The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-31
which tbs Rat might retire after each at

THsSA VAC Aeoh " AOsAS eASSA SoNA ~
tempt
This proposal, of course, met at first with
| a direct refusal The Rat felt he would
| sooner die than take to the old trade again.
| Royal therefore turned the very weapon,
which he had convinced the Rat was use
full in his defense. against him.
This was young Ferret, the discovery Of
whose relationship to the great detective
was no small terror to the partners. He
was doubly dangerous as the son of the
Rats arch-enemy, because OF the guilt
which he believed rested upon him, for the
brief period Of Inconsistencies. which had
followed Royals blow, had prevented him
from learning the truth, that the purely
accidental explosion Of the pistol had pro-
duced nothing more than a wound in the
hunchback's arm, and that it was Royal
who really did the fatal deed.
Royal had acted in sense as his gaoler
since the affair, both because in his belief
in his own guilt lay his Royals safety, and
! because the events of that horrible night
had made him really Ill.
This for the time made 1t easy to curb his
desire to confess his supposed crime, but as
he recovered the feeling grew to danger
GUS degree
When the idea had been simply to hide
the crime, the Rat had intended to relieve
bis pitiful state, but Royal argued that to
clear the lad's conscience was to send him
to his father.
True. he was ignorant of the name Of his
supposed victim, but Mr.. Ferret, SrI,
was not, and even with the fact of his sec
ond meeting with the hunchback TO blind
him, could not fail to feel the very suspi-
| cions which the partners wished to avoid.
Leonard himself shrank from exposing
| his true motive for coming to Narrow lane.
| The Rat therefore, still believed he had
come to rescue Madge Brandon. Leonard
had ques toned Royal in the matter with
out betraying himself or little Gray-cloak,
| and learned Of Madge's presence, when he
at once concluded there had been mistake.
| He had been following a shadow. Little
| Gray -cloak had never been to the house at
| ALL or had left long before his arrival, her
| mission accomplished.
He thought oncs of getting more inform
alton on this point from Royal, but the
sense of his guilt rushe ovJr him, and he
| felt that 1t was stern barrier between him
| and his unknown love, never dreaming
| what was to be the chain Co draw them TO-
| gether.
And so Royal and his partner simply be-
lieved, the latter that if it was Madge be
had come to seek, the former that his pres
! ence was merely accidental.
| The permanent assumption by the Kat OF
the hunchback's identity put out OF ques-
tion all idea of telling him the truth. But
| there still remained the task of making him
| submit So violent was he in bis terror
stricken grief, SO anxious to make what
atonement he could, that Royal almost de-
SPARED of keeping him from going to his
| father.
In vain he urged upon him that in inten-
tion he was utterly gulltless. The very idea
made the lad eager to S and his trial. In
vain he painted in its most glowing colors
| the punishment which might sill be his,
| none TO the lad could he too great to atoDe
| for his deed At length, however, a happy
| ba4 aBa bra TJa
could not but be struck by the lads love
| for his almost uukno wn father, and so he
| called upon him to reflect what blow the
knowledge Of his sons guilt would be to
the old man.
twas no new thought to the lad, but
hitherto he had put it from him, in his de-
| sire to do right. Now, however he could
not help listening to Royals persuasion
that it must lie right to spare the old mAn.
To the willy schemer's delight, his plan
succeeded even beyond his hopes.
Not only did Leo accept his burdened
| life now, as eagerly as before he had sought
punishment, but be himself proposed to
| quit the country, and to put sea and land
| between him ana his father.
"He must think me dead by this time;
| for his sake | will be dead to him
But TO get the lad out Of tho country
| money was needed.
Now, at the time that Royal had arrived
at this issue of his plans, a. luck would have
| it, the hunohback's living representative
was at his wits end to answer some ques-
tioDs as TO the fortune which he was known
| to have made at tine gold fields, the one
| weak spot ia the Rats armor. We'll in
| formed rs he was in every other detail of
his cousi Is history, these important facts
were too vag ely set forth in the dead
TDau's papers FIR him TO risk disclosing bis
| ignorance.
Once more there seemed no way but an
| evil one out Of the difficulty, and, because
it was for his child's sake, the Rat took it.
Meanwhile Mr. Ferret was Borrowing tor
his son, whose strange disappearance, on
the day of his return to London, vas at
| once terrible mystery and grief to him.
There was absolutely no clew. True
| there was the inspector at London bridge
who had directed the lad, but the search
| never went as far back as him, since the
visit to Mr.. Ferret's chambers was plainly
the starting point Of the young mans ad-
| ventures.
not only deprived OF the happiness of his
sons presence, to which he had looked for
ward with such hungry longing, but
| also involved in as unfathomabe a mystery
as any with which he had ever had to- deal
in all his long experience. The skill which
had so often brought happiness TO Others
! seemed to fail him utterly In his own cause
How bitterly he grieved and how hard he
strove to unravel the mystery no one could
| ever thoroughly understand But as time
went on even the most careless eye could
not fail to note the change which was creep
| ing over the old man. He seemed to be
| losing his old freshness. His head was erect
as ever, but he stopped now, and the iron
| gray hair began to show streaks of snow.
| In the fresh outbreak of the Rats raids,
| however. the old Inau's thoughts were
somewhat diverted from bis trouble, for the
task of capturing the Rat seemed to him
more difficult than ever, which was not I'M
! likely considering that the Rat,w his
work was done, crept back into the absolute
security OF the crippled body of Sir Law
renee huntingford.
Thus the partnership which had been dis
solved was now renewed with a promise OF
better results than ever.
The effect Of this upon the Rat WAS bad
Once more the unhappy man felt that In
spite of all his efforts be was but sinking
deeper into the mire of evil. But be went
blindly on, not caring what happened to
himself, 30 long as his child was well cared
for.
CHAPTER ".
81 WILL SAVE your
Whatever had been Royals plans about
Madge Brandon originally, his conduct was
entirely altered by his guilt of the hunch-
haC