Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-22
THE ATHELSTONS;
OR
VICTOR AND vANoUIsHED
BY MARY CECIL HAY.
OR

ing that 8 hope that this guilty man might be wandering in his mind, battled with fear in which there seemed a strange, truthful strength which he could not possibly define. "You are simply insane to talk so. If your mother imagined"
 "Great heavens you name my moth- CT to me cried Fitz, standing upright now upon the hearth, his broad chest heaving, his eyes literally burning in the torture of their passion, his strong hand clenched and bloodless. "Go away from me Do you stand there and speak to me of these things on purpose to tempt me? My God how hard it is to keep my"
 "Mr. Spendir," said Sir Neil, in al- most a pacific tone, for the violencs of the artists agitation, and the intense effort of the strain he put upon himself. alarmed as well as astonished him, "tell me where Miss Chester is." "I don't know" returned Fitz, the words almost whisper in their forced quietness,
 "That is not true," blurted out Sir Neil, in his impatience.
 "1sn't itP" questioned Fitz, his clenched hands behind him, and his wide, sunburned forehead drawn into countless lines. "Then I begin to think you recognize me as an Athel- ston; father and son, they've been liars for many 8 generation"
 "I think it's more than time the handcuffs were on," said the baronet. savagely, "and can leave the finding of Miss Chester to the police. They will manage, dare say, as they will be obliged to find her in time for her to give evidence at your trial"
 The cruel words had not been planned to stab. but there was little exultation in the baronet's mind when he saw that they did so.
 "You have pretended to care for her, |" Fitz said, an awful pallor on his.face, as he curbed his passionate temper and lowered his hot, fierce tones "you have seemed to wish to spare her, Now, you could spare her this, and will not. {"
 II wish to see her," returned Neil, moodily "and if she should tell me"
 "She tell you l" ejaculated Fitz, haushtily, "She will tell you nothing about me; and ahe is not Athelston enough to utter falsehood. Listsn"- the curbed emotion of the man was al- most terrible as he came forward little, and spoke with angry earnestness- listen; will wait here, quiet and tame-ay, as quiet and tame as if I were used to i-for nay summons to jail, if you will not seek heTs You need not fear my escapinss only-only let her escape. In Heavens nRpne spare her this i"
 There's no fear of your escaping, in. any case, l think" muttered Sir Neil 1; "you need not make any unnecessary S,,Say,osgAa nAar,k kkok nk k1H where Miss Chester is-that's ali I want of you"
 "You have deigned to admire Miss Chester" said Fitz, with a slow, bitter smile. "It's a pity, isn't it, that the fate of @ murderer should be entangled with her fate? Lowering, eh, to the Athelston pride and purity1"
 "Tell me where she is, struck in Sir Neil, beginning to fear he should win no answer. "I have no wish to be de- tained longer"
 "And have no wish to detain you," the artist answered. with a slight, naughty bow. "I would quite as soon he would manage the thing better"
 "I shall not forget those words. By Joye I shall not " exclaimed Sir Neil. losing all command over himself. "You shall rue this-you, whose hands are black with crime.">
 "Are they2" Fitz said, leisurely ex- amining his strong, brown fingers "are theyp Yes, I see they are blaoker than yours. But then. let me see-is it the blackness of hands that signifies most ?"
 "You evidently know where Miss Chester is" put in Sir Neil, going back to his one most serious idea, "and you cannot keep the secret long would not advise you to try. All these things will tell against you, you know"
 " A thousand things will tell against me" replied Fitz, with bitter coldness i; " a hundred memories now will help to drag me to my death."
 But something may be done," in- terrupted Sir Neil, hoping at last that be might, by soothing means, win the information he wished to obtain. But, though the words sounded almost kind, Fitz knew the selfish desire which prompted them.
 Something will be done," he an- swered, quietly, "and these hundred tongues and memories will help it on. But I cannot die until I find that little church then I can die an Athelston- the first one whom the law has tenderly Chken III nanu. Are you growing ured now of your voluntary guard over the crimi- nal ?' he added, almost laughing. "I should like to see you take a chair and make yourself comfortable, as befits the High Sheriff. Excuse my not entertain ing you, but wish to finish this illus tration before your friends and followers bring me the handcuffs."
 To Sir Neil the simple idea of this mans trying to escape justice seemed absurd, as he watched him seat himself quietly at his work, and immediately become engrossed in it. There was something, under these circumstances, SO ludicrous in the idea of his staying there on his fruitless errand, that he walked away from the cottage without another word and had only reached the gate, when the dog-cart came up with MT. borden and Col. Stuart. No wonder that they thought he looked angry and vexed and bafaed.
 CHAPTER XVII
 Alone in his chill and almost fireIess room, Fitz Spendir rose and stood before that sketch of which he and Sir Neil had hoaO talkin0 Tsnn0 and uo dlIz I,o r,oro5