Iron County register., 1888-09-20
CHAPTER Xxx.


THE DEED AND THE MOTIVE
The inquest was over, and Norris and Un-
Gle Amos, having given their testimony,
went away together.
sSuppose we call on Edison while we are
in his neighborhood," suggested the former.
81 have not heard the conclusion of his
story, and there are some points not yet
clear to me. You don't seem to fear that
he may try to escape you for the second
time, Uncle Amos" So
"Scarcely,' and the old man chuckled.
"You see, Everleigh has promised not to
be hard on him, but I thought it best,
with all this other business stirred up, to
get him out of the way for time, so the
truth is, I've sent him out to the cottage"
"You are famons detective" said Nor
ris, with a laugh. "First run your man
down, and then give him q home for life
for that is what it will amount to-"
~l am only afraid that he will not live
very long, poor fellow! Certainly, Norris,
you need not object, since you refuse to live
with me, and Edison would find it hard to
get situation where he could support him
self. No one would care to employ him
with that blot of dishonesty hanging over
him, and, besides, he is not now fit for any
thing except to potter about place like
mine"
"All eminently good and satisfactory
reasons, Uncle Amos, but am to wait until
/ pay you a visit there to learn what he saw
in the bank that night Evidently, you do
not regard him as Lyman Childer's assail-
ant"
"No Lyman Childer's own hand COM
mitted the crime against himself; you may
know why, though you keep so quiet about
it. This is what Edison says"
It was only what the reader knows with
~ 6a< rfctt Nf
finding Childer engaged In some scheme
like that which he had once carried out sue
cessfully, Edison had disclosed himself just
in time to thoroughly startle the other as he
turned the pistol against himself and sent
tho ball crashing home, meaning 1t to still
Gfe's pulses forever.
Edison had not a doubt but that this had
been done.
Never brave man at the best, and rem
dered more cowardly by ayear of fugitive
existence, he was appalled, by the conse-
Quences which might reflect upon himself.
Who would believe that he could be in that
place at that hour for any purpose but evila
1t might be, even, that his story OF the
others suicide would be doubted, and him.
self suspected as Lyman's murderer. There
was that still unexplained between the two
men which made this supposition probable,
and he had yielded to his fears and made
good his escape, first tasing pains to obliter-
ate all marks of his presence there. He had
brought these dust-covered volumes from
their neglected shelves and piled them up
in the little closet where he had found q
hiding-place, and in the absence of Childer
and Ingot, no one had noticed the change.
This was all that Uncle Amos could tell.
The sequel to that nights attempt, the key
to the one mystery of how Lyman Childer
had robbed the employer who trusted him,
came later, when the sick man was so far
recovered that he could move about, though
only tho shadow and ghost of himself Then
one day, at his request, Mr.. Everleigh came,
bringing with him a gentleman with whom
he had a business acquaintance, the division
superintendent of the express company,
under whom Norris had formerly worked.
Norris was there also, by appointment, not
at all expecting what was to come.
Gentlemen" said Lyman, steadily,
though he was pale with pallor greater
than that left by his recent illness; II have a
confession to make which you are all three
entitled to hear. You, Mr.. Everleigh, and
you, Bergman, know part of it-that fell
from my integrity and appropriated funds
that did not belong to me that were yours,
Mr.. Everleigh, being almost the full amount
of Edson's defalcation, returned to me in
trust to be restored to you. had been in
communication with Edison and knew when
to expect the package, as well as what it
contained. I wish only to state the facts,
not to excuse my actions. laid my plans
deliberately, as you must know, for it was
who robbed the express train Of the pack
age which was addressed to myself.'
"Youl" echoed the banker and his clerk,
in breath.
81 had been handy, as boy, in the use of
tools. It was very simple work, meeting
the train few hours out and cutting
through the floor, for the noise of running
deadened any sounds / made. treated
you rather roughly, am afraid, Bergman; ;
but ! think it does not require my assur-
ance to convince you all that I was in no
manner interested in the robbery which fol-
lowed. All that desired and all secured
was that one package which was being fsr-
warded to me-"
"But, Lyman, why-why did you do such
thinga"
because I was ambitious, Mr. Ever
leigh. wanted to secrre an interest in the
firm, to become partner on terms which
would place me as nearly as possible equal
with you. did not intend to use your
money for that purpose when purloined
It. only meant to hold il back until the
inheritance Farraker had promised my sis
ter and myself came into my hands; with
that, fmeant to come to your relief, to earn
your gratitude, TO secure my own place.
Then should have turned over the trust,
but before that week was out came the neus
that our fortune was myth our le8aeY