Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-07-02
WOODBURY., ", THURSDAY. JULY 2. 1885.

tifcate of his first marriage in California.
When find the child. and she comes into
her fortunes, her views of liberality may be
more commensurate with your ideas than
my own are. For the present
Hold there, MIR. Armitage, interrupted
Leslie, coming to an angry stop in his walk,
] know enough of men to see that you are
bargaining with me. Before you say an
other word / want you to understand that
we have given this girl no ordinary care.
My wife has been mother to her and has
worn herself sick at the idea of losing the
child while --well-P Percival wouldn't have
found many friends who would have done
what / did.
Armitage's fu curled contemptuously at
the mention Of the word friends, but he
said:
Il anticipated no trouble with you. The
tenor Of your letter to Percival indicated
that you were anxious to do your old part
ner service. However, here was his ulti-
matum, spoken on his death bed. Deliver
up the girl, with the papers, and pay you
the sum of s1. 600.
Leslie brought his fist down on the table
with suddenness which startled his visitor.
His face was red and angry; his eyes flashed
the widest rage.
aThe miserable thief, he raYed. and
this is the way Perciyal treats me after all
these years of slavery to the whims of his
vixen Of wife. A paltry $4,000 out Of a
royal fortune. Irefuse it--once for all, I
refuse it.
A perplexed frown settled down over the
messengers face.
aYou had better takea reasonable amount
rnther than nothing, Mr. Trescott, he said,
@Tll do nothing of the kind" cried
Leslie.
The other arose to his feet.
Then our meeting is at an end, he
said, adjusting his cloak and picking up his
hat.
He glanced suspiciously at the door. as
though he heard an unusual noise there.
He was not amiss in this conjecture.
As the sound of loud and excited con-
yersation reached Edith's ears, she had
arisen and come to the corridor, unable to
longer endure the suspense and anxiety the
mysterious occurrences Of the night had
caused her.
She could distinguish the voice, but not
the words, and her heart beat wildly, as in
the information of Leslie's voice she traced
evidences of that anger which rendered
him a giant in strength, a demon in his
actions.
Il have but one word to say to you in
conclusion. said the stranger, in tone of
quiet nonchalance. I am paid to convey a
message to you. no more. AS the executor
of the estate of Orrin Percival, I shall not
ngree to one pound more than he author
lied me to give you,
Lesle's face, sullen yet fiery, was pict-
ure of hatred and rage
Then you won't get the child, he said.
The other shrugged his shoulders care
lessly.
Perhaps not perhaps SO, " he said.
What do you mean?' demanded Leslie.
His eyes were glowing with the widest
rage, his huge frame shook with concen-
trated passion and disappointment
The stranger adjusted his glove as care
fully and smilingly as if taking leave of a
host.
Il mean, he said, steadily, determinedly,
"that the law may enforce what my desires
and your obstinacy will not effect"
A cry like that of an angry beast Of prey
sounded through the apartment.
Curse you-you threaten me, do you?"
roared Leslie. aTake that"
It had come! The dark night, the deso-
late spot, the evil passions Of ayarice and
hatred had wrought their baleful work. A
sickly thud, q low groan. and then. as the
agonized listener at the door heard the fall
of body. one wild, anguished scream rang
from her lips and echoed through the de-
serted building
The deed was accomplished The heavy
bar of iron in Leslie's hand, which he had
grasped quickly to silence the form on the
floor with terrible cash in the head, told
him that he was murderer.
One single expression like that of a beast
at bay crossed his white face, but it was
feeting. The next minute he had spring
to the door and opened it, alarmed by the
scream he had heard.
The girls form fell into the room as the
door opened wide.
Girl, what are you doing here?"
He caught her by the arm and dragged
her to her feet with grip like that Of
wise. But she needed not the pain; her
staring eyes fixed on the object on the floor,
the bloody face, the silent hands; but one
expression was wrung from her horrifed
lips:
Great heavensl you have killed hirl."
She recoiled from her fathers grasp as if
his presence brought blight. She stag
gered against the wall and ayerted her face,
as though the evil passion so plainly marked
upon his features wrought some horrid pic
ture to her mind
IL he is dead it is his own fault, spoke
Leslie, hoarsely. Listen to me, girl; it was
for your sake that did it
He had approached her agair. She
shrank at his touch; her lips framed a
shrek of horror.
"Do not touch me, she cried You,
my father, a murderer; you with the blood
of the innocent on your hands.
She was lost in q wild paroxysm Of
agony. She scarcely realized that Reuben
Leslie had grasped her brutally, that his
quick, menacing words were hissed into her
ears and burned into her brain like Goals Of
fire.
sFool, he cried. He tainted me to it
and the deed is done. What would you
do?9
"FTy, leave this place, or my brain will go
mad over the terrible scene have wit
messed.
Listen to me, spoke Leslie. .sYou
alone know Of this crime. Would You
bring your father to the gallows? would you
hasten the death Of your mother?"
With low moan Of anguish the girl sank
to her knees and wrung her hands dis
tractedly.
You will return home, pursued Leslie,
rapidly, and remain silent. He drove me
to it swear ! never intended him evil
until
He paused abruptly. The form at his
feet, crushed, overwhelmed with anguish,
spoke no word.
She will not dare to betray me. he
muttered as he left her side and advanced
to that of the inanimate figure on the floor,
STOPPING over and placing his hand on its
breast.
A quick pallor oyerspread his face as he
noted no answering pulsation
Dead, he muttered hoarse1y. What
Of it? He tried to defraud me; he would
have torn her from my side. will dispose
Of his body. No one saw the deed, no one