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Show I' I SKtt i y ANNA. IOTHAWNE GREEN ' 1 '' "V .JflHH) If wr s BSmmm v&( Author op 'the leavenwobth case" r- . r-ttL A -SsBWffitJBH V &' ' mM & IK ) a nTHBFUJflIffiBJWttr5toH0DSEOPTHEyVfflSP B?Jo-2V JwWSBSm B v"- M 8YNOP8I8. mt'WCW George Anderson and wife see a re fflvi'JL'm markable looking man corns out of the & " trB Clermont hotel, look around furtively. & ' $ wash his handi In the now and pais on, r " , Commotion attract! them to the Clermont. -; , -? where It la found that the beautiful Miss '-- ' "' 0 Kdlth Challoner has fallen dead. Ander- !'' H "on dscrlba the man he naw wash his ., hand In the enow, The hotel manager -.M declares him to be Orlando Drotherson. '-. M rhyslclans find that Mlas Challoner was fa stabbed and not shot. Gryce, an aged de- .J tectlve, and Bweetwater, hla aaalatant, y-p) take up the caae, Mr. Challoner tells of a I batch of letters found In hla daughter's r deak, algned "O. U." All are love lettera u ' except one, which allows that the writer aaaaaa l , waa displeased. This letter win algned BV by Orlando Drotherson. Anderson goes with Bweetwater to Identify Drotherson, j i J who Is found In a tenement under the I, . name of Dunn. Ha Is an Inventor Broth jH erson tells the coroner Miss Challoner re H pulsed him with scorn when he offered her hla love, Sweetwater recalls the mystery of the murder of a washerwoman In which jW some detnlla were similar to the ChallAner H affair. Bweetwater gets lodgings In the JM , tame building with Drotherson. He bores H a hole In the wall to spy on Drotherson. H He visits him and assists the Inventor In his work. A girt sent by Bweetwater with H Kdlth Challoner'a letters Is ordered out by H Ilrotherson. He declares the letters were M not written by him. Bweetwater Is un M masked by Drotherson, who declares he B recognised him at once. The discovery Is BB made that the letters signed "O. D." were H written by two different men. Sweetwater M roes to Derby In search of the second "O. " 11.," whom he expects to locate through M one Doris Scott, mentioned In the letters. JBB phe Is found acting as nurse for Oswald H Ilrotherson, who lscrttlcally sick and calls H the name of Edith In his delirium. Sweet B water comes across a peculiar hut In the B woods. He sees a load of boxes marked H "O. Drotherson." taken Into the hut under m the supervision of Doris Scott. Doris fl tells Challoner of seeing In a dream the BBK face of the man who killed Edith. The B door bell rings and she recognizes In the M visitor the man of her dream. It Is Or- B ndo Drotherson, who requests an Inter BBBj view with hla brother. It develops that B Orlando Is working on a flying machine. BBB Oswald Is told of Edith's death. Orlando B tells his brother of his repulse by Miss B Challoner. Orlando asks his brother to B assist In tests of his air car. as he can J trust no one else. Oswald refuses owing j to his weakened condition. Sweetwater t J offers hla services as an assistant and jB ri shows he knows something of Drother- m inn's Idea. The air car proves a success. B '( Oswald declares his grief over Edith's B death renders him Incapable of accepting BV . his brother's offer to share In his work I and triumphs. Orlando offer himself to H i I Doris and Is refused. He spends the night j ! . In the hangar In a dated condition. BBBjBk , J '1 CHAPTER XXXIX. ak The Avenger. Hk, "Dear Mr, Challoner: PaUftl mni "W'th Tefy BP0l0gy faH" tnt"'' HM'' ilon, may I request a few minutes of B; , private conrersatlon with you this H'n '.' evening at sevon o'clock? Let It be Hjp I In yonr own room. B i 1 "Yours truly, '' ' "ORLANDO BROTHBRSON." H Hi Mr. Challoner had been called upon H'Jl to face nfany dlfllcult and heartrend u Ins duties since tho blow which had HJ desolated his homo fell upon him. H But from none of them had he J shrunk as ho did from the Interview H thus demanded. He had supposed H.