Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-09-17
tFrom the Cnirago Ledger
WILD NAN !;
The OutCaSt'S Secret!
A GREAT CHICAGO STORY.
By WELDON j. COBB,
Author of "At Her Mercy Tho Love si
Her Life, The Eanac'ed Hand, "Ihs
Telegraph Detective" The Stolen
Bridegroom" Kte, Etc.
A GREAT CHICAGO STORY.


CHAPTER XXI.
IN THE NET.
! 1t was triple surprise which confronted
Elmer Warren at the moment of apparent
victory, and his base nature quailed before
the shock of terrible dismay and fear.
For the man he believed dead, the STEP
brother he hal so foully Wronged. stood
Unexpectedly revealed before him, and, too
| just denuded of disguise which indicated
that he held his enemy completely in his
power the. wanderer, Wild Nan, was mani
| tested suddenly but clearly in her true
character; and, worst of all for the evil
| plots of the foiled schemer, Beatrice Avenal
the beautiful victim of his perfdy, and the
| woman he had SO strenuOusly evaded and
/, neglected. was bound to him legally as his
wife. and now faced him like an indignant,
accusing phantom Of the past
Taking in all this at one comprehensive
| glance, the mans quick mind supplied the
mental picture to complete the scene with
its obscured motives and results
He foresaw that the end had come, that
every element was present to shatter at q
blow the fabric of fraud and perfdy his
reckless hands had SO carefully reared.
But his white face regaining the purple
hue Of suppressed rage and disappoint-
ment. he glared at the trio who confronted
him, deadly menace in his eyes. the def
Ance of the baffied criminal in his manner.
@Whose work is this?" he hissed,
| homsely.
The speaker was Wild Nan. Fearless Of
his vengeance, bold to rashness, inspired as
she was with the loftiest sentiments of JUS
tlce and indignation, she advanced STEP
or two and fixed her piercing glance on the
villain, whose brow beetled darkly, while
| his hands were clenched in wild parox-
| ysm of impotent rage
You'll" he hissed BAIL you had moi
the wit to effect this most charming tab
leau."
He sneered audibly as he spoke, but all
the scorn and brayado of insolent contempt
for his foes died away from his dark face
as Percy Sherwood came to his side, stern
| yisaged, earnest-eyed, and with manner
| which told Warren that the words he spoke
were not idle ones.
Elmer Warren" he said, in solemn,
| impressive tone of voice, when yonder
girl, an instrument in the hands Of Provi-
dence to battle your evil schemes, says that
she has succeeded in outwitting you, she
speaks the truth. The end has surely come
for yourself and for your guilty accomplice,
Reuben Leslie"
"Lesie?" hoarsely muttered the schemer.
@Where is he?n
Bound and helpless, and captive" re-
piled Sherwood. aThe blood of the muir
dered Armitage, the sufferings of your VIC
Tins, cry out for justice, and my hand will
no longer shield you. / am absolved from
my oath to my dying father to protect you,
| for murder has placed the law upon your
trask, and I am impotent to aid you in
evading its penalties"
| Warren grew shade paler, but he laughed
coarsely.
Murder" he cried, derisively. THE
killing of Armitage was no task of mine.
Let Reuben Leslie account for his own
crimes.
I'VE shall seel" came in cold, impressive
tones from the lips of Wild Nan, who
watched her enemy as the tiger does its
victim, fearful lest he should make q
movement to esease.
The villain had heard her words and
trembled visibly. His eye swept the apart
ment with single quick glance, but he
saw no avenue of escape except by way OF
the door guarded by the vigilant wanderer.
As to this poor deluded creature. and
with his hand Percy Sherwood caressed
the bowed head of Beatrice Ayernal, stand
ing now silent and fearful by his side
@you have made her reparation. Edith
Leslie need no longer fear the terrible
charge you made against me, for Beatrice
Avenal is restored to reason and has de-
feated your evil claims and righted herself
at last
Warren's face grew livid as he realized
the truth of all his step brother had said
Curses on you all, he raved, you have
foiled me, but the Percival fortune you will
never be able to trace"
A light mocking laugh was his reply. il
emanated from the fps Of Wild Nan, as
she waved q paper tantalizingly before his
eyes.
@The witIess wanderer was no fool, she
cried triumphantly. Here is the docu-
ment Wild Nan had sense enough to re-
tain, and this, with the papers we have
secured from Reuben Leslie. settles the
| foiled, Elmer Warren. and the oath I swore
to track you down, is kept"
Stand asidelS roared Warren, enraged tc
q wild fury by the tantalizing words of the
girl he had believed his tool and ally
Your idle charges against Reuben Leslie
are naught to me. | will go, but YOU
victory is not yet complete.
Wild Nan blocked his way to the door.
You leave not yet, she cried. IF yor
do it will be to walk to your doom"
He paled at her words.
You threaten vainly, " he began.
| Beware, she interrupted, 4the police
are below"
He fell back thoroughly alarmed.
Gagged, he muttered hoarsely, and then
aloud: What are the police to me. wha
have done. Edith Leslien
"Ohl We will make no charge concerning
her, said Wild Nan. @She is alive, despite
your endeavors to drive her to her death
It is heavier charge than conspiracy, ant
one which will lead you to the gallows."
His mind, divided with fear and suspense
surprised at the statement that Edith Lesli,
was not dead. and awed blythe impressive
manner OF Wild Nan, seemed bordering
on an insane confusion and terror o.
thought
His craven lips repeated her words:
"A heavier charger"
@Yes, cried Nan, in ringing tones, hel
] eyes cleaning like two electric sparks, th'
charge of murder.
Armitage,n began Warren.
at is not he" cried the girl, springing
forward like the crouching panther abou
to destroy its victim. You, Elmer War
rem, are the man whom recognized, whom
Rivers, your accomplice, win betray as th
murderer of my father. John Osgood.
She was a breathing, living volume o
impassioned elonpence as she suoke. Sh'
had reserved all the latent condemnation
and intensity of her nature for this ina
denunciation of the man she so hated
But he did not fall back nor shrink from
the fiery, accusing eyes. Instead, a cry o
mortal terror rent his lips, and, GisdaininI
all barriers to escape be dashed for tn
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