Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-16

"That is so, and you ought not to for
get it, MIR. HARDWOOD Mayhem replied.
'T'm not likly to do so. The matter
| is all right, l assure you, and will be
settled as soon as possible. -
you are not playing with me I
| hope?' the younger man asked as he
| fastened his ferret-like eyes on the
| other g face.
"Playing with you? MOI You are
not safe man to play with, Mayhem, -
| HARDWOOD answered with d low, hard
laugh. al give YOU my word that the
| thing shall be pushed on. Will that sat-
isty you?"
81 suppose so, - was Mayhew's re-
| spouse, but his tone denoted anything
save satisfaction. As he rose to depart
he added: "Well, 1 shall depend upon
the business being settled without fail
next week. -
Certainly, Mayhem, certainly!'
| Harwood made answer, as he also rose.
| Then he added IN another voice:
''What's this 1 hear about your wife
leaving you? They tell me that Mark
| Eliot has come back again; and rather
strange story is floating about the town
| respecting some trick you and Ashton
have played upon him. -
els this the reason the deed has not
been drawn up!' Mayhem asked, facing
the mill owner with a suspicious scrutiny.
"No-not all. But is the story true. -
"What stUry?'
THAT you and Dan led Eliot to be-
| lieve that Nellie Pemberton was dead. -
| "You may well ASK, - Walter sneered.
Glow did you treat Eliot when he was
| here? The story Is all rubbish, and
! Nellie left me because we had bit of
| quarrel.
''You needn't explain. It's no bust
ness of mine; and l can say that have
any special liking for the man you and
Dan sold Well, good night; the
other matter shall not be neglected. -
| "For your own sake it had better be
settled as quickly as possible, - Mayhem
responded, in a rather threatening tone.
"Good- night. -
He sauntered homeward again after
! quitting the precincts of Bank house,
! asking himself seriously if Richard Har-
wood was playing deep game in this
matter of their contemplated partner
| ship.
AS he drew near his residence, May
hew's attention was arrested by the sight
of man passing through the gate and
| approaching the doorway. who the man
was he could not tell then; he could only
| perceive that he was hatless, that he
! skunk along as if IN fear of detection,
! and for Il moment Walter was afraid
| that it was Mark Eliot.
| The villa was fronted by strip of a
| sward, and low hawthorn edge, and
beside the hedgerow Mayhem paused and
scanned the sIouching figure which was
then STOPPING beside the dimIy lit draw
| ing-room window.
Suddenly Walter recognized him, and
q cry of amaze flew from his throat.
Then he bounded through the gate and
confronted the hatless, begrlmed man,
exclaimIng: 4
'Dan Ashton! Where have you come
fromI l thought you were deadl"
cit been near shave, Mayhew,'
| Ashton said. "For God g sake take me
in, aud give me something to eat and
drink. I'm starving. And l want to
talk with you"
''Wait a moment, then. Stand there
by the window while go in and send the
| servants to bed. / 90 not want anyone
to see you-who knows that you are
alive?''
"No one yet, but you-not a living
soul, Mayhew?"
IAN right; that is good. Walt until
1 fetch you
Mayhem let himself in with his latch
key, aud marching straight into the
kitchen. where old Brown was sitting
| reading newspaper, he said:
"Where's Mary and Barnes?''
"Gone to bed, sir. -
HYou can go too; shau't want you. -
The old fellow instantly obeyed, and
when his footballs had died away on the
stairs, Mayhem went back to the door
Fria Il
the dining-room where Walters supper
was spread out.
"'There you are: eat and drink your
| fill and tell me how you managed to es-
cape with your life after being thrown
down that old pit. -
"Who told you about lt?' Dan asked
huskily as he ravenoasly attacked the
meat and drink before him.
mark Eliot trapped me into meeting
him beside the old pit-he sent note
which bore your name at the foot, and
went thinking to meet you.
"What happened? l heard you quar-
relling and the shot fired. -
"He tried to shoot me, but was too
quick for him. Before that l had seen
the broken fence and from what he said
about you l was able to guess at what
had taken place. But how did you es-
cape? l never dreamed, Dan, of seeing
you again, at least, alive.
Mayhem might have truthfully added
that if Ashton had not escaped
he would not have been
greatly displeased. For several
reasons he regretted that Dan had not
been killed, the chief being that his es-
cape, if it did not set Mark Eliot at
liberty, would free him from the charge
of murder.
Never suspecting the uncharitable
nature of his companions thoughts,
mine host between bites and sups, pro-
oeeded to narrate the strange story of his
wonderful delivcrence from the old pit.
And Mayhem listened quietly, his Gun
ming brain even then busy with a scheme
to hang Mark Eliot.
When Dan had concluded the recital of
his thrilling adventures underground, he
added:
land now, Mayhem, tell me what has
become of Mark Eliot?''
az have had him arrested for your
murder-he was seized only an hour or
two ago in old Bob Cubby's house.
az am glad to say Ashton re-
sponded, with a weak smile, ''that he
has been arrested upon a false CHARGE
"But only you and 1 know it to be
felse Mark himself admitted that he