-1 himself rid of this man. He had dls H', missed him from hla life when ho had H dismissed Sweetwater. His face, ao H cordlngly, woro anything but a pro- H w pltlatory look, when promptly at the H hour of sevon, Orlando Brothoroon en H terod his apartments. H His pleasure or his displeasure was, H however, a matter of small conso H quence to his self-invited visitor. He H had come there with a set purpose H and nothing In heaven or earth could H deter him from It now. Docllnlng the H offer of a seat, with the slightest of H acknowledgments In the way of a H bow, he took a careful survey of, the H room before saying: H "Are we alone, Mr. Challoner, or Is H that man Bweetwater lurking some- H where within hoarlngT" M , "Mr. Bweetwater Is gone, as I had H ' the honor of telling you yesterday," Hi was the somewhat stiff reply. "There B$ are no witnesses to this conference, If H that Is what you wish to know." H "Thank you, but you will pardon H mjr Insistence If I request the privilege J of closing that door." He pointed to 1 the one communicating with the bed ' room. "Tho Information I have to Bi glvo you Is not such as I am wllltrig B to have shared, at least for the pros H "You may close the door," said Mr. m Challoner coldly. "But Is It necessary Hl for you to glvo mo the Information H you mention, tonight f If it is of such B a nature that you cannot accord me H the privilege of sharing it, as yet, with PH others, why not spare me till you can? IB I have gone through much, Mr. Broth- VAH erson," H "You have," came In steady assent B as the man thus addressed stepped to R the door he had Indicated and quietly VH closed It. "But," he continued, as ho BK crossed back to his former position, JrJH "would It be easier for you to go H through the night now In anticipation 7S of what I have to roveal than to hear 9H U at once from my lips while I am In CTH the mood to speak?" 5lfiS The answer waB slow In coming. WS The courage which had upheld this ffl& rapidly aging man through so many ivJ trying Interviews, seemed Inadequate BW t tor thn tent put do cruelly upon It. He &!$ faltcrca and sank heavily into a chair, Wm while the stern man watching him, IsS gave & signs of rcsponslvo sympathy fl or even Interest, only a patient and KVS ley-tempered resolve. H "I cannot live In uncertainty;" such H - were finally Mr, Challoner's words. H "What you bavo to say concerns H Edith?" The pause he made was In H 0Blteslmal In length, but It was long J enough for a quick disclaimer, nut no such disclaimer camo. "I will hear it," camo In roluctant finish. Mr, Brotherson took a step forward. His manner was as cold as tho heart which lay llko a stono in his bosom. "Will you pardon mo It I ask you to rlnoT' said ho. "I havo my weaknesses too. (Ha gave no Blgn of thorn,) "I cannot speak down from such a height to tho man I am bound to hurt." As If nnsworing to tho constraint of a will qulto outside his own, Mr. Challoner Chal-loner rose. Their heads woro now more nearly on a level and Mr. Broth erson's voice remained low, as he proceeded, pro-ceeded, with quiet. Intensity: "Thoro.has been a timo and it may oxlst yet, God knows when you thought mo In somo unknown and secret se-cret way the murderer of your daughter, daugh-ter, I do not quarrel with tho suspicion; sus-picion; It was Justiflod, Mr. Challoner, I did kill your daughter, and with this handi I can no longor deny It" Tho wretched father swayed, following follow-ing the gesturo of the hand thus hold out; but ho did not fall, nor did a sound leave his lips. Brotherson went coldly on: "I did It bocauso I regarded her treatment to my suit as Insolent I have no mercy for any such display of Intolerance on tho part of tho rich and the fortunate. I hated her for It; I hatod her class, herself and all she stood for. To strlko tho dealer of such a hurt I folt to be my right. Though u mad of small beginnings and of a stock which such as you call common, I have a prido which few of your blood can equal. I could not work, or sleep or eat with such a sting In my breast as she had plantod there. To rid myself of It, I determined to kill her, and I did. How? Oh, that was easy, though It has proved a great stumbling-block to the detoctlves, as I know It would! I shot her but not with an ordinary bullot. My chargo was a small Icicle mado deliberately for the purposo. It had strength enough to penetrate, but It loft no trace behind It. 