Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-19

ten the pistol.
1t was impossible to go home. They
had my name; my address was in the di-
rectory. should be arrested before day
break called to the driver to go to
Leicester square. stayed there till closing
time; then wandered about London. Then
| went to cafe trying to decide on my
plan Of action. To fly the country was the
first course that suggested itself. Then |
remembered the vigilance With which the
ports are watched when a supposed crini-
cal is at large. So | wandered on for
hours, wavering miserably. | would put
bra~e front on the matter, and confess
my share in the tragedy; I would take the
train to Newhaven and cross to France;
| would hide III some obscure part of Lon
don, and await the turn affairs took
1t was by this time clock, and was
walking along the Hampstead road, weary
and disheartened with my journey of the
previous night, when a newsboy decided
me. He carried bundle Of papers under
his arm, poster in front Of him, and in
black letters a foot long ] read: Outrage
on the Liverpool line. Important clue to
supposed murderer
That poster shaped my course. | went
into BARRIERS shop and had my NOUS
tache shaved off Then | took a couple of
rooms in a street near Kentish town. Here
| lived, lay quiet, so to speak, for three
horrible days.
| had never earned the reputation of
cowardice, yet the immediate result of that
unhappy flight was my transformation into
an abiect craven. | started violently at
the landlady's tap at my door, at a strange
step on the stair. With the example of
another case before me, a case which
short time before had greatly reused the
public mind, | was afraid to keep entirely
to the house, lest my landlady should sus-
pect my identity and hand he over to the
police. On the other hand, ] ran a great
risk IN going out, for on every blank wall
my own likeness confronted me. A thous-
and times cursed my folly in acting as |
did. And each day. each new edition of
the paper, increased the difficulty of re-
trieying that folly.
| read them all-that the police had an
important clue, that two or three unlucky
men had been arrested to be promptly dis
charged when they proved their non-iden-
tity with my unhappy self. | read dis
tOrted accounts ofmy mode of life, full of
faulty family histories. I was hiding in
the East End had evaded the detectives
and had reached Spain. Fortunately,
| was not known to be in Porter street.
Kentish town. And on the third night
an evening paper mentioned that 1.-The
young lady to whom Mr.. Bligh had been
engaged to was rendered PROSTATE by
the blow which had fallen on her, and
that her friends proposed taking her
abroad.
The paper dropped from my hands. All,
my bright Betty! What would | not give
for sight at her dear face.
And why should not see her? wrote
an advertisement and sent it for insertion
in the Agony column of The Times
In the old happy days my pet name for
Betty was "My maiden aunt. This sobri-
quet she earned from a certain sage way
she had of giving me counsel and prettily
advising in an elderly relative way on bust
ness matters, ETC., which she did not I'M
derstand in the least. So my message ran
thus: IF Maiden Aunt will call at No.
5 Porter street, Kentish town, on Thurs
day, she will see her nephew, who is in
London for the day"
About o'clock on Thursday the door
of my sitting room was thrown open and
Betty thickly yelled, ran in. Poor little
girl. When had hidden her farewell at
her fathers house fortnight before, she
had been rosy and radiant; daintily dress
ed. Now her clothes were carelcssly hud-
died on, her blue cheeks were thin and
pale, her great blue eyes dimlned and
mournful.
Our conversation would not be of gener-
al interest, lovers dialogues rarely are.
but before my sweetheart left me had de-
cided, come what might, to make a clean
breast of the matter.
Betty, who was of the nervous, not the
heroic type of woman, vainly tried to dis
suade me.
'They will hang you, she sobbed, and
kissed me wildly, 'or sentence you to
penal servitude for life. | know they
will"
Nonsense, | said, and tried to soothe
her. They can't hang; they cannot even
convict On such evidence. | was fool. a
mailman ever to shirk facing an inquiry.
That is the blacklist thing they have against
me-"
Yes" cried the poor child vehement
y, and it is just black enough, combined
with other things, to make them send
you to prison or, . with strong shudder,
worse"
They have really q strong case. There
is the evidence of the porter, who saw you
with the pistol in your hand pointed at
Andrews, so he says, only you tried to
hide it when he came to the door. And
the medical men say that though the sui
eide theory is possible, it is most unlikely,
as when man attempts self destruction
he invariably places the weapon at his tenn
pie or in his mouth. Not as Andrews
did, in the middle of his forehead. 1t all
reads very convincing, my poor boy, to
people who do not know you are innocent,
as | do.
stop here, Horace. and I will come
and see you when | can. We are not 60
ing abroad. y
1T is impossible" cried, lit is cow
ardly, and heaven knows have been cow
ard enough already. Betty, I must be
traced. 1t is only question of time. Dc
you know they are offering reward for
my apprehension?
Yes" she whispered turning deadly
white. Il saw the placards as | came
along. There is one on a wall at the other
end of this very street.
BE brave, Betty [ whispered, and
wrung her trembling hands till she WINGED
| ''Ali will come right, and our wedding
bells will ring before the New Year Oct ;
She shook her head sadly and pulled
down her veil.
81 must go now she said. 81 shall
hardy be home in time for dinner anG
mamma did not know l was coming tc
you.
Then size went away alone. She trem.
bled so violently when | proposed to come
part of the way with her that | was obliged