The morning call., 1893-08-27

Who cannot be brave when fighting with
host? Who cannot march to battle with
drums beating and banners flying? But
what of the man or woman who has to
fight the small battle unencouraged, IN
protected and alone? Who, as the struggle
goes on through the long watches of the
night, and the heat of the burning day,
can fight bravely and persistently with
scant prospect of victory and small hope
OF reward?
Presently Clarkson was aroused by
tap at the tent pole.
MAY | come in % asked a voice. and
without waiting for n reply n tall man,
with sieve in one hand and roll of news
papers in the other. entered.
Not weli?" he inquired. glancing at the
bed.
Eyes. Pm we'll enough" Thomas an
swered, YEARLY.
"Ohi Taking a holiday because it's
Christmas eve, I suppose. Eve knocked
off work, too, till the day after tomorrow.
Eve come TO ask yOu,tO come along with
us Tomorrow if you have nothing better
to do"
Where are you going?"
My wife and are going for bit of a
picnic, to give the youngsters a treat, You
know, ana we want you to come along [
cannot promise you anything very grand"
he added. with a laugh, ''but it will be
better than moping here alone all day.
! VIII you Gomez"
II don't think so. Thank you, Mr.. Rock:
I'm fond OF moping, you know: and |
should only spoil the children's pleasure
II took my gloomy face among them"
That's all nonsense. The youngsters
will be disappointed if you don't come
/ They think there is no one like you"
But ClaTkson still persisted in his re-
fusal.
We'll. if you won't, you won't. sup
! t-ot m
your Will. said Rock. and he left the tent
looking rather veXed. He returned in
lew minutes and threw roll of neWspa-
pers on the bed.
They are week DID," Rock said. "but
| perhaps you would like to look at them"
Thomas thanked him. But when ne was
gone he threw himself down in tue old at
tltude of silent despair.
Christmas day broke fair, bright, genial
loVely-the very ideal of South African
weather. The sky was a stainless blue:
the river glistened like FURNISHED gold
the air was balmy and fragrant. ClarksOn
spent the morning wandering up and down
the river bank. He gaZed upon all the
beauty of earth and sky callously-it did
not seem to be for him. A dark sky and a
wild storm would have better suited his
mood.
In the afternoon he returned to his tent.
wishing that Christmas was over, that he
might get back TO work. Labor was all
that he cared for now, for physical wear-
ness brought with il some measure of
mental rest. Listlessly be took up one of
the newspapers Rock had left him, What
mattered it to him how the rest of human
lily were moving, what men were buying
| and selling. who was growing rich, and
| who had become poor. He was about TO
| fling the paper down again. when some
thing caught his eye-sOmething that in
stantly banlshed the WEAKNESS and indif-
Z hT0npht m rtSh
to his cheek. 1t was a Johannesburg Jour
nal and he read
Truth is. after all. stranger than fiction
and murder will out The truth OF these
well known adages has just been
proved in a remarkable manner Few
people will have forgotten the excitement
into which Johannesburg was thrown
about eighteen months ago by the
murder OF Mr.. Dibln, wealthy
and much-resp ected merchant of this
town. a young man named Clarkson
was accused Of the crime and after trial
sentenced to death. The sentence was
afterward commuted to penal servitude
for life. 1t will be remem beIed that
Clarkson escaped from prison and that all
efforts 10 trace him were unavailing. 1t
seems, however, that the young fell
low was innocent of the crime for
which he nearly paid the awful pen
atty. man named Dick Carter, who was
injured in the dynamite explosion at the
Gladstone mine yesterday, and who is now
dead, confessed to the murder 1t appears
that for some time there had been ill-win
between Mr.. Diblin and Carter, and on
the day Of the murder it terminated in a
bitter and terrible quarrel. Late in the
evening, as Carter was returning home, he
met Mr.. Dlblin, who was very angry that.
as he thought, Carter should be logging
him. Car er was insoleut, and Mr. Dill
lin threatened 10 give him in charge,
whereupon Carter, who was not sober
pulled out his revoiver-which he
had bought from native a few
weeks beforehand shot Mir. Diblin.
Carter did not at first think that Mr..
DIblin was dead, but imagined that he had
merely tainted Being hard up, he took
from the rockets of the PROSTATE man all
the money he carried. large sum, amount
ing in notes and gold to several hundred
pounds. lie also took watch and cham.
Carter had scarcely accomplished this
when a man turned the corner of the
street and came toward him. Carter
shrank back TO the shadow of a building
aid waited for the man to pass. Instead
OF this, however, the man Law down on
stOOp a few yards away. Carter waited
some time; but as the man did not move
he came to the conclusion that he must
be asleep. Then Carter sIipped ont
Of the shadow, and going up to Mr. Dibin
once more, discovered that he was
dead. Sobered by the horrible discovery
revolver from him. Then lie took Mr.. DID
Inns watch and a few of the notes and
placed them in the pockets of the sleeping
man. 1t was deviish act. Carter did
not know till afterward who it was that
he had so cruelty injured. He tried,
he said. TO make what reparation
lis could by helping Clarkson to
escape from prison, providing him viii
money and disguise and helping him out
of the country. Johannesburg is as
much excited about the confession as it
was about the crime. and every one
is now asking. Where is Thomas
Cla:ksOn ?" But that is a question
no one seemed able 10 answer. He has
vanished as completely as if the earth had
swallowed him up. II he is still in the
land of the living the newspapers will soon
reach his eye and he will learn that he
need no longer skulk about in hiding, but
that he Is free to return to Johannes burg
whenever he wishes.
So that was why Dick Carter, strang-
er. had helped him to escape, and done SO
much for him Why had he never sus-
pected the reason before? He read the
newspaper account over and over again
that bright Christmas afternoon. Each
time. il SEEMED il br0uuht him q oraater