The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-18

ment as live free, yet conscious of an un-
requited crime
The idea was easily carried out. Nell did
not know MIN by name. for while owning
TO her he did not bear his true one, he had
not then decided upon a false one, the same
chance to which he owed his non-recogni-
ton by the Rat, and 70 that non-recogni-
ton an effort in bis cause. Of which, daring
as he knew IL to be, the Rat never dreamed
the true danger
! Once he was in the hands Of the law Leo
knew that Nell would never suspect his
| identity. She might, perhaps, wonder
| when no sign, such as he had promised her
was sent to her former home, if indeed she
cared to ascertain, now she had so entirely
cast aside the old life in the finding Of her
father, now, OF course, futile.
But she could easily attribute IL to the
| growth Of his fears for the secret in his life ,
which he had acknowledged must have di-
| Vlded them, but for her great want of
protector and guardian.
The one thing necessary to do was to 90
1 from her presence without having betray cd
| himself, to acknowledge the theft of the
ring, to render himself up and beg to be
taken away at once; indeed, the words OF
the noble sacrifice were almost on his npI,
the whisper too low 70 reach her ears; but
| before they could be uttered the most
strange thing of all in the many mysteries
OF that night happened, viz. the chance that
favored the Rats putting into immediate
! execution his plan for saving his child's
| lover. Still assured that the stolen money
had not been taken from the room, and de-
slrous OF gaining q mastery over his fellow
servants, il not a substantial reward for ar
irving at a solution Of the riddle, the butler,
| during the incident of the ring, had con-
| tinued his industrious search II the room,
| by so doing putting the browning point
| upon the suspicious after ward pointing TO
I i'm Id a. zT-gz,- al l.
case he moved an iron handle which pro-
| Jected from pipe In the wall and turned
it slightly upward. The former barouet
had been a great man for study at night
after his society duties were over, and q
great believer in the danger of gas left on
at the meter, IN case Of fire. He mad there
| fore had the pipes of his library and the
hall disconnected from those of the rest of
the house, so tha- on his arrival from some
late festivity he could find these apartments
\ ready lit for his reception, while the house
| itself was in darkness and security.
The result of the ofticious buffers touch
upon the handle at the pipe was to lower
| the gas in both these instances.
urn 1t up" said some one, sharply.
| The butler hastily and unthnkiugly obeyed
the order, which in an ordinary " ay would
| have referred 20 the gas not the handle and
| plunged the room and the hall without into
complete darkness.
The nerves of every one in the room, al
| ready drawn into a state Of tension by the
| slugularity of the whole affair, at once
took alarm mo I foolIshly. For a moment
or 30 the utmost confusion prevailed. Every
body cried out and made rapid movements,
| two or three humping against each other,
| the door was flung open, and two or three
more rushed out into the hall
| During the confusion, which no one
dreamed was other than accidental, the
had 1nnn a nix Of vvhf I,I
| surpassed in daring even bis trick with the
| money which had caused so much trouble.
No one sremembered to ask afterward
| who had given the order which had led to
| the buffers mistake, what had been the
slight grazing noise which had been heard
| almost simultaneously with the darkness,
who had bee the person they had bumped
against, or who had been the first out at
| the door9
1t was we'll the Rat was able to change
his voice s. completelv, that even had the
! first question been asked, no one would
| have detected any likeness to the tones of
| Sir Lawrance; that he had not been quite
50 long cooped up in his hiding place as be-
| fore, 80 that his limbs more quickly obeyed
his will, that the grip gave way at once to
his grasp, that the door of the safe both
| opened aud shut easily, that Mr.. Baviland,
| against whom in bis b Jund across the room
] be ran, did not seizs hold of him, and that
| the hall was in darkness, SO that he was
not seen In his flight across it, and down
the passage, and out at the private door.
A moment later, before, indeed, the con-
| fusion had subsidized or lights could be
brought, there came a ring at the door
bell, which brought all the confused in
mates to their senses.
Most people knocked to gain admittance.
| The master of the house, who, on account
of his deformity, alone could not reach the
| knocker, rang the bell only.
iTO BE CONTINUED