'A bullot of Ice for a heart of Ice,' I had said In the tor-jncut tor-jncut 6t rriy rage. But the word -waa without knowledge, Mr. Challoner. I see It now; I have seen it for two whole weeks. I did not misjudge her condemnation of mo, but I misjudged Its cause. It was not to the comparatively compara-tively poor, tho comparatively obscure man she sought to show contempt, but to the brother of Oswald whoso claims sho saw insulted. A woman I should havo respected, not killed. A woman of no prido of station; a woman wom-an who loved a man not only of my own class, but of my own blooda woman, to avenge whose unmerited death I stand hero boforo you a self-condemned self-condemned criminal. That Is but Justice, Jus-tice, Mr. Challoner. That Is the way I look at things. Though no sontl-montallst; sontl-montallst; and dead to all bollefs save tho eternal truthB of science, I have that In mo which will not lot me prof-It, prof-It, now that I know myself unworthy, by tho great succoss I have earned. Hcnco this confession, Mr. Challoner. It has not come easily, nor do I shut my eyes In the leant to the results which must follow. But I cannot do differently. Tomorrow, you may telegraph tele-graph to New York. Till then I desire I "Murdererl Doubly-Dyed Murdorer of Innocent W.oment" to be left undisturbed. I have many things to dlBpose of In tho interim." Mr. Challonor, very whlto by now, pointed to tho door before ho sank again Into his chair. Brotherson took It for dismissal and stepped slowly back. Then their oyes mot again and Mr. Challonor spoko hlB first word: "Thoro wob another a poor woman sho died suddenly and her wound was not unlike that inflicted upon Edith. Did you" "I did." Tho answer came without a tremor. "You may say and so may others that I was less Justiflod in this attack than In the other; but I do not seo It that way. A theory does not always al-ways work In practice. I wlahed to test the unusual means I contemplated, contem-plated, and tho woman I saw before me across the court was hard-work Ing and with nothing In life to look forward to, so " A cry of bitter execration from Mr. Challonor cut him short. Turning with a shrug, he was about to lift his hand to the door, whon he gave a violent start nnd fell hastily back before a quickly entering figure of such passion pas-sion and fury ns nelthor of those men has evor seen before. It was Oswald! Oswald, tho kindly! Oswald, tho lover of mon and the adorer of women! Oswald, with the words of the dastardly confession ho had partly overheard soaring hot within with-in his brain! Onwnld, raised In a moi mont from tho desponding Invalid to a terrifying mlnlstrant of rotrlbutlvo Justice. Orlando could scarcely raioo his hand boforo tho other's was upon his throat "Murderer! doublo-dyed murderer of Innocent women!" was hissed In tho strong man's oars. "Not with tho law, but, with mo you must rockon, and may Clod and tho spirit of my mother nerve my arm!" CHAPTER XL-Desolate. XL-Desolate. The struggle waa florco but momentary. momen-tary. Oswald with his weakened powers pow-ers could not long withstand the steady exortlon of Orlando's giant strength, nnd ero long sank nway from tho contost into Mr. Challoner'a arms "You should not havo summoned the shnde of our mothor to your aid," observed ob-served tho othor with a smile, In which tho Irony was lost in terrible presage. "I was always her favorite" Oswald shuddered. Orlando had spoken truly; sho had always been blindly, arrogantly trustful of her eldest eld-est son. No fault could sho see In him; and now Impetuously Oswald struggled with his weakness, raised himself in Mr. Challoner's arms and cried in loud revolt: re-volt: "But God Is Just He will not lot you escape. If lie does, I will not. I -will hound you to- tho . wt$Si!A earth and, If necessary, Into the eternities. eter-nities. Not with the threat of my arm. you uro my master' there, but with tho curse of a brother who believed you Innocent of his darling's blood and would have bolleved you so in face of everything but your own word." "Peaco!" adjured Orlando. "There la no account I am not ready to sottle. I have robbed you of the woman you love, but I hnvo despoiled myself. I stand dcBolato In the world, who but an hour ago could havo chosen my seat among tho best and greatest What can your curses do after that?" "Nothing." The word camo slowly like a drop wrung from a nearly spent heart. "Nothing; nothing. Oh, Or lando, I wish we wero both dead and burled and that thero were no further Ufo for elthor of us." Tho softened tono, the wistful prayer pray-er which would blot out an Immortality Immortal-ity of Joy for the one, that It might savo the other from an Immortality of retribution, touchod somo long unsounded un-sounded chord In Orlando's extraordinary extraordi-nary nature. Advancing a step, he held out his hand the left one. "We'll leave the future to Itself, Oswald, and do what wo can with the present," said he. "I've made a