Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-14

The Major met him with a ringing
blow. and as ne staggered locked him
in grizZly's grip. The awful struggle
began.
The Majors gloves cramped his hands
and loos ned his grasp, and mis- wounds
bed coplOusly as they strained and
swayed back and forth, above and below,
over the slippery floor, With loT, iieroci-
Gus cries and gasps. Without his op.
ponent's strength the assassin's power
was unimpaired. With teeth and claws,
by desperate cOntortIons. he often evaded
the Majors raining blows, and tore
frantically at his wounded neck. Never
wholly releasing himself, it was yet posi-
Bile he won tire his antagonist out, and
it was with the JOY of saved soul
that the Major, thrown near tottering
desk, caught an empty beer bottle.
Rallying his failing strength, he struck
the assassin. The mans clutch relaxed
film clouded his glittering eyes, and he
fell dead.
Faint and weak though he was. the
Major felt he must not leave the place
without trying to explain the mystery OF
his adventure, He racked his memory In
vain for the motives of the dead mans de-
sign. Then dragging himself to the large
desk, he saw the letter, now directed and
completed, OF which he had noticed the
address on the envelope, then eagerly tore
it open. The story was all there. The
letter was addressed to lady friend of
the Major here the Colonel, in telling The
story, winked laboTi0usly). She was ex-
travagant, beyond the Majors means, and
had raised money during the past two
years through the writer, the dead man
Roberts, a money lender. Roberts had
become Infatuated with her, and persecut-
p6 hnr. Whiln faithful n the Major ehn
did not venture to complain of Roberts,
becau>e OF the money she owed him.
Nevertheless sic vowed not to leave the
Major while he lived. The jealousy of
Roberts construed this into a hint to MUIR
der Murray, and for two years he shadow
ed him at all hours. In all parts of Eur
ope, waiting his chance. In all this time
Murray had no suspicious, nor could he
recall having seen the man. Roberts, let
ter ended with the promise to claim his
reward when Murray's body was disposed
of; and if the woman insisted. Roberts
would willingly desert his wife and child
rem. Murray's emotions on finishing this
performance was naturally powerful. He
shuddered with relief that his unknown
implacable foe was dead at last. But his
present position was sufficiently serious.
The building below stairs had seemed de-
serted. Nm one, to his knowledge, had
seen him enter with Roberts. He was
alone with the man he had killed, and his
wounds were evidence OF their fierce
struggle. What could he prove in his own
defence? There was the letter. The Major
studied it IN a faint dizzy, wavering way.
AT last he staggered across Hthe room,
threw it into the fire, and watched il
consume. He could not use that letter,
be Thought, let jury find what it might.
And then he CROPPED his way toward the
door.
the door was locked. Murray searched
blindly for the key, in the dead mans
pockets, on the floor, under the mating,
behind the furniture. The key was lost
or hidden. Murray was getting weaker
every moment. He must bleed TO death
if ne stayed in this fatal room. He man
aged to reach the window, to open il, and
to shout tremulsously for aid. 1t opened
into narrow court Of blank walls. and
there were no passers below. A thick
iron water pipe, fastened to the building
by rings, ran beside the window wn tc
the pavement. Murray swung himself
out OF the window, clenching this pipe.
and began his perilOus descent. Time and
again his life was not worth ne tiip of a
sixpence. All his ebbiug strength had
settled in his hands, and when his feet
touched the earth he swOoned. He was
found ten minutes afterwards and carried
TO the hospital. Roberts body lay in the
chambers until Murray could speak, three
DAYS aiterward. On his recovery Murray
was tried and acquitted