Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-05-19


| green door of IRON He took out a packe.
and locked the safe again, and carried his
packet back to his Office. He turned the gas
/ still higher and held the packet in the flame
till all that was left of il was little heap of
charred paper on the foor--all that was left
of Philip Breton's will With that act he
closed up, as he believed, all that part of his
| life worthy to be remembered he was
| young and strong, but he had failed. Hence
| forth he must look on while Others worked.
| Fate had taken his work away from him. He
must sit back on the seats with the women
and children, and look on and applaud when
great deeds We're doing. He would have
liked to work, too; but perhaps others would
do his work better.
sHallo, halo, Phil, don't you work pretty
| later 1t was Giddings the lawyer, in con-
dition of decided intoxication. "I'l bet yer
dollar you don't know what | came fort ha,
ha, ha; you think money; don't you; more
| money! But amt that sort Of a fellern
| Philip had been simply disguised &C first,
( but there seemed a terrible leer in the drunken
eyes. Could it be the man had come TO ex-
pose himl What was the use of struggling
have gone yesterday, he would have saved
all risks. But he had waited just too long.
| Curran had returned to claim his wife. Jane
EllingswQrth had discovered everything.
And now this Giddings in his drunkard's
foolishness was threatening what ruin he
! could bring.
''You are not going to do anything rash
! are YOU said Philip, dropping his eyes in
humiliation.
But Giddings came close to him and laid
his hand on his shoulder Then he put his
face close to Philips, with drunken mans
| false measure of distance. The young man
writhed at his touch and held his breath TO
avoid taking the hot fumes of bad liquor the
fellow exhaled But he did not dare TO anger
| the low creature.
did you think" continued Giddings with
gushing Representatives., "that | amt got
any conscience? YOU'RE dom wrong, Mr..
Breton. | amt got no right-no right to
let it go on. Did you think amt got no
conscienceF'
Philip shook him off and his face grew so
terrible shat the fellow WINGED as he had
done before at that look.
Don't strike-don't kill me, Phil-Mr.
Breton, / was only iokin'-cant you tell
when mans jokin' Got any money bout
clothes, say $50; I'M awful hard up. lwouldn't
hurt you your altogether too nice feller."
He leered affectionately at the young man,
then suddenly he winked frightfully.
Philip threw him roll of bills. lt was
the last blood money the scoundrel would
ever draw. By tomorrow morning Philip
Breton and his wife would be beyond the
reach Of harm, or beyond the reach of help,
one or the other. "There is 500; take it and
go, have business"
len, twenty, dlA twenty 1niheS tHlTtys
ten, and twenty and twenty, here amt but
$50. Thought is too drunk to coun' did
youw
''There is 500 there"
"'S lie. Yer takin' vantage me cause I'm
drunk
This creature must be away if it cost 81 900.
He crowded another $50 bill into the fellows
clammy hand.
Nov go, or you'll stay longer than you
want to-"
Giddings dried his tears and gathered his
limp Joints together to go. But he insisted
on Philips shaking hands
But even after Giddings had got into the
hall Philip heard the fellow muttering to
himself, He stepped hurriedly to the door of
his office to catch the word, but could not.
If Philip had been little quicker he would
have heard this:
"Somethn' up, / amt so drung but I ca
see that. Guess sill Cup to the boys house.
His wife IL know me, he, he"
Would Bertha never Gomez IL they escaped
now it must be but by a hairs breadth. Ruin
would be close upon them. For the ADJUST
ment of q ribbon she would sacrifice every
| thing. 1t seemed a great while since Curran
had left the office for the labor meeting and
he had not 50 far to go Something might
have delayed the terrible disclosure for few
moments but by this time he must surely
| have heard the whole story of his shame and
dishonor. 1t would stir him to madness. His
noble eyes would flash lightnings, and thun-
derbolts of hate and scorn would drop from.
his lips. No human being could stand against
the divine dignity of such a mans righteous
wrath Philip fancied the mob sweeping up
the road behind this outraged husband, seek
ing out his wife for the doom that would
satisfy his mad thirst for vengeance. Now,
perhaps, they were bursting in the gates, now
breaking down the oaken door. And Philip
could not be there TO protect the beautiful
woman who had only sinned through love for
him. How the color would flee her cheeks as
she booked out on the pitiless faces of the
frenzied mob. There was no arm now to
shield her, none but Curran's, whose love was
now embittered into hate There was no pity
in his white, wasted face, only insulted love,
only scorn that could grind her fair life, with
out one throb of tenderness, beneath his feet.
Why did she not come! Philip was almost
wild with mingled terror and hope. He
walked the room like Gagged lion. Now he
rushed to the door and glanced desperately
up and down the street.
His horses were champing their bits at her
door, but the light yet burned in her cham
Der There was hardly time to catch the
train at the Lockout station. The wild mob
with the maddened lover, the most terrible
of enemies, at their head would be at her
door in moment. Still other dangers Philip
did not guess threw gathering shadow
across her path. BUT she fingered yet.
CHAPTER XXXV-