mess of my life and spoiled a career which might have mado us both kings. For glvo me, Oswald. Os-wald. I ask for nothing else from Ood or man. I should llko that It would strengthen me for tomorrow." But Oswald, ever kindly, generous and more ready to think of others than of himself, had yet some of Orlando's Or-lando's tenacity. Ho gazod at that hand and a flush swept up over his cheek which instantly became ghastly again. "I cannot" said he "not even the left ono. May God forgive me!" Orlando, struck silent for a moment, dropped his hand and slowly turned away. Mr. Challoner folt Oswald stiffen stif-fen In hla arms, and break suddonly away, only to stop short before he bad taken ono of tho half doxen steps between himself and his departing brother. "Whore aro you going?" he demanded demand-ed in tones which mado Orlando turn. "I might say, to tho devil," wai the sarcastic reply. "But I doubt If ho would rocolvo me. No," he ndded, In raoro ordinary tones as the other shivered shiv-ered and again started forward, "you will havo no trouble In finding wo In my own room tonight. I have letters to write and other things, a man llko me cannot drop out without a ripple. rip-ple. You may go to bod and sleep I will keep nwako for two." "Orlando!" VUlons wero passing bo-fore bo-fore Oswald's eyes, soul-crushing vis-Ions vis-Ions such as In his blamoloBs life ho nevor thought could enter Into his consciousness or blast his tranquil outlook upon life. "Orlando!" he again appealed, covering his eyes In a fren. tied attempt to shut out those horrors "I cannot let you go like this. Tomor. row" "Tomorrow, In every niche and cor ner of this world, wherover Edith Challoner's namo has gone, wherever my namn has gone, It will bo known that tho discoverer of a practical airship, air-ship, Is a man whom they can no longer honor. Do you think that is not holl epough for mo; or that I do not realize the hell It will bo for you? I've noveri' wearied you or any man wljh myaffoctlon; but I'm not all demon. I would gladly have spared you this additional anguish; but that was impossiblo. You are my brothar and must suffer from tho connection whother wo would havo It so or not. If it promises too much misery and I know no misery llko that of shamo como with mo whero I go tomorrow. tomor-row. Thoro will bo room for two." Oswald, Bwaylng with weakness, but maddoned by tho sight of an overthrow over-throw which carried with it the stifled affections and the admiration of his wholo life, gave a bound forward, for-ward, openod his armB and fell. Orlando stopped short Gazing down on his proBtrato brothor, he stood for a moment with a gleam of something llko human tenderness showing through tho flare of dying passions and perishing hopes; then he swung open tho door and passed quietly out, and Mr. Challoner could hear tho laughing remark with which he met and dismissed the half-dozen men and women who had been drawn to this end of the hall by what had sounded to them like a fracas between angry men. CHAPTER XLI. Five O'clock In tho Morning. Tho clock in tho hotol office struck three. Orlando Brotherson counted tho strokes; then went on writing. His transom waa partly open and ho had Just heard a step go by his door. This was nothing new. He had already al-ready heard It several times before that night. It was Mr. Challoner's stop, and every time It passed, he had rustled his paper or scratched vigorously vigor-ously with his pen. "He Is keeping watch for Oswald," waa his thought "''They fear a sudden end to this. No one, not the son of my mother knows me. Do I know myself?" Four o'clock! Tho light waa still burning, tho pile of letters ho was writing Increasing. Plvo o'clock! A rattling shade betrays be-trays an open window. No other sound disturbs tho quiet of the room. It Is empty now; but Mr. Challoner, long, slnco. satisfied that all was well) goeB by no moro. Silence has settled upon tho hotol; tha. heavy silence which precedes the dawn. Thoro was eilonco In tho streets also. Tho few who woro abroad, crept quietly along. An electric storm was In tho air and tho surcharged clouds hung heavy and low, biding tho moment mo-ment of outbreak. A man who had loft a placo of many shadows for tho moro open road, paused and looked up at these clouds; thon went calmly on. Suddenly the shriek of an approaching approach-ing train tears through the valley, Has it a call for this man? No. Yot he pauses in the midst 'f