The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-20


 l thought. "l shall know now what his tale is worth"
 CONCLUSION.
 It was a chill October eve, four weeks later. My mother thougt me demen.ed for the restlessness that kept driving me out of doors, since within l could no, keep quiet. Enough had happened dur. Ing those weeks to unsettle rock. First the strange confession that had iallen from Joe's lips, and the results of the in. vestig gation, so far private, that had been instituted, establishing Kings complete innocence of the charge successfully fas. tened on him. A stranger thing than this had been brought to light, and of its strangest feature alone had knowledge was now disturbed by increasing fears that those revelations had come too late ! had cabled to meet the Cambria" but the answer, by letter or in person, 1 had hoped for eight days ago came not. My telegram might have missed one who probably travelled under some other name it might have arrived too late, or lem might have changed his destination, taken another ship, drited out of reach :; and worse and gloomier possibilities sug- gested themselves at times to my fancy. A hundred times had gone down to the station on faint pretexts, till 1 vowed 1 would 20 no more. My walk ,h:. even ing took me along the lane VIC call Shoot CTS Hill. l was planning advertisements to send to the American papers. The autumn mists rising on all sides made the cattle look colossal, the trees giants, the moon an auroral sun, human forms monsters. see one coming down the lane, and do what will, my pulse quick ens. This last week have seen a hun dred Jemmy Kings afar of, and 1t has al- ways turned out to be carter, or Q ped- dler, or the dairymen. Tonight 1 am clear the person in the distance Is not lem and yet there is a train at abou, this hour, and his pYetesnaturh height may bc an effect of the fog. Hurry for. ward to meet him and be disappointed | will not. wait, and as he comes nearer 1 recognize with thrill, first his old foot step. then-my heart bounding with sat isfaction-I confront-his old seli--not as when we parted last on this very ground, but haler, and bronzed with sea travel, in- vigorated with revived hope and spirits, surer restoratives than the brcezes of the
 
 Atlantic.
 Being English, we shake hands with out speaking a word. At last 1 observe significantly:
 "rhis time you'll not refuse to walk up with me lem"
 Suddenly withdrawing his hand, with doubt and suspicion that died very hard, he demanded, almost roughly:
 "its all true, is 1t, what your message told me If you did 1t only to coax me back, though meaning kindiy-its the worst, crueilest wrong you ever did in your life. Before go a step further tell me straight how it stands"
 emmy," said 1, you're cleared. Joe Murphy, the real culprit, has confessed" l"
 "Murphy," he uttered, amazed "Mick's old pal "
 "Say accomplice In theft-Joe, vho had drunk himself to the very verge of hopeless imbecili,y, aud was convinced he was dying. Bat for that he would never have come out with it. They rob- bed Sampson Clover, and fought over the money that night Mick dared not get Murphy into trouble by naming him as his assailant. Strong suspicion had failen on you--only confirmation was wasting: Mick gave it-paid oG his grudge"
 And curse on his vilainy that sent me to rot in prisos!" '" lem ssTuck in ex- citedly.
 ~Hush," said 1, "Mick is ou, of reach of mans curse now"
 "Desd2 Jsm uttered, his animosisy unappeased, |" Dead-unpunished."
 ~He left Evezsfold, and lived in Lon- den under an assumed name. He be- came partner is . band of sharpsrs, and two yeass later vas, with them, COO. vicsed of forgery, and obtained . heavy seusepce-bot still undm his assumed name, his real one remaining undiscov- cred. Nor should ws ever have known his fate but for strange circumstances. A photograph thas happened to be sent to me, togesheS with a ans~ss to certain inquiries 1 had occasioe to make of the governor sf the Scuthbssy condct estab- lishmsnt, idssti6sd him with the prisoner in question. He hanged himssH Ia his cell q Svslscii6s dgRtssa months ago.o Tie sfsc ofsais isss;;ssss1s sa ien vss unaaticipsted by nc It not only e.