San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-16
after an Besidesn-

"AOh " 81 ~ ~ IldH udY6 Doen
absurd, but which did not seem so to me
at the time.
but it would be murder-at any rate
the law would call it so. No, you must
not be called a murderer, Tom. But l.
they would not hang a woman-let me
do it! | should love to do itr'
And she spoke with a look that con-
frmed the words.
Before could reply, however, her ex-
preston changed again. She appeared
to think intensely for a few moments
then her face lighted up. Suddenly she
caught my hand and kissed it.
"And kiss me, Toni" she cried, ex-
citedly. kiss me, for | deserve it'll |
have thought of a way that will save us
air.
Much startled, and half fearing that
the girls mind had given way under the
pressure of trouble, ! was attempting to
quiet her. but she silenced me by an i'm
rpetuous gesture and went on speaking
eagerly and rapidly.
Tomorrow we had planned to 60 to
Kohlstein for a picnic. It's a great, i'm
mense rock, where robbers lived hun
dreds of years ago Hardly any n ever
goes there now. | have been there and
| remember that on the top it is full
of deep clefts and holes, and | thought
how, if any one were to fall into one,
they might lie there for months without
being found, and they could never get
out of themselves. So now-listen! We
will no ,,y, thara onl ND Lo
and | will lead him neal the brink of
one of those clefts and then you must
rush forward and take him and drop
him downtown to the bottom! So we
shall get what we want and yet there
need be no murder"
mot be murder, Kate?'
at need not be, for when he is safe
down there, rather than be left to starve,
he would give up those papers. Don't
you think he would?'
She was trembling with excitement,
and her state communicated itself in
some degree to me, so that | was scarce
ly able to think coherently. But there
certainly seemed to be plausibility in
her schemes; at the worst it would be
better han shooting the man outright.
But would the recovery of the papers
put an end to Slurk's persecution of
Kate as we'll as of her father? Would
not his power over her, remain?
"But we can have him imprisoned
then. you see" was her answer to my
objection: land for fear of that he would
never dare to trouble me again. He
would have been in prison long ago but
for the papers"
at certainly seems a good plan," |
said. after a confused attempt to turn
the matter over in my mind. We'll
ask your fathers opinion tomorrow"
.Oh, he must know nothing of itr
she exclaimed, with a gesture of vehe-
ment dissent. He would betray it.
You don't know how-what a power
that villain has over him. 'Slurk treats
him like a child when they are alone.
No, Tom, we must do it all ourselves, OF
it will fail. Only when it is done will
dear papa get back his courage"
knew more about how Mr.. Birch
more was treated by his valet in private
than Kate was aware: but | made no
allusion to this. The more | reflected
upon the enterprise, the more inclined !
was to assent to it. 1t was wild, fan
tastic, unconventional, but it had i'm
portant practical merits nevertheless.
Moreover, it possessed the powerful
recommendation las | deemed it) of al
lowing for a fair man to mar struggle
betweek Slurk and myself. | was to
~overpower him by main strength; and
from what | had observed of the fellow
| fancied he would be able to make just
resistance enough to save my self re-
spect. On the other hand, he might be
able to do more than this; and if the
worst came to the worst of course
might be compelled to main him with
my revolver. But altogether the pros
pect kindled my imagination; was
stimulated by the thought of distin-
gushing myself by my personal prowesS
before my mistress eyes, in conflict with
her dastardly oppressor. And as ! looked
at her standing there before me, so love-
ly and full of courageous fire, | said to
myself that no knight of yore ever did
battle in the lists for a worthier lady
love.
However, | realized that this was
neither the place nor the hour to enter
upon a detailed discussion of our plans.
Every moment that Kate remained with
me increased her peril, especially if, as
she seemed to think was the case, Slurk
had dispatched her hither. AS to his mo-
tive in so doing | had no difficulty in
forming an opinion. There was little
doubt hat he mea to use her as an un-
conscious cats paw to steal the dia-
ponds as before To purloin the napers