The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-02-08


Then he turned right round, SO that
! saw him full in the face.
'If Wheeler could only see me nowl"
Il should mention that my name is
Wheeler--Richard Wheeler. The al
fusion was TO met guess be would
soon unriddle the mystery OF his nc
counts. Well, the game is up, | sup
pose. i had my fling, even II the re-
suit is penal servitude for life. fiat
ter myself that few men would have
had the dexterity TO carry it on so
long.
He came few steps forward, the
lantern in his hand, and suddenly
stopped short His eyes were fixed
on the glass partition. On his face
there was an expression Of the most
awful, CHASTITY fear. His lips seemed
parched. He gasped for breath. For
moment l thought he would be
seized with "a CONFUSION; but he had
sufficient control over himself to
ward of that. He spoke atlast, and
his voice was like the voice of a
strangled man.
"Wheelerl Wheelerl Is IL you?
For Gods sake, don't look like thatl
Your eyes are horriblel"
He covered his own eyes with his
hand; could see him shudder. Then
he looked again; his mood was
changed. With quick, firm steps he
advanced to the partition door, and
entered the Office in which was.
IL suppose you think you have
caught me?" he cried. 81 congrat-
ulate you on your cleverness. But
perhaps, my friend, you have caught
more than you think.
Suddenly he seemed struck by my
immobility. He came step nearer.
"Why do you sit there like wood
en- block, hypocritical old fool? Do
you hear? Cant you speak? You
think you have trapped me very
neatly, eh?"
He paused. He came n stepnearer.
Cant speak, you fool? Wheel
erl Wheeler"
He laid his hand upon my shout
der. He shone the lantern in my
iace. Suddenly he gave the most
dreadlulshriek that ever yet heard.
Z "My Godr' he cried. Hes dcad!"
In his sudden fear the lantern fell
from his hands with n crash, He
gave me a push which sent me flying
hendforemost to the floor. And where
fell, there, like dead man, i lay.
III.
lay on my own bed in my own
room. Oh, what had ever done to
deserve the agony which | endured
then? There was my wife on her knees
beside the bed, there was candle
which fiickered on the chest Of
drawers, although daylight had al
ready steamed into the room; and
there was |, wrapped in thegarments
which enfold the dead. How my wife
weptl How she mourned in the sud
den anguish OF her woe! Now she
called on God for mercy and for
strength, and now she got upon the
bed and pillowed her head upon my
breast, or believed my face with her
kisses and tears.
"Richardl"she cried, "Richnrdl Az
ter all these yearsl My ownl My
dcarW
And then she wept as though her
heart would break. Who shall con
ceive my agony "a lay there?
A little later there was this scene.
Five men came into the room. There
was DR.. Leverson, my old medical at
tendant: Wilirid Burton, the banker,
whom, man and boy, had served
for 30 years; Mr.. Fellows, the lawyer
to the bank; Philip Morris, that
accursed thief and Capt. Philipson,
the chief OF the county police.
IL was Mr.. Burton who spoke first.
His voice was dry and cold-very diff
ierent rom the kindly, pleasant voice
| knew so well.
"Beiore go any further, suppose,
DR.. Leverson, there is no doubt that
this wretched man is dead? That
you certify? No autopsy, or any
thing OF that sort?"
DR.. Leverson smiled superior
smile.
Orchard Wheeler IL certainly dead.
| hove the certificate of death in my
pocket. The funeral il already ar
ranged. He died from vaIvular dis
ense OF the heart: disease of whose
presence / have been long aware"
NV brain rceled rs | listened TO the
glib announcement. DOUBTLESS his
death was accelerated mt the last by
n sudden shock"
God" said Mr. Burton, with n
solemnity the unconscious irony of
which was hideous, saw fit to strike
down the criminal at the moment OF