Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-18
THE PERIL OF
RICHARD PARDON.
BY r /. FARJEON.
author of "Great Porter Square," "Grtf,S
sBlade-o'- Grass" The Nine of
Hearts," "DeUljn the
Barber" Etc

you are not young man; you must have
had experiences and adventures; you must
know something of men and life I am
younger than you-very, very much
younger-but | have had ma experiences
and adventures, and | know something,
TOO, OF men and life. Just now, Judging
from your agitation, | am the clearer
headed OF the two. and / tell you that
never did man stand in such fearful dan
ger as you do at this moment. A dis
graceful, an infamous grave is yawning
wide for you and l alone can lead you
from it to safe ground. Butyou shall buy
your safety upon my terms.n
looked helDlessly around; her words
carried c<,nviction with them. She will
fully misconstrued my distracted gaze.
Il know why you are looking about.
You are strong man, l am weak wo-
man. Haye you any intention of commit
ting q second murder? Do you entertain
1t, l beg; weak as / am, shall be able to
defend myself till I alarm the house.
Then no power on earth can save you from
your fate L was speaking of Samuel
FIeetwood's private letter, and l told you
that retained it, What is more, made
copy of it. The original is put safely
away; it is in the hands of one who will
use it if the need occurs. Samuel Fleet
wood did not murder Mr.. Wilmot, but he
saw the deed DONE"
HE saw it done9" I gasped. "Who,
then, is the murderer"
What question? Who is the muir
dererf You! You, and no other manp'
You iep' / cried. "You Iep'
81 speak the truth, and you know it.
Samuel Fleetwood's confession is a false
confession, made not so much to save you
IS to save your wife and daughter from
indelible infamy. told you 1 had read
the confession, which, of course, you have
also done What do you think of that
part of it which speaks of the cord with
which the unfortunate gentleman was
strangled2 Do you know anything of that
cord? Could you produce it if you were
forced to do sop
1t did not seem to me that a human
being was speaking. The words 1 heard
seemed to be uttered by some remorseless
devil.
$50 much for the cord" she said.
''There is another part of the confession
which must have puzzled you-the ring
with its remarkable diamond. What do
you think of the description Samuel Fleet
wood gives in his confession of having
taken it off the dead mans fingerS What
do you think of the description he gives Of
having thrown it into u river? Shall I
hazard guess, and declare that you, and
no other man, know where that ring is at
this moment? Shall | hazard a guess and
declare that, If you were at this moment
seized and searched. the ring which pro-
claims you thief and murderer would be
discovered? Oblige me with an answer to
that
She paused, obviously with the intention
of giving me time to reflect But all DOW
er of logical thought had passed from me.
All / could say was
Il must know more. Have you with
you the copy of the private letter you say
you made?"
Il have it with me.''
"Will you let me read it?''
81 brought it for you co read. Invite me
to be seated"
''Be seated''
She laughed, and made me a hooking
obeisance; then, seating herself, handed
me the following documents:
From Samuel Fleetwood, dead, to Rich
ard Pardon. ESQ.,, living.
''When this reaches your hands / shall
be dead, lying in dishonored grave. Bv
eyes my name will be infamous; but the
Supreme, / hope and believe, will forgive
the sin it is my intention to commit. The
contemplated sin will take the form of a
confession, in which / shall declare myself
to be guilty of the awful crime YOU COM
mitted. When you read these lines, you
alone, of all men living, will know that 1
am innocent.
1t was an hour past midnight when I
was awole from my sleep by Mr.. Wilmot's
voice. Thinking he needed my services, [
went into his room, and found him in
deep Slumber talking to himself. He was
talking of you and my hOnOred and be
loved mistress and daughter; and al
though, after | had convinced myself that
/ was not required, l did not stop to listen,
] heard sufficient to suspect that. unless
you bent yourself to Mr.. Wilmot's COM
mands. it was his purpose to ruin and
beggar you. Sad at heart, l returned TO
my room and sought my bed, and pres
emily fell asleep again. [ must have slept
about two hours, when / started up in
bed with an impression that some person
besides himself was in Mr.. Wilmot's
apartment. | rose, and was about to as
certain whether this was so, when the
door between his room and mine was
softly opened, and You came forth. /
shrank out of sight, and could not help
seeing that your face was white and con-
vulSed, and that your limbs were trem-
fearful of attracting notice. you left my
room Waiting a little while to give you
time to get clear away, l once more en-
tered Mr.. Wilmots apartment, and dis
covered, to my horror, that he had been
murdered-by you'll
What was | to do? To give the alarm,
and point to you as the murderer? In that
case, indeed, your ruin and disgrace would
be complete; and not alone yours, but that
of the beloved mistress for whom | would
l...l i
whelmed by this reflection, / devoted q
few minutes to thought. To all outward
evidence, was the only witness of your
awful crime; my evidence, and only mine,
could convict YOU. What a frightful re-
payment for all the angelic kindness and
my dead wife had received from my be-
loved mistressl To condemn the man she
loved to the scaffold, and make all her flu
ture life and that of the daughter she
loved so dearly life of agonizing shame
and sorrow! | saw them pointed at,
Stunned, or thrust aside in rags, begging
for a crust. Could | not avert this terrible
fate? | could.
From symptoms which were unmistaka-
able, knew that had myself but a short
time to hYe-perhapS not more than few
days. | was, happily, without relative
In the world TO whom my death would
bring pang of sorrow. l could give my
life for yours. l could take your crime
upon myself.
Ny resolution was made. All that de-
sired to avoid was q shameful end upon
the scaffold. Flight would fasten suSpic-
ion upon me. might be able to conceal
myself till | was convinced the end was
near. Then would l give myself into the
hands of justice, and make confession of
the crime. Even if | were taken, | should
in all probability die in prison. After all,
the sacrifice would not be so great; few
DAYS of suffering-that was all; and when
we have done with mortal life it is by God