Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-02-15
"Ah-qulck-help me up!r he moaned.


IN. claim the reward mind told you
where you'd find IN. F"
John Delaney" said the sarjean', |
arrest you in the Queens name for the
wilful murder Of Captain James Sturgis. :"
John clancy looked up at him and
smiled.
"roo late-too late" he gasped "Yes,
| own to it; did and as he spoke he
clasped Blanche hand with significant
pressure.
"Your promlse!' he said. Don't for
get your promise"
Then. with sublime look of love in his
eyes. lie sank gently back into her arms
and died.
Ii was nearly nine o'clock when George
Atwood returned home, and, as he stepped
out OF the cab in his evening-clothes, his
flushed face showed that he had been
making a night of it.
Opening the front-door, he hurried up
stairs, in order toavoid remarks from those
1--WE l-paid Spies" the servants, as he
was fond o. calling them.
| lie would have tub" he thought,
and then two or three hours sleep To put
himself straight for the day. Walking
| into his own room, he shut the door and
| locked it.
Whilst he was making his preparations,
he heard knock, followed by the sound
Of Blanches voice.
"What do you WANT" he cried. why
on earth can't you leave fellow alone?'
"Open the door, George " she replied;
Il must speak 10 You at once. -
| Throwing open the door with an impre-
cation, he conf onted her angrily.
''Can a man core home 10 his own
house without being inva ed like
! this?' he claimed Il have told you
before that | will not be watched and
spied upon. will go and come as
please. DO you hear that? Now be OF. -
Without needing his rough speech,
Blanche Atwood shut the door behind her
and calmly faced him.
Something i'm her glance. something in
her manner caused him TO quail, and a
| feeling of terror crept into his heart
lie spoke again-this time in a very
di erent tone.
Don't you see | don't want to be
bothered, Blanche If YOU want % speak
to me. do so by-and-by, there's a good
girl. -
George, " she said 'ths is the last
time l shall ever bother you. You must
listen now to what have to say
The last time. What did she mean?
He suddenly became aim st sober and col
lected, as the foreboding Of some great
catastrophe stole over him. The last time.
| What did she know?
| She answered his very thoughts.
| George, | know all. F."
"All!' lie gasped, as every vestlge of
color left his face and he stared wildly at
her. All what? What do you mean?"
| - hot \ 4,
was loci ed up in that bag that you had
forgotten, or thought unlikely to be dis
turbed-that bag upon the wardrobe.
] AS his eyes followed her glance and be-
came fixed upon the object she had men
toned, his face grew liyid.
"Now do you understand me?" she con-
tnued lit was not John Delaney who
murdered Sturgis, il was -"
| "Blanche." cried the wretched man, fall
| ing upon his knees i'm al ect fear. blanche,
you will not"'
Get up! Don't grovel there / have
! little more TO say 10 you, but you mus.
hear me out The evidence of your guilt
| is destroyed. | have destroyed
it see these - - and she point
ed to the ashes in the CRATE "rhey are
all burnt and John clancy died this
morning, with his last breath declar-
ing himself to be the murderer.
| John Delaney dead?'
| Yes" she returned, contemptuously -
dead; and he died with lie upon his
| lips save your life"
George Atwood covered before her
glance like a whipped cur.
| IN half an hour" she returned in q
measured tone. IL shall have left this
house. | take my children with me-
4 ha lao RI
another. Your future is i'm yolr own
hands. Make what reparation you can
for your past. If the memory of our
early married life can soften you, think
| of IL, George think OF the time when
| our life was undarkened by the knowl-
| edge OF your henous crime and picture
| to yourself what our lives might have
been, and what you have made of them
now.n
AS she moved towards the door he
stretched out his arms as il he longed for
one last embrace.
"No not that" she cried. motioning
| him from her ''Do not touch me. | can
not bear it F"
The next moment she was gone
He sat down. buying his lace IN his
hands, and listened. Luggage was being
taken down the stairs, and the sound of
CABS driving up 10 the 'front.' door told him
that she was lea ing him 10 ever Could
1t be true? Was thi, the end for which he
had bartered his soul? Leaving him!
And then there flashed across his mind
the truth that beneath the depths OF his
selfish nature there lay a great love for
her, which, though he had tried TOR some
ears to smo her it, welled up in his heart
at this moment "a strong as il had been
upon the da they had been welded.
The children's voices sounded merrily
| in the hall be ow, as they prattled their
nurse. lie had been not very fond father
TO them. but. nov-oh, why shou d this
feeling Of love fer them suddenly take
possession Of him? George Atwood's
punishment was greater than he could
bear
He heard the hall door shut, and the
cabs drive o.. She hal left him, and he
was 10 be alone for ever!
Towards nghtfall one OF the men
knocked at his masters door. Receiving
no answer. he turned the handle. Look
ing ,uietly in he saw that Mr.. Atwood