and anat yet forgive me do you john tell me old man it il means lucre inore tor for me than drugs or 1 I do jim say no more about it of old it partner but lay quiet and keep all your strength for the crisis which Is coming jobe John shook his bis head and yet ou on know the truth I 1 loved her madly john but a few words from you john after you learned the brought rue me back to eaith I 1 said bald nothing to lo jessie john no word ot of love ever passed ray my lips I 1 so saw jessie this evening and told her that I 1 was to dine with a friend of 0 mine from california you john aou ou and to mairow evening I 1 promised her that I 1 would bring that unnamed friend to her house that was waa my little sui john but it it was as not to be uc 11 1 shall call the surg surgeons eODS if you say anither word declared john who faired a change for the worse 1 I should like to lo see pee jessie will you send for her john at once was the hie answer the door opened softly and dr harkness and other surgeons entered the room CHAPTER A mendacious god heros heres a for you jossick the man says lie he will wall wait tor for an answer im just dying from curiosity jessie garden carden was leading when edith hancock rushed into her room too impatient to halt wait sho leaned over Jess jessies fes shoulder the note bore toe ine letterhead of a hotel and was written in a firm but bill scrawling hand it read t miss jessie garden carden mr james blako blake has been seriously wounded by a pistol shot find and may not recover ile he wishes to seo see you if possible come at once SAMUEL L I 1 ROUNDS when the purport of 0 the message dawned upon her edith snatched the paper from rom jessies hand band and devoured it with straining eyes lie he may not recover she moaned ho he may mar not dot recover coTer TC Oli Off what hat ha bat happened I 1 am going to himat lit bat not die hurry jessle hurry two white faced girls rushed Is fit upon general carden ills lips corn com pressed as he read tho the message mc asage this la is morris work ork he said bald tell the messenger we III como come a at once tho the hotel entrance was blocked bi a mob when the bishop carriage drew up p the blue helmets of 0 police of leers aicer formed a line which marked tho the edge of a struggling crowd anft one moment girl ordered an officer 0 fleer holding his baton in front of generl general carden make way for the ambulance corps the folding door doom of 0 ahe the tide side en trance opened and tour four men slowly adian advanced ced hearing bearing a stretcher it con cloned a motionless mass covered willi a white cloth jessie clung to her father albern al hern arm with a low cry edith hancock sprang forward and raised the cloth she looked into the dead staring eyes of arthur Nin morris the bearers doug ed while site alie gazed intently at the race face sho she nervously replaced the cov tring trine and turned to jessie and her father its arthur morris hes dead if ea d perhaps it Is all a mistake rola take about mr blake find out general cen cral find out at once well wait for or you here general garden carden returned and silent ly condi conducted feted jessie and edith to a room on the second floor A case of surgical sur gleat instruments lay on the center ume table but the room had no do occupant As they stood at angly by the on trance nt rance the door connecting an adjoining room opened and a tall mon man with red hair sharp blue eyes eyck and enormous hands entered jessie recognized sam rounds hounds deou dew ye do ho he said softly advancing with wilt an n awkward bow sorry lew few meet you lit in such a place but the bitter goes with the sweet jims badly hurt jut ho he has hai a chance to so tho the doctors say in whispers the lour four talked galket ot of the tragedy sam nod had entered the hotel office just before the first shot was fired it all happened so quick I 1 do a thing sara explained the second shot fired by morris just missed some one else some one jim was tryan tew lew save an went through the top op of mr hawkins hat morris nas as dead before he struck the floor th the door opened and a grave fac faced d surgeon entered the room miss carden may see mr air lill alalie aice lor for n a few minutes he said in the dimly lighted room carden saw two figures one propped up with pillows so that only the ili baud and arms showed against the white alto linen the curling curit ng black locks ulf ml back from the pale brow and tho the handsome face seemed chiseled chise leil in purest marble to be 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