Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-02-21
All. the money!

ne had said. How i'll and haggard he had
locked after his night dissipation, and
yes-what pains he had taken with his
dress! She remembered having remarked
TO hi n how smart he looked.
What had he Won upon the previous
night? The old gray suit How well
she remembered the pattern of IL! She
had never seen it since, bye-the-bye.
I hat was strange, Perhaps he had given
it away.
III wonder what he did do with it?" she
said, hall aloud. Then, rising from her
chair, she mechanically walked across the
room TO the wardrobe which she opened.
Some mysterious in uence which she
was | Owerless to resist controlled her
action, and impelled her to prosecute .
search.
No; it was not there! Then she cened
one drawer after another, searching care
fully, but she gould not find the things
she wanted. She looked around the room
and for the first time she no iced. upon
the top of the wardrobe, an old Gladstone
bag.
Standing III on a chair, she managed to
| lift IL down. IL was covered with dust.
and there was something inside, but the
| bag was locked.
She looked to see II there were any KEYS
!
none. Fetching some punches of her own
from the next room, she tried one after
another, and at last found one to tit.
she opened the bag and there lay the
gray suit which George had worn upon
that fearful night There was n strong
smell OF mouldiness about ii, as If 1t had
been put away amp.
Taking the clothes out, she examined
| them. pom both the coat and waistc0at
were large dark-brOwn marks. An eYCla-
nation Of horror escaped her. The bath,
| The noise of he running water again fell
upon her ear. She felt someth ng hard in
the breaSt.pocket: utting in her hand,
she took 1t out. ii was fiat leather case,
and upon l., in gilt, were the letters -.
5. They were Captain Sturcis initials .
With n low moan Mrs. Atwood fell back
insensible in her chair.
How long she remained so she could not
tell, but when she recovered herself it
was beginning to get light. Ter husban
Lad not return d.
Hastily bathing her face in SOM cold
water, she tried TO think what she had
best do.
The fire was Ill alight so she pul on a
few Goals and then, noiselessly DIES end
ing the stairs, went down to the basement
The servants she knew would not lie stir
ring or at lea two hours. After some
search she found the cupboard where the
wood was kept and, having filled the lap
of her dress with bundles she Tegained
her husband S room ana locked the door,
Then with pair of scissors she cut up
the clothes, which were lying on the
cor into small pieces, and proceeded to
burn them one by one, throwing on st ckS
and Goals occasl -nally to keep up the
blaze.
70 prevent the smell being noticed in
the house she had opened the window
wide AMI blocked up the keyhOle and the
chinkS of the door. At last after an
hours work she paused. Not vestige
of the clothes or pocket-bo2k rema ned.
She breathcd more freely, and, having
replaced the bag upon the wardrobe
proceeded to dress herself in the outdoor
garments she had worn the previous night.
Now t. see John / clancy she
thought, land to wish him a last gool-by.'
1t was quite light so there was no Occa-
sion to take Iii abeth with her this time.
She would go alone. The sound of wheels
rafting along the street made her start
Was it her husband!
She looked out of the window. No, il
was only the cab which she had ordered
to come la k and fetch her. She left the
house, and very shortly was once more at
the little house in Cam ell Town.
The same woman received he. She
had be N up all night attending on the
sick man. lie was sinking fast, she said,
and the doctor wno had been called in,
and who had only just left, had declared
that there was no hope for him he could
not last LIany hours.
Blanche Atwood entered the sick-room.
Would he be sufficiently conscious, she
wond red, to understand what she wished
10 impart to him? She prayed silently
that he might be so.
lie was still lying on the truckle-bed,
breathing lab0riOusly, with his eyes closed,
but presently he opened them and smiled
at her.
Yes, Jack dear" she said; Il have
come back. How do you feel now! Pet.er?i
He shook his head feeby.
mo bet er, " he whispered IL have no
wish to be better now. heard you come
in. l was in a sort of happy trance, but
l could hear and feel that it was YOU"
Dear Jack , she sad tendarly. Jack,
can you understand all l say? 1 wish to
tell you something"
Yes, l can understandable well"
Listen then. / know all-all about
that which we spoie Of a few hours nee
about the murder of Captain Sturgis.
Do you hear what / say?"
ayes, yes am listening"
81 know all now" she went on; 81
know tha5 yon are innocent | know,
alas know who was the murderer"
You know the murderer"
cay, TO my sorrow, but too well! II
was my husband, George Atwood. who
killed him and al owed you to be thought
guilty in h s stead. After | left you,
Jack, l thought over every circumstance
that occurred on the night OF the murder,
and, upon reaching home, | found the
actual proofs OF his guilt Oh, Jack, you
are so II going 10 bo free; bat what is to
become of me and my children? What
shall | do?' she walled. ''Oh, Hea EN-,
what shall do:"
John Delaney's thoughts ran back 10
the old st. Johns Wood days. George
Atwood had done the deed! Why FOR
tire money, But how hal he effected an
entrance into the rooms? Then he re-
called how they nal stood one night upon
the staircase at CAPITA Sturgis's cham
berS, and wOndere1how they should open
the door which he had carelessly slammed
| to.