Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08
IX.

"How do you feel, Talbot?'' It was Kitty
Mellish's gentle, solicitous voice.
Talbot opened his eyes, rousing himself
for the first time from his lethargy. His
feeble glance wandered about the bare walls
of rudely furnished room.
1.-THE doctor said that you would come to
YOURSELF continued Kitty. ''I hardly
dared believe him. No, mol don't talk; it is
forbidden.
Talbot remained perforce silent and mo-
tionless, though burning anxiety was tor
turing him. He remembered everything
the violent scene in the log house, the cow
boys and the tragic death OF Mrs. Relitska.
Did they know him to be THE, an assassin?
Again and again he tried to question Kitty,
who had installed herself at his pillow. But
she shrugged her shoulders with smile,
and refused toanswer. Lett to himself, he
occupied his mind with one thought: what
should he say if the authorities questioned
HIM? Two hours later Kitty appeared,
more cheerful than before.
81 see that you have had agood rest, sir, -
she said. The ban is removed. Now we can
talk"
"Kitty, what has happened?"
Then the girl began the painful story. At
dawn the people of the house had returned,
accompanied by some friendly ranchmen,
and found the corpse of Mrs. Relitska and
Talbot's bleeding form. Kitty alone could
explain how the cowboys had attacked the
three travellers, shooting Talbot and stran-
Cling Mrs Relitska when she refused to
give up her jewels. Happily Kitty herself
had made no resistance. As she proceeded
Talbot's anxiety decreased. Then they sus-
attributed to the cowboys, three of whom
had been seized by inexofable justice and
hanged from the nearest tree. The others had
escaped, although one, an Irishman, was
suspected to be hiding about the neighbor-
hood. OF the money concealed under Mrs.
Relitska's dress not q word was said.
Doubtless Kitty was unaware that her en-
ployer carried so large sum with her.
Eighty thousand dollarsl Talbot felt a
fine perspiration sprinkling his brow. What
had become of the envelope? 1t could not be
still pinned to his vest. 1t would have been
folly to hope for such miracle.
"You must rest now," Kitty said.
Then he suddenly recalled the voice re-
sembling Gregory O'Carrolls, and also the
mention which Kitty had made OF an Irish
man having been with the cowboys.
'KittY," he asked, chow did you leave
NY COuSlu, NJTSgOEEg 6uC CdeS OONu ucE
eyes, and he added: HE was suitor of
yours, and did he win your heart after I
came away?"
HE was guilty of the most atrocious con-
duct toward me" she frankly answered,
latter You left the neighborhood. He per-
secuted me with his attentions, and when l
told him that-that-" and the sentence
died in blush.
"That your heart had gone away with
me?" Talbot interposed.
"Well, yes. There-the doctor said you
must not excite yourself After had told
him that, he vowed vengeance upon you.
He pretended to believe that meant to join
you here in America. and sWore he would
follow u.s.
"What if he led the attack on the log
house?''
Then he told her of the voice like Greg
ory's that had directed the shot which had
wounded him. Could It be?
Kitty insisted that be must rest, and he
silently unused: "If Gregory did try to
have me killed is he worse than I, for am
murderer and a thief too" Then he
sought to invent some explanation for the
psychological phenomenon which had sud-
denly altered him from an honest man into
criminal. He did not willingly strangle
the woman; he was protecting her, self
condemned victim against herself Worn
out By morphine and whisky. she must have
yielded to cerebral congestion caused By