The Morning herald., 1877-10-05

"They are breaking m ,ne doofw cried
Nellie. I'VE must not lose a moment,
Quick.
And the chambermaid, faithful in this
hour Of tribulation, echoed frantically the
word "Quickw
She darted forward in advance Of Noel,
to return with face Of ghastly terror, but
too faithfully reflected in the faces of her
master and mistress, for in the girls face
they read that hope was not for them.
"The window-the window!' cried Mel
lie, as she passed out. ~They shall pass
over my body, Noel, before they reach
you"
The window was three storys from the
ground.
The barrister, pale and rigid as any
corpse, stood erect and motionless in the
middle Of the apartment-that apartment
which had been the scene of so many sim
full pleasures, and which was now to soc
their bitter-bitter expiationl
He was at bay, nay, more than at bay,
and the very hopelessness of his position,
the impossibility of escape, brought back
. CLEAN of courage to his quaking heart.
With smile upon the white lips-terri-
bly, suggestive of the very opposite OF
mirth-he drew a three-chambered re-
volver from his brsast-pocket.
"I've given my word," he said; 'let me
at least for once keep faith. I swore 7
would not be taken alive"
He raised the pistol to the region of the
heart as Nellie Nicholson, throwing her.
self upon him, strove to arrest his hand.
Too late!
The heart was not touched, but the shot
was mortal.
At the same moment one of the outer
doors, or both, gave way with a crash,
and the police in body entered the
room.
"A doctor-a doctor!" implored the
half-frantic woman.
sand, at gesture Of Daddy Tabarets,
who was in among the first, several of the
men disappeared.
"A doctor for me!' groaned the dying
man, with something of the old irony in
his tone. "Send for sexton to dig a
grave as deep as mans despair, and let
q mason carve this epitaph:-
KILLED FROM LOVE OF A woMANv"
No answer came from Nellie. She had
tainted in the arms of Jeanette.
They lifted him gently enough. under
the direction of Daddy Tabarst, on the
bed.
"Give me some paper, while yet have
strength"
The old detective placed the writing
materials in his hands.
"Write-for it is you must write, and
will sign-that I murdered the Widow
Lerouge. Such a confession costs me but
little now, yet it will give some relief to
my brother. 1t is family debt to keep,
at least one name clear. I owe him that"
He signed the paper, which the old de-
tective carried to the table, wishing, ac-
cording to his habit, to "verify" and make
"all right" in the middle of his grief.
The dying Noel grasped the hand of
the sobbing Nellie, now recovered from
her fainting, and whispered hurriedly in
her ear, es he convulsively dragged her
face down till it touched his own, "Nell,
my money-and, properly managed, it's
fortune-is under my pillow; so that's
why I asked them to lift me on the bed.
Take it-don't hesitate, my girl! l know
too we'll what the horrible temptations of
poverty are! Take tits yours!''
Though weeping, and still loving the
dying man, she, with the true instinct Of
her kind, secured the pocket-beok, even
though her pretty head was resting, and
without hypocrisy, upon the dying mans
bosom. j.
Dyingi He was deodl With last fond,
eager gaze upon the face-the poor, lost,
beautiful face of the woman he had so
madly loved-ths spirit of Noel Gerdy
passed away, to be judged, let us hope,
when all are weighed in an equal balance,
with greater charity than he can meet
with on earth!
ut was the best end, after alp said old
Tabaret, who had again approached the
bed, and now stood, with two big tears
down his cheeks. ut satisfies
all parties! And what a lessonw he con-
tinued. shaking his head gravely, to him
self-"what a lesson! to prove that des-
perate fortune was never yet retrieved by
> yet more desperate deed" :.
TIE ENH.