The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-28
BY Lily Tinsley,
Of TinsIeys
Md0dZtHe,
[CorYRGHr, 1892, BY TILLorsoN & Son.


tasten chain which but few days before
be had fastened there, with what had
seemed to her such different object.
Recalling her feeling then, the contrast
now stung her 20 action. She caught at his
hand to try TO snatch it away, but he would
not let her go, and the slender chain snapped
with sting at her throat, and he he'd the
locket close to her eyes 80 that looking for
II she could not but see upon it the mark he
had recalled to her remembrance.
"Great heavens!" she said, her thoughts
before this one fact becoming more terribly
confused, so that she did not grasp the
actual meaning of the truth thus thrust
upon her. at is really mine-some one
has stolen 1t from" she could not say the
sacred title, so she added instead the more
formal one, "trom my fathers house"
Some onem Knocked her husband, fling
ing the trinket she still treasured carelessly
back into the box with the other je welry
which had once been hers-careful of his
own safety even in the midst OF so diaboli-
cal plan as that be was working out-'that
some one-was But | didn't take it, l
stole It'll 1t is no idle boast when say
can and do use those tools, although you
seem to think it is.n Then, with an air OF
hooking sincerity: Ibid 1t never occur to
you as strange, Madge, why even so much
as looked at you when there were plenty of
other girls quite as handsome, il not SO rich
70 De won IhF more Sa5llys Dlu IL never &C
cur to you that took as much interest in
your home as in you, in the amount and
value OF your fathers plate, your jewelry
and other valuaoles Of a portable naturel
Did you never wonder why l was 50 curious
about the ways Of the house, and displayed
such very great care Ia finding the best way
for you to get out, which. of course,
answered the same for me to get inFn
To this revelation Of the whole, cruel,
nj ha trio xuif
only murmur family, leaning heavily for
support against the desk which guarded the
secrets, the knowledge Of which was terrible
TO her:
"You did not break into my fathers
house that night | ran away to you"
"How could l resist the temptation Of
walking in and helping myself TO all the
good things of which you had given me in
formation when you had begun your wifely
duty by leaving the door open for met You
ought to be obliged to me that loved you
so we'll as to take such care of your char
cter that let you come TO me by the slow
train, instead Of accompanying me by the
express, after had accomplished my bust
ness-to say nothing Of the nobility l
showed 10 desiring you not to bring away
even one piece Of your ie elry with you. l
wanted them all myself, first hand. Even
your purse" and he pointed out the little
leather pouch, Of which she had believed
her pocket had been picked at the station,
had attractions for me, for | was terribly
hard up. You have the satisfaction of
having paid the wedding fees, while your
fathers valuables were TO have set us up in
housekeeping, but for an unlucky mishap
which drove me to the cards till things
Strengthened themselves a bit. You can
have your purse back now as a souvenir, il
you like, he added, picking it up. Put IL
in your pocket
Like one in horrible dream, Madge
obeyed him. AS she did so he turned as IL
to close the desk, brushed against her and
with that courtesy he could SO we'll assume
begged her pardon. Stay moment, just
give me the purse again" he added.
AS IL she had no power but to obey his
will, she put her hand into her pocket. It
was empty. With a smile at the look Of
blank amazement upon her face, her hus-
band once more flung it upon the table.
There was something SO like magic in the
trick, that more fearful even than before,
the girl fell back, crying out once again
that she would not believe but that it was
all plot to brighten her.
Still doubling" said Royal, wish super
oilious lifting Of his eyebrows. my dear
Madge, look again in your pocket. There is
something there which must surely con-
vince you.n
AS If to prove that, like his partner the
Rat, he could plan a theft as well as COM
NIT one, the villain had conjured into the
place from which he had stolen the purse
the newspaper which he had taken with
the jewels from the box.
Madge drew 1t out, but refused to look al
| IL, letting 1t fall on the table. But a gesture
from her husband made disobedience more
than she dared, and with difficulty, for heI
eyes were dim and her brain reeling, che
mastered at least the sense OF the following
paragraph, which the journal contained:
1t was headed Daring Robbery at Bran.
don Hal" and read briefly thus:
| "Details Of this mysterious robbery have
| already been given. How the thieves Oh
tanned their olew is unknown, how they
| gained admittancs is equally a mystery, the
servants integrity being undoubted. ThG
thieves, however, must have received Intor-
nation OF the most accurate, for scarcely g
| valuable in the house had escaped the ran.
sacking OF these daring and undou btedly
clever criminals. Strangely enough the
only daughter Of the house. Miss Brandon
was on the very night, or rather the morn.
ing following the robbery, disco vered to be
missing Her disappearance is the most
mysterious and terrible fact in the whole
affair as it is greatly feared that the un-
fortunate young lady interrupted the
thieves in their work and was overpowered
| before she could summon help. murdered
and the traces OF the crime skillfully hidden
such being indeed the only possible solution
| of the strange coincidence"
Once more the paper fell from Madge'.
| hand.
This explains why my father has never
sought me, as l have so hoped aud prayed
| he might she said in a voice choked with
| grief, aud she saw how skillfully the net had
been drawn round her, 80 as TO make the
mad, foolish act into which her love had LED
her place her entirely at her husband,
| mercy.
She could doubt no longer the idea that h,
had forced upon her so often of late that h,
| had only married her for the sake Of the
money which at her fathers death would be
her's-ln her horror of the trap into which
she bad fallen, not guessing that even thu
was but half the real truth, that the otbel
half was yet TO come, to put the final ltnL
TO the bonds which bound her TO her bus.
| band, bonds which we're forged by The
strength of her love, that the lower THU
man fell, as his wife she must cling 70 hin
forever, to save him If it was possible, or (
| fall. Nay not that After the one falls,
step she bad so bitterly repented-but TO en-
| dure-till death.
AS the paper, which contained 50 great d
! proof against her belief once more fell e
the table, she Of her own accord sought the
| last link in the chain OF evidence Of which
her husband seemed so fiendishly proud
"And the letter left for my father, beg,
| ging his forgivenessp
els herem WAS the reDly and IL was u AGED