Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-18

Catherine Eames,' and sometimes Gather.
inc O'Brien; once it stood catherine scott,
but black line had been rna through It.
And here in the pocket I found treasure
time has not destroyed"
He laid upon the table long tress OF
| woman's hair. fine in texture, yellow In
color, and wanting but the brightness OF liv-
ing hair to be the precise counterpart OF
Catherine Scott's. ;s.-
1t was the actual lock of hair. for possess
ing which Michael had lost his life. and
David had earned the curse of Cain. Tears
came into Scott's eyes as he looked at this
last memento of all the beauty that had gone
to dust. s.,.,,-s-.-'.l RI
at seems small thing now to have quar-
| relied over" he said, ''but then it. meant to
me so muchi Yet il she had only told me. :.
for after ali she loved your brother best. i
found this out when it was too late. But
even from the very beginning the shadow
of the dead stood between me and her ana
when she lay dying. and knelt beside her,
it was his name she uttered with her
failing breath. I never pray to God but
Michael comes to appeal against me, aud
Catherine in heaven knows all and turns
away her face At eight-and-twenty my
hair was gray, and you see what am now
broken up, wreck What
is it you mean todo?" ' -,
81 don't know" said the other again.
Deep burrows scanned themselves in his lore
head, and he looked at Scott with angry
eyes. Not because of Scott's crime against
Michael, which he had long known, but be-
cause in his own breast o strange and enrag-
| ing sentiment of pity warred With his legiti-
mate revenge. The hopes OF one day meet
ing with his brothers murderer, aud exact
| ing payment to the uttermost furthing, had
| lent him the energy and vitality to sur
vive privations that would have killed
another man; the idea had been to him
talisman of power which had over and over
again brought him unharmed from the jaws
of death. Yet now that the moment for
which he had so long waited was come. he
hesitated. In spite off sall he felt a iriend-
ship. an affection almost for David Scott,
| that filled him with scorn for himself He
set about recalling his former feelings in the
! hopes of terminating them.
"Often," said he aloud, shave I planned
out in my exile what should do when I
met with Michael's murderer. pictured
to myself that should find him poor, ob-
scure, uncared for, with nothing precious to
him but his worthless life; then would
take that life, would seize him by the
throat, and, reminding him of Michael,
slowly press his breath from him.. But
should 1, on the contrary, find him as |
have actually found you, rich, honoied, we'll
thought OF, with loving hearts on which to
lean, then promised myself would de-
nounce him, drag him to justice, let him
suffer all the torturing slowness of the
law before e1piating his crime by shameful
death. You think perhaps have not
sufficient proof? or that after so many years
1 could not obtain conviction?"
81 should confess everything" answered
Scott; there and now, ifSou wish it, 1 will
write confession, and sign it before wit
nesses. How often have not longed to uu-
burden my soul, and hacked courage! You
talk Of punishment, of expiatloni believe
me man may suffer all the tortures Of hell
within his own heart. What cuts more
sharnly than unavailing regret?"
'The scoru OF ones fellow men," said
O'Brien, calling up the dregs of his waning
anger to give poignaucy to his tone; 'the
child's knowledge that the father is un-
worthy of her honor and her love-"
"Our sins shall be visited on
our children" murmured Scott; "and
vet my poor Catherine 1 would
spare her if 1 could. Sometimes L hoped
that God would permit me-through her-lo
make you reparation?"
O'Brien's face became dusky red, his
eyes glowed with animation; the next mo-
the words on the tip OF his tongue.
"What myself might have hoped for un-
der other circumstances, has been rendered
impossible by your crime. What connec-
tion could l have with the murderer of nv
brother? Would not his spirit haunt me?
As it is, I am becoming contemplate to my
self. 1 am temporizing and allowing
human considerations to come between me
and my just revenge" i---
DO not let mistaken pity hold
your hand. I am at your
mercy. Show it BY dealing the blow
quickly. Suspense alone is more than
can bear"
~ shall choose my own time and my own
measures" said O'Brien Indignantly, "and
il you find the suspense hard. remember it
is not one-tenth of the misery your victim
suffered, dying on the rocks alone; or that
have gone through since, thanks to you. I
have yet to consider the necessary steps to
take, and will let you know when come
| to a decision"
A clerk here entered introducing urgent
business, and no more vas said; but Scott
| tacitly accepted his enemy's conditions, and
resumed his outward life Of honorable COM
| posure. - p i- : l-.s.
1t became apparent to Scott that if
| .O'Brien had ever cared for Catherine, he
now successfully crushed out the sentiment.
| Now. when he came over to Streatham, he
| avoided being alone with her. He sat
| darkly silent. Ii. she addressed him he did
not seem to hear, or else answered her alb
ruptly, almost rudely. At this her pretty
eyes would fill with tears, and for ten min
utes after such rebuff she could scarcely
command herself to speak; then she
would find excuses for MIN in her heart, feel
| sure that the fault was hers, and try thou.
II n for l.