the street he is crossing and watches, as a child might watch, for tho flash of its lights at tha end of tho darkened vista. It comes filling the empty spaco at which ho stares with moving life engine, baggage car and a long string of Pullmans. Then all Is dark again and only the noise of its slackening wheels comos to him through the night. It has stopped at the station. A minute longer and It has started again, and the quickly lessening rum-bio rum-bio of Its departure is all that remains of this vision of man's activity and ceaseless expectancy. When It Is quite gono and all Is quiet, a sigh falls from the man's lips and he moves on, but this time, for some un-explainable un-explainable reason, in the direction of tho station. With lowered head ho passes along, noting llttlo till he an rlveB within sight of the dopot whero Bomo freight is being handled, and a trunk or two wheeled down tho platform. plat-form. No sight could bo more ordinary or-dinary or unsuggestlve, but It has its attraction for him, -for he looks up' bb he goos by nnd follows tho passage of that truck down tho platform till it has reached tho corner and disappeared. disap-peared. Thon he sighs again and again and moves on. A cluster of houses, one of them open and lighted, was all which lay betwoen him now and tho country road. He was hurrying past, for hla atop had unconsciously quickened as he turnod his back upon the station, when he was seized again by that mood of curiosity and stopped up to tho door from which a light Issuod and looked In. A common eating-room eating-room lay before him. with rudely spread tables and ono very sleepy waltor taking orders from a new arrival ar-rival who sat with his back to tho door. Why did tho lonely man on tho sidewalk start as his oyo fell on tho latter's commonplace figure, a hungry man demanding broakfast In a cheap, country restaurant? H1b own physique was powerful while that of tho other looked slim and frail. But fear was in the air, and the brooding of a l , . ' tempest affects somo tompornmonts In a totally unexpected mnnner. As tho man inaido turns slightly and looks up, tho master figure on tho sidewalk vanishes, and his step, If any ono had boon Interested enough to listen, rings with a now noto as it turns into tho country road It has at Jast reached. But no ono heeded. Tho new arrival ar-rival munches his roll and waits Impatiently Im-patiently for his coffee, whlto without, with-out, the clouds pile soundlessly In tho sky, ono of them taking the form of a hugo hand with clutching fingers reaching down Into tho hollow void beneath. CHAPTER XLII." At 8lx. Mr. Challoner had been honest In hla statoment regarding tho departuro of Sweetwater. Ho had not only paid and dismissed our young detoctlvo, but ho had seen him tako tho train for Now York. And Sweetwater had gono away, in good faith, too, possibly possi-bly with his convictions undisturbed, but acknowledging at last that ho had reached tho end of his resources. But tho brain does not loose Its holt upon Its work as readily as the hand doos. Ho was halfway to New York and had consciously bidden farewell to tho whole subjoct, whon ho suddenly startled thoso about him by rising lmpotuously to his feet. He sat again immediately, but with a light in his small grey eye which Mr. Gryco would havo understood and revelled In. Tho Idea for which ho had searched Industriously In-dustriously for months had como at last, unbidden; thrown up from somo remoto recess of tho mind which had. soemingly closed upon the subjoct forever. "I have It I have It," he murmured In ceaseless reiteration to himself. "I will go back to Mr. Challoner and lot him decide If the idea 1b worth pursuing. pur-suing. Perhaps an experiment may bo necessary. It waa bitter cold that night; I wish it wore ley weather now. But a chemist can help us out. Good God! If this should be the explanation ex-planation of tho mystery, alas for Orlando Or-lando and alas for Oswald!" But his sympathies did not deter him. He returned to Derby at onoo, and as soon as ho dared, presented himself at the hotel and asked for Mr. Challoner. He was amazed to find that gentleman gentle-man already up and in a Btato of agitation that was very disquieting. But he brightened wonderfully at sight of hU visitor, and drawing him Insldo tbo room, observed with trembling trem-bling eagerness: "I do not know why you have como back, but neVer was man moro wol come. Mr. Brotherson