The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-21


him so great a terror.
But the hunchback made no reply. He
was slowly turning over In his mind all the
facts, which had been set before him. but in
reality only compromising one, which re-
called to him how at the dawn which be
had not lived 20 see had given bis cousins
poor deformed body hasty burial in the
great London river.
It mad only seemed a little thing to him
then-the secret so safe, and Royal had
been 30 fearful. Now he knew those other
great facts would weigh against him.
Royal guessed shrewdly enough the mean
ing Of the silence. "Do l threaten idly"
he asked in tone Of malicious triumph.
"Do | know my handP
The answer somewhat lowered his stand
ard OF victory.
Eyes, but not mine" replied the bunch
back, lifting his head with that old move
ment which had made the Rat, despite his
poverty-strlcken appearance, become some
one amongst his fellow creatures. and which
gave a new and significant dignity 70 the
baronet's misshapen form, a change In him
which bode little good to Royal, who shud~
dered within himself at the thought OF the
likely consequences Of this defiance of his
to the very power in which lay his safety,
perhaps his life. Try aud tack your crime
on to me, and see il the Rat has bent his
back too long to have none of his old strength
and cunning left"
"Who's bouncing nowP asked Royal,
screwing up his courage by an effort, for
already be was beginning to quake at the
thought of what from shrewdness had
changed to foolhardiness. II tell you, try
It'll I'll risk all If you will. With such an
army of facts against you ten thousand wit
nesses could not prove you innocent"
mol" was the quick reply, but one can
and shall prove you guilty"
"Bah! who can 2" asked Royal, only by
an effort keeping his voice from faltering,
and casting his fine eyes about the room as
if for means OF escape.
But he had himself taken the precaution
to lock the door for the interview.
"Who cani" the Rat repeated. THE girl
in fear of whom you might have added a
second crime to your first"
Royal WINGED peroeptibly under the blow.
Then recovering himself asked coolly as
ever;
Her oath, what of thata She dare not
break it u
"She will dare anything when she knows
the truth-most Of all when that is from
her father" repeated the Rat, cool, also In
his turn.
From her fatherY repeated Royal,
wonderstruck
"Yes; did not tell you an angel was
sent TO save me that night, though she
came TOO to the bitterness Of the con-
fession l-"None the less she wAs-and is
my daughter-Ahi" as Royal literally fell
back before this blow to his plans his face
now gray with fear, his teeth chattering,
and great beads of perspiration starting out
on his forehead, in his abject terror and de-
spair, who wins the game nowF
A moments silence, broken only by the
hurried, labored breathing Of the man of
blood. Another moment and he would
have been at his masters feet, groveling in
the dust, begging, praying for pity, for
mercy. And then:
II don
1t was the answer to the question, "who
winsr of the hunchbacks living self-the
two words uttered In a perfect shrek of
mingled delight aud triumph. Royal was
upright not knseling-a hot tide OF blood,
red as that which had stained his hands on
that night not so long ago-driving off his
face that horrible dusky shadow, than which
only the pallor unknown to it's ivory tint
could have been more terrible-sweeping
over his features-his eyes flashing with
their most fiendish light-his hands stretch
ing up and meeting in q swayipg clasp above
his head as he reared it again 10 defiance.
Call your daughter as Witness" he
shouted, in gee, "call her as witness
against me, let her tell her story and you
yours. I will go with you aud staad before
her that she may give me up to justics-les
her choose-if she CAM"
Royals words were Kissed out between
his cleaning teeth and the bones of his fn-
gers seemed to crack, as he shook his
clinohed Hands in the hunchbacks face.
BUTT needed no such defiance TO convince
the unhappy father OF the truth.
"My Cod" he whispered, in voice most
unlike his own. Yet great as was the power
OF the truth he showed no sign of finching,
but stood still, firm a. a rock, for the mo-
ment apparently neither seeing nor hearing
anything, save the picture and the sounds
which were in his mind.
That picture was Of two men standing
over a yelled figure weighing its life, and
then dearer gift between them, the sounds,
plea for mercy In girlsh voice. AID
then that Same voice lifted ia q vail of pain
and terror.
Even in his own danger the fathers first
thought was the old and never dead one of
agony for his child's suffering.
"Blind blind And was the fiend to
ruin her life like that" he whispered to him
self, with the same poignancy of grief as
when he had first felt the blow.
1t was Royal who put into words the sick
ening fact which now, for the first time,
was brought to light
Yes you did it; you took away her sight
and with IL your chance of safety. Your
child may send her father to the hanRman,
and uniustly."
After the words had left the lips of the
arch-plotter there was a silence in the room,
Que of those almost breathless heavy silences,
when the thunder OF the world seems hushed
for a while, and the moments to move with
leaden feet. IL seemed almost as if the
hunchback was turned TO stone, as IL he
would have remained forever cast in a
mound Of despair at the horror of the truth
forced upon him.
1t was not that he was so fearful of his
own safety, even in the consciousness of his
innocence. His very soul seemed to be
turning to stone in his breast at the thought
of the terrible retribution which had come
upon him for the hand he had had in the
death of his own flesh and blood, one whom
he had once loved.
He forgot that his part had been an I'M
conscious one, thrust as it were upon him,
that it was the dead man who had broken
the bonds of love-not he.
He only remembered that he, who had
escaped justice SO often for deeds he had
committed, now stood convicted, as IL were,
by his own folly-that, as Royal had said,
his 1htld might one day have forced upon
her the terrible pain Of sending him to the
criminals death which at least he had not
deserved
The girls description Of the murderer as
she HAD seen him might, it was true, show
points Of difference in her fathers favor,
but the Wow she had had OF him had been
so brief in the pickering light OF the candle
that with eVRry other DOint apAinat him