The morning news., 1892-03-27

4
impossible for him to visit Wellsted often,
but be would occasionally run down from
Saturday till Monday aud would sometimes
! call on Mrs Redwood for an hour or two
| on the Sunday afternoon. He was never
happy In her presence, or contented In his
anticipation Of his visit or in his memory Of
it They made a deeper gloom in the night
OF life. and yet he sought them.
Wellsted is not a large place, but it had
room enough in it even at that time for a
! good many different social circles. Mrs.
| Redwood lived on the fringe of the loftiest,
and Sam Potter and his wife in the middle
Of ring simply and purely bourgeoisie.
Sam, who had been arrested for the muir
der Of the lady's husband, could hardly fail
TO know Of her history and whereabouts,
| but Mrs. Redwood remained ignorant Of his
neighborhood
More than a year had gone by since the
widows removal from Upnor. It was win
| ter time, aud there were two or three inches
| of snow upon the ground. Hetheridge had
paid one Of his Sunday visits, had said his
! good-bys, and was in the act OF returning
TO his hotel. The Sabbath stiffness was in
| tensifled by the snow. His own footsteps
were almost inaudible to him as he walked
| down the long and winding path which led
| from the house to the gateway. Twice he
paused and looked back, saw the warm light
| in the windows of the room he had Just
quilted.
The landscape without looked cold and
bare, aud the sky reflected the snow light
| family, and objects a SCORE of yards away
took already fantastic and uncertain
| forms. The gate was wide open, and, as he
reached it, he turned a third time TO look at
the light which shone out at the windows,
broken into many shooting rays by the in-
tervening branches of the leafless trees. The
chill of coming enemy, the dull and deathly
gray of sky and landscape, and the all,per-
vading hush and sense of loneliness COM
bined to make the apartment he had SO re-
! Gently left seem warmer and more homelike
than IL had been in reality. He stood look
ing toward it for a minute filled with an
important wrathful yearning. He tore him
self away with a groan of impatience and,
swinging rapidly through the gateway and
into the road, came into rough contact
with a stalwart figure at the corner.
Where are you going TO, you stupid
yokelp he begun.
He got no further, for. to his fear and
amazement, pair Of strong hands clutcheI
him by the throat, and SO struck him that
his hat few into the horse road, and his
teeth seemed to chatter in his head.
At first the shock and astonishment Of
this unlooked-for assault deprived him of all
power of observation, but as his wits began
TO work, aud he struggled to escape the
grasp which held him, ne saw that his as
sallant was no other than Sam Potter.
20, you can wriggle," said his adversary,
still shaking him, "but I've got you safe this
time You murderer you cold-blooded,
wicked murderer You come along o. me
to the police. I've got you by the wool,
matey. You better be quiet and come
along peaceable. If you don't Pll shake the
life out Of you"
This statement made, Sam took one
brawny grip of shirt, waistooat, aud over
coat. half throJtling his captive, and
marching into the road with him, COM
PEELED him to stoop for his hat When
hetheridge in a half-dazed condition of
mind had obeyed him, and had put the hat
on, his captor gave it q savagely humorous
tap on the crown and drove it over his
ears.
Now" he said, you'll 60 knocking in
nocent men on the head again, won't you?
No. can answer that question for you,
matey, not much you won't. I'm going to
have you took care OF for the rest of your
natural life, am. You come along o. me
TO the watch house,
Hetheridge was weaponles5, and Potter's
prodiglous strength gave him an advantage
against which it was vain to struggle.
"You madman," he said, what do you
mean2 Who are you? l never saw you in
my life BEFORE"
20, yes you did" said Potter, jeeringly.
"Your names John Hetheridge, and mines
| Sam Potter. We've met on the other side
| of the world, we have. You tried to mur-
| der me in your own house in Melbourne
You knocked me on the head and left me
senseless. you wicked murderer! can
prove it all agen you. I'll swear to every
| word Of it"
He frightened his grasp aud dragged
| Hetheridge along the road. too excited at
first to see that the grasp he kept upon him
was actually imperiling his life. When he
| discovered this he changed his hold, and
sustaining bis captive in an upright posture
whilst he recovered breath, he triumphed
| over him.
you've waited long time for this.
| mateyl So have !. wonder how often
| I've tried to remember who it was that
struck me that wicked blow. 1 might
never ha' found 1t out at all il you hadn't
| run agen me, but you see l got il in flash.
| Here, ! amt goin' to waste time talking TO
you, come along"
He dragged his prisoner on again. The
dusk was falling fast, and as chance had It,
there was not soul abroad.
The police Office stood in a court yard off
the main street OF the town, and almost at
the point where the town and country met,
Potter thrusting Hetheridge before him.
hustled his man in the outer room OF the
| station.
An officer, who was lounging sleepily by
the fire, rose at the noise OF their entrance (.
whats this" he demanded.
Here he Is" said Potter. 1--WE got him.
After all these years I've got him"
"Well," inquired the officer whose posi-
ton afforded him an occasional opportunity
for the vent of chastened humor, what
are you going to do with him now you have
got hims"
Sam passed an uncertain hand across bis
forehead and looked from the prisoner TO
the policeman aud back again, but said
nothing.
1.-The mans mad, said Hetheridge, "mad
or drunk. He fell upon me in the street Just
now and half choked me.n
"Come now." exclaimed the officer, turn
ing severely round on Potter. You've got
TO explain all this, you know"
Sam said not a word. The excitement
had been too much for him and be had for
gotten everything.
CHAPTER XVII.
HetheridRe knew not what 10 make Of his
accuser's silence.
Come said the officer. whats the
meaning Of iti You make an assault on this
gentleman ana hustle him in here. You 20,
TO explain yourself. you know"
Still Sam said not a word. He passed his
hands across his eye again and looked from
one 20 the other in hopeless bewIldernment.
His late prisoner began 70 put two and two
together Potter bad confessed 20 having
tried often and yaiuly Co remember Wbose
hand bad struck him. The mans mind was
eEideotly unhinged and II was plain 20 zee