The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-11

her her ring at least. And l would give
much 70 do that
And be drew from his pocket the little
tuby ring and kissed it with all a lovers
tenderness.
Just then Wilson entered with the dainty
supper. and the richness of the appoint
ments OF the salver, while they aroused his
surprise yet more, did much TO allay his
vague suspi ,ions.
Bah 1 am in a civilized country, and
what could there possibly be 70 fear Ia a
house like thisp be said, with half laugh,
forgetting that the crime of which he ne-
heved himself guilty had been committed
and hidden IN that same city as easy as IN
any less civilized one. AT least, am a
man, and can defend myself"
With this view of the matter, his spirits
already raised upon the wings Of love, made
him settle down to very matter-ot-fact
view of tine case.
He was in no mood, however, to be
tempted by the supper so generously placed
before him, but remem bering that he had
eaten bothing since the morning, he drank
a portion of the wine, not ali.
De bad not received any orders not to
sleep, but all the same had not Intended to
do so
The wine, however, seemed to give him
no choice. lie essayed at first to shake off
the somewhat undue dro wsiness which over
CNLA0 hAtAlg buk az AaaA, atuhlllE luto VIC a.
Turing depth Of a comfortable armchair,
he fell asleep with his little blind loves
name on his lips by way Of prayer
But he did not sleep sOundIy. since the
night OF the murder true rep1se had been
almost an unknown thing to him. This and
the added excitement Of the events OF the
day Ia measure counterac ed the effect of
the wine, though not entirely.
And now, after some little time had
passed, there happened a similar phenome-
non to that Of the first-class railway car
rlage in which Sir Lawrence HuntiDgford
had left a. town.
Mr.. Haviland had locked his sentinel
alone in the room with his treasure. A lit
tie later in that room, there was, not one
person, but two.
The windows we're bolted and barred, the
key Of the door IN the fussy old gentlema IS
pocket, and, since the room was simply
lined with bookcases fiat against the wall,
there was no possible hiding place. Thus
the presence of the second person would
have been a complete mystery save to any
one who had known or seen, (which had
been carefully guarded against,) the clever
trick devised by Mr.. Haviland's co-truslee.
Leo had been in mis- slight slumber close up
on half an hour when the strange thing hap
pened, and the second person appeared on
the scene.
The windows and door of the room re-
manned fastened as securely as ever. Yet
he entered, or at least became visible, by
means OF door, that OF the safe.
This was slowly and noiselessly pushed
open, and from out the safe glided the fig
ure of man, bent al first into likeness of
Sir Lawrence Huntingford, but rising up
in a moment to that Of the RAJ.
This was the daring scheme.
The whole trick had been suggested by
having noticed, while at Gillet's that the
safe had In the top narrow slit with slide
over 1t, intended for the purpose of slipping
in letters or papers of value without I'M
locking the heavy door.
Seeing 10 this ventilator, without which
the trick was impossible, Sir Lawrence
bought the safe and carried home the key,
no very unusual precaution in buyers, as it
obviated any chance Of its model being
taken-a trick more than once indeed per-
formed by the Rat himself, who for over
two years had reape1 rich harvest by fol-
lowing up such jewel cases, from the maker
to the buyer.
Indeed, Sir Lawrence cited these instances
as his reason.
The difficulty lay in SUCCESSFULLY gaining
entrance to the safe unseen. This, how
ever, with his usual daring, the Rat had ac-
compllshed re-enteriDg his house by the
private door already medtloned, unlocking
and fastening himself in by means of a grip
practicable from the outside.
The space within would have been far too
small for any man to have bestowed him
self, save one accustomed TO such a tortur-
Ing OF the body and twisting OF the limbs
as Sir Lawrence Huntingford, not only on
account Of the lack Of skill to perform the
feat, but the lack Of power to endure the
pain In which the Rat was so we'll schooled.
To remain slowed away within while the
safe was at stsndstill was by no means an
easy task; to abstain from the slightest
sound during the process Of shifting it to its
place, when the men returned from their
drink, was 40 effort of self-coutrol which
recalling the agony to his bent limbs which
every moment caused, the Rat himself bad
looked up as almost superhuman.
Once, indeed, when 1t seemed to him that
the men would turn the safe upside down,
his agony became so great-for he knew
that such position, TO say nothing of the
loss OF ventilation ne derived from the slit
must seriously endanger his life-that be al
most screamed out.
But just as he would have done 80 he re-
called what such betrayal would mean to
his child. The remembrance Of her love.
which he now for the first time realized was
as great and precious as his own, was
stronger than his sense Of pain and terror,
stronger than the thought of facing perhaps
death, and that q most terrible one and
while he regretted his rashness In daring
such trick, he endured to the end
But the safe in its place, and his terrors
on that account lessened, he was amazed
and not a little disturbed by the turn Of
affairs which brought young Forester upon
the scene and put him sentinel over the
treasure which it was his intention to secure
at such great risk. From his hiding place
he could hear distinctly all that passed but
as he did not recognize Leo's voice, and his
name of Forester had only been assumed
at a moments notice, he never for a mo-
ment identified the lad or comprehended
Royals plot. This was, OF course, to dis.
pose of has scapegoat, by getting him ac-
cused of this new crime
Royal knew that the lad must be simple
and unsuspioious, and such a story as he
would tell in his defense would be sure to
convict him. 1t was hardly likely that
suffering unjustly for deed of which he
WAS not guilty, he would confess to the
other and greater one. The injustice would
without doubt harden him, while the term
OF sentence which he was sure to receive
would be of sufficient length either to break
down his already shattered health entirely,
CT at least to dispose of him safely for a suf-
ttcient number OF years to keep him from
interfering with the plans TO which his
silence was Of such vital Importance.
The Rat readily understood such a trick
on his partners part in the case OF one OF
his dupes, and considering how often daring
had meant safety, 1t did not TO him present
any difficultias EVeu had he had q sYani-