Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-10-16
THE
LITTLE WAIF.
A Story Of Absorbing Interest.
ey BERNARD HERsERr.
CHAPTER XIV.
AN INFAMOUS SCHEME.

what he intended to do with her when
he laid violent hands upon her, he
probably had no idea.
He simply saw that his tether was
rapidly shortening, and, half insane, il
mattered but little to him whether he
battered his head against the wall OF
not 1t was his last chance to gain
possession of the girl, and he seized IL
seized it and sealed his own doom,
as narrated in the preceding chapter.
All the way to the Tombs under
escort of Detective Bancker and her.
culean policeman, for the remainder of
That, to him, endless day, and during
the dismal night that succeeded, he sat
IN his cell, a prey to the most violent
dependency.
For SO many years had he played
with success his high handed game.
bad enjoyed such perfect carte blanche
TO perpetrate any form of villainy that
came into his head, that his enforced
confinement, his utter helplessness
within four walls, maddened him to
such an extreme that for hours he
| gibbered like a maniac.
A night of reflection, however, to-
gether with the light of another day,
brought him to his senses, and with the
| daring that had been the main spring
| oil his heinous existence, he determined
| to face the music, to whatever tune he
was called upon to dance, and fight it
out till he died
Roundly cursing the detective whose
accusation had "iugged" him, he
growled to himself;
THE devil has bitten off more than
he can chew. How can he prone nv
| completely in the murder of the old
man. with the affidavit that l can pro-
| duce that | was up in London when the
thing occurred, and the only man who
could turn states evidence against me
dead? Though | killed the rascal
who saw me do it? Bah! I'll engage
able counsel and soon silence their wag-
ging tongues"
| Here his face darkened as new
thought suggested itself, and he added
brutallv:
How did that brat of girl get hold
i Ipf the fact that she is Clifford and nv
cousin? Good God How could that
dead secret come out? Well" with an
indifferent shrug of his shoulders, IF
succeed in clearing myself of the
charges that hold me here I'll fight hef
on her own lines, and give her such a
racket that she'll wish she had never
been born. Curse her! / can concoct
q story about her birth, and substan-
tate it, too, that will wither her SO that
she'll never raise her head again. It's
easy enough to crush snch worms as
that"
1t was in such defiant frame of mind
that the jailer found Mr.. Max Bovden.
when about IL o'clock he entered his
cell to inform him that lady wished
to speak with him.
"A Lady," echoed Boyden, with
start of surprise. What lady would
come to such hell-hole as this to zee
| me?p
Couldn't say; didn't ask her name. !"
was the abrupt reply "All you've got
to do is to say whether you'll see her OF
not. You can do rs you please about
it."
"Of course I'll see herl"
"All right. You can have ten min
utes
The lailer stepped out into the pas
sage and beckoned.
An instant later woman entered the
cell with much frolt.frou of silken
robes, and the door changed into place
behind her. Boyden sprang from the
pallet upon which he had been ruminat-
ing, and regarded his visitor with in
tense curiosity.
She was a tall, splendidly proper
toned woman, closely yelled, attired in
somber black of the richest materials
and bore herself with the stateliness of
a queen.
After cursory glance, Boyden ex.
claimed:
who are you?" X
For answer the stranger slowly raised
her veil and discovered bold, hand.
some face, of decidedly Southern
type, Judging by the rich olive com.
plexion and the large, dark eyes, set
beneath the low brow like SHINING
stars. At sight of that face Boyden re,
cooled with a cry Of amazement, while q
single name escaped his lips. That
name was:
"Cora?"
Yes, Cora" came the echo in q rich.
melodiors voice.
What brings you here?o he demand.
ed, "at the eleventh hour?'
1T is never too late for dutiful wifa
TO visit her husband, replied the won,
an, with cruel smile.
i don't see it in that ligh~S
do; therefore have :, -
A momentary silence felaE 1919
pair, during which they eyctS6 ethel !
curiously.
1T is years since we met, Max" the
woman said at last, seating herself
upon the only stool that the cell af /
forded.
1T is just as we'll, since we couldnY
agree, was the sullen reply.
And suppose you haven't though,
OF me twice in all that time
Boyden fretted neryously and glanced
up at the slender ray of sunlight thai
found entrance at the narrow grated
window and shimmered upon the white.
washed wall, As he answered
Look here, Cora! According Ia Won
II isn't too late for us to meet. accord.
lne 70 me il is too late for any silly
sentiment between us. I'm in here Il
1e tried for my life--for murder. and /
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