The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-06-07


solitary reach of sea-coast, near Vincent
Hall, upon which, this cherries October
evening, pace to and fro Sidney Vivian,
with hands crossed behind him and eyes
bent upon the ground. evidently awaiting
some persons coming.
He is thinking of Bella Rodney. vi
how, when informed Of the terrible power
he held over her father, she had swayed as
does a bent flower, and almost Succumbsd
to the stormy blast. He marveled at her
quiet, necessary adherence to the demand
for her hand in marriage but she refused
to set the day, nor, indeed, could he pre-
vail upon her to treat him a. more than an
acquaintance.
I" Do not torment me Z" she had cried,
one day, IN a sudden agony Of mental tor
ture. = You have taken an awful advan-
tage, and you are to profit by it ; what
more can you ask 2
dence, Sidney Vivian had replied. " You
think | am merciless -unprincipled but
love has made me so | would reach
through all my future but that you should
marry me- if the way were flowing with
blood"
9 You may claim my hand; you can
never win my love, said Miss Rodney
. Time will work wonders, was the
sententious reply.
Now came the forced realization to vi
VANS mind that he was gaining bride,
loveless, whose heart was buried in the
grave Of Cecil Dare, and who heartily des-
pissed and abhorred him, if, openly, cour-
teous. DR. Rodney had changed in the
brief lapse of four short weeks into re
morseful self tortured man, feeling that
through him his daughter was being sacri-
iced To villain, yet reslgning himself to
his destiny, and allowing it to sat his life
away.
From his meditative attitude Mr.. Vivian
was suddenly aroused by footstep behind
him, and, turning quickly, the phantom
7 which had Knocked him for years, and
which had appeared to him 50 strangely
twice since his advent at Vincent Hall,
assumed form and substance, and revealed
to him the pale, haggard features u Conrad
Y Markham
What mysterious connection existed be-
tween these two men it would be difficult
then to tell /; the course Of our narrative
will divulge all this That Sidney Vivian
feared this man it was evident, for he
paled, trembed slightly, and then said:
q" Well, We have met n
Yes, We have met, was the quiet re-
ply. = Ever since left that note in your
room have been wanting to see you.
" For what F'
To befriend you. See here, you can
not 10 without me. Some evil destiny led
Us together years ago and the same fate
has guided me upon your track.
G,IY,.,v r.frar,loA tb.. nth
bitter look
You befriend ne-yeu be my counsel
lOr ! tell you, Conrad Markham, that ]
am dangerous man Twice have | steepe
my soul in blood as ! thought to connive
at your death But your good fortune
saved YOU Once, at Rome, | struck you
with a dagger, III the dark. Once, in Eng
land, ! shot at you, not deeming but that
my bullet should tind you. / am the same
now, and you carry too many of my pasi
secrets to be other than an enemy to you.
Go your way, for ! am man dangerous
when aroused
~ do not fear you, was the quiet re-
ply, and you can neither abash nor in
lure me | carry q charmed life, and you
may wish u learn much that | know.
He preserved the same apparent humility
which he had borne since the commence
ment Of the interview, only watching,
closely, with his small, ferret-h like eyes his
companions every movement.
"What do you mean f quoried Mr..
Vivian
II mean that know where Marcia +"
stop shouted Sidney Vivian, say
anything but her name aloud ~ he contin-
ued, fearfully, looking around.
II know, too, pursued his companion,
where two men have gone | hold your
life in my hands, for ! can prove the fate
Of those who have gone to All obscurity,
the one, Of death itself, the other Of fate
rather than which, any fate were prefera-
bic ~
"You have, indeed, played your part as
a spy, we'll, said Sidney Vivian But
suppose | should take the opportunity
which now presents Of putting you and the
secrets you hold beyond mortal ken forev-
ermore.
AS he spoke he drew a pistol from his
4 pocket.
'You would but injure yourself, coolly
reioined the man, Conrad Markham, not
Y hinching muscle. For | ain not the
/ fool you would suppose me, in placing my
self in your power, without having left In
certain partys hands detailed account
of your entire past career, which will be
opened, read, and made public, should |
fail to put in an appearance within twenty
four hours.
"You are a cunning plotter," sneered
Vivian, bitterly "What do you want Of
me e.
Employment, excitement, money. You
belong to brilliant class of social vultures,
Of which | am parasite. Do not say you
cannot use me, for / never yet knew your
mind to be free from some plot OF an
other
Speak out plain" said his companion,
impatiently, returning his pistol to his
pocket, you want money T.
"Yes, have traced YOU many a mile,
Clarence Donaldson, and"
He stopped, suddenly, for Sidney Vivian
had sprang forward, and caught him by the
throat
Say that name again, he cried, ''ol
speak one word above your breath, which
may lead any eavesdropper to suspect me
and | will throttle you on the spot Y
'No one can hear us here, sullenly ex
claimed the man, retreating few steps.
mo matter, returned Sidney Vivian
"you can talk without dragging my nam,
or my past into your conversation If not
do not talk at all Y
81 could talk to some purpose, was tn,
dogged response, IF court Of inquiry 80
licited your past misdseds.
: You will not forget that you are but
criminal flown from justice yourself" re
piled Sidney Vivian. Zone word fron
me could place you in felon's cell. "
: The man was silent for . moment.
Il have not come to spend time in il
recrim nations, he said, after pause.
have wasted too much time already. Yo
have made big haul recently claim IN
share OF the money. You may think
have only guessed at your doings, but