The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-18
CHAPTER ".
CHANCE AND FATE.

pay even the slightest penalty for his many
light misdeeds. And now to plead guilty to
uch q crime, a dark crime. in fear of ROYAL
and what he may do! He safe-by my con-
tession to his sin--so is she and her lo7er
given back to her unshadowed. My tool
once, and now my master. To let him
triumph who once did not 30 much as dare
cross q word of minel Now 1t is who not
merely dare not so much as lift a finger
against him. but must give up all for his
sake--all, even life itself. Alb. many the
time of late have grown TO believe could
almost welcome death the pain grown more
than could bear-to almost wish that
had died that night instead Of him. And yet
TO die by my own hand. God give me
strength 20 do tit is all can do. IL is my
life for hers, my child. He will stop al
nothing to insure his safety. II he falls Sc
must land she be dragged into the shame
and degradation, perhaps, in part the pun
ishment, as he said. So let him go safe
aud free, and me pay ell the price-foI
her sake-for her dear sake
Needless to say whose thoughts were
these Nor strange terrible as they were
almost beyond belief-offer any further ex-
plsnaIion Of their meaning.
As will, no doubt, be guessed, the new
and least of all expected failure Of his lat
est attempt to make good out of evil had
been greater blow to the unhappy father
than the bride who was to be no wife her
self.
For the moment, indeed, like her, though
he had stood upright, the Rats senses as
well had left him-the pain of mind, even
more terrible than that Of body, which, in
creasing as il did each day OF his fulflment
Of the terrible impersonation already
ed IN far n
deed, than it would be believed could have
been voluntarily endured.
But il was only for q moment Ii was 30.
Then once more the iron will and stern,
unfiiuching purpose were set to the task OF
putting aside the late and sore defeat, and =,
beginning the fight anew, to fight as ever to
the bitter end il that was to the death.
And such it seemed it was to be, none the
less that the task in the beginning was of
no great difficulty or danger.
The Rats first care of course, was to
guard against the skeleton in the cupboard
being exposed to the world in the confusion
and excitement which naturally followed
the abrupt conclusion of the wedding
festivities.
The brides condition, which at first, in
deed gave grave cause for alarm, was
sufficient excuse for her non-appearance at
the church, the delicacy of her general APP
pearance TO which her blindness added,
making the nature of her illness at such q
time Of excitement and worry less a matter
OF comment than might otherwise have
been the case.
On receipt of the DOCTORS verdict the gay
company, therefore, with many expressions
of the warmest sympathy and hopes that at
no distant date, even without their presence,
the disunited pair would be made one
quickly and quietly dispersed.
Leo Forrester's absence for, as has been
shown, reused to himself by the fall of the
white robed figure at his feet, he had turned
and rushed madly away from the spot-he
knew not, cared not whither) was known to
none but q few. The departing guests be-
heved him, of course, in attendance upon
his sick bride, the excuse, when necessary,
being that he had himself rushed up to Lon
don to secure further medical advice, a
plausible one enough since no one had any
reason to doubt Sir Lawrences word-least
of all, in such matter.
One of the warmest sympathizers with
the overwhelmingly and yet not alto
gether so, because OF his interest in the
young bridegroom-was Andrew Ferret,
who for once delayed even his business in
the town in his desire to be Of service. IL
possible.
The Rats heart was too heavy, his old
spirit OF self~defiance too broken in his
child's service to find room In ID for SO much
enemy in this instance
Nay, by one of the most curious Of all the
many strange condolences in his checkered
life the old detectives kindness touched
him most deeply Of all. What would he
not have given in lieu of responding to the
earnest clasp of sympathy Of the old mans
hand, 20 have reared upright before him,
holding out his hands for the gives, bidding
him make his capture, as the Rat, the price
of the unraveling Of the mystery on which
the happiness-perhaps as his thoughts told
the life OF his child, depended.
But that was, OF course, impossible under
the conditions. None the less it was an ex-
ample Of the balancing by time of the
ways and means Of men, that the impulse
was born.
And this was the alternative-this bow
ing to the power of evil, since il seemed no
good could ever overcome it, or at least till
IL was too late-this sitting alone in the
waning light of day which had dawned so
fair and serene, the last that would dawn
for at least one sorely driven soul. We'd
ding bells had rung out, glad and clear, not
many mornings before; ere the sun this
night was down, which was so nearly set,
those same bells would toll, telling abroad
the mourning which was come upon the
late house OF feasting.
Ali the bells would toll at first, but moi
for long. The tongues would wag and tel
abroad, louder than the cause of mourning
the story written by the lifeless hand upor
the white sheet of paper clasped within it
the story which would seem too strange a
first 90 be true, and even in the proo
stranger still.
For what the living had written the deaC
form would answer only too fully.
And then what Of the surely nothing les
than martyrdom-the no, lie vow to th'
wrongful purpose, and its accomplishment
against all odds for "her sake }" who was hi
child-above all of this last, the browning
point of all the great self-Sacrifce9
NauRhtl naughtl
Naught-for shat last act in the story the
paper told-the crime which was confessea
but not committed-a dark-the darkest
sin that well could be, would make th,
densest shadow where all was else such
pure, golden light.
Then what would be the change from
nowl
How all those who had pressed to gair
the friendship Of the living man would
shrink from the nearest knowledge of tht
dead how the worldly minded would scot
and sheer; the supplemented scorn anc
despise
1t was this latter fact which struck tht
would-be suicide most of all. His complex
character had not been truly set forth, il il
is not understood, however dimly. how
more than me ely in bodily form he had as
suned his dead cousins place in the world
and hlled 1t to an advantage which thu