hao confessed con-fessed " "Confessed!" "Yes, he killed both women; my daughter and hla neighbor, tho waaU-erwoman, waaU-erwoman, with a " "Walt," broke In Sweetwater, eager ly, "let me tell you." And stooping, ho whispered something in the other's ear. Mr. Challoner stared at him n mazed, maz-ed, then slowly nodded his hond. "How came you to think " ho be Tho Airship Was Not There. gan; but Sweetwater in his great anx loty interrupted him with a quick: "Explanations will keep, Mr. Cha lonor. What of thn man himselP Whero is ho? That's the important thing now." "Ho was In his room till early this morning writing. lotters, but ho Is not thoro now. Tho door Is unlookod nnd I went In. Prom nppearancos I fear tho worst That Is why your presence pres-ence rolloves mo so. Whore do you think he 1b?" "In hlB hangar In the woods. Whero olso would be go to" "I havo thought of that Shall we start out alono or take witnesses with ubT" "We will go alone. Does Oswald anticipate " "Ho is sure. But he lacks strength to move, lie lies on my bed In there. "BB Doris and her father are with him." "Wo will not wait a mlnuto. How M the storm holds off. I hope it will M hold off for another hour." 911 Mr. Challoner mado no reply. Ho H had spoken bocauso ho folt compelled H to speak, but It nnd not boon easy H for him, nor could any trlflos movo HP him now. 9M Tho town wob up by this tlmo and, HR though they chose tho least frequent- mffk ed streets, they had to suffor from nK) Bomo encounters. It was n good half H-hour boforo thoy found thomselves lu( Hr tho forest and In sight of tho hangar. Rw Ono look that way, and Sweetwater mv turned to seo what tho effect was upon By Mr. Challonor. nR A murmur of dlBmay greeted him. Pjjf Tho oval of tho great lid stood up Pk against tho forost background. r "Ho has escaped," cried Mr. Chal- L lonor. i But Swootwater, laying a finger on his Up, advanced and laid his ear If against tho door. Then ho cast a jr quick look aloft. Nothing was to bo jf seen thero. Tho darknesa of storm In L tho heavens but nothing more. YeB! j ' now, a flash of vivid and destructive J lightning! t Tho two mon drew back and their ' H glances crossed. I ' "Lot us roturn to tho highroad," m I whlspored Sweetwater; "wo can seo .- --1 nothing hore." CT Mr. Challoner, trembling very much, ! whoeled slowly about. Eft "Walt,", enjoined Sweetwater. "First let mo tako n look lnstdo." Running to tho nearest tree, he kw quickly climbed It, worked himself i along a protruding branch and looked I down Into tho open hangar. It was l now bo dark that dotalls oscapod him, I but ono thing was certain. Tho air I I ship was not there. I Descending, he drew Mr. Challoner I j hastily along. "He's gone," said he. ly "Let us reach tho high ground as H quickly aa wo can. I'm glad that Mr. H Oswald Brothoraon Is not with us or &W or Miss Doris." Hi But this expresslonjjsatlsfactloji., H died on his llpn, -ATtho polntjjjjUvenT V..--'' B the forest road debouches lnVy""tho !"! highway, ho had already caught a M glimpse of their two flgurea. They S wero waiting for news, and tho broth In . er spoko at the Instant ho saw Sweet water: I "Where Is he? You've not found 1 him or you wouldn't bo coming alone. f He cannot have gone up. He cannot m manago It without an assistant We m must scok him aomowhero olse; In w' tho forest or In our house at home. uBi Ah!" Tho lightning had forked again. .H "He's not in tho forost and ho'B not v. H in your homo," returned Swoetwator. N fl "He's aloft; tho airship Is not in tho H shed. And ho enn go up alono now." M Then moro slowly: "But ho cannot M como down." U Thoy strained their oyes in a mad- H dening search of the heavens. But '. M the darknoas had so Increased that VI they could bo suro of nothing. H Doris sank upon hor knoos. ' M Suddenly tho lightning flashed M again, this tlmo bo vividly and so near Pi that tho wholo heaven burst Into fiery , I j Illumination abovo thorn nnd tbo ' I thunder, crashing almost slmultane ously, seemed for a moment to rock "' tho world nnd bow tho heavous towards to-wards them. Thon a silence; then 8wcotwaters whisper in Mr. Chal- ' loner'a ear: "Take thorn away! I saw him; ho . , was falling llko a shot" Mr. Challoner throw out bin arms, then steadied himself. Oswald was reeling; Oswald had seen too. But I Doris was thero. When tho lightning 1 flashed again, bIio was standing and I Oswald was woeping on her bosom. j (THE END.) |