Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-02-23
ORA NERWYNS~
A. 2 ses4ft{Izzz.x.,,xllk 9 FORTUNE.
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that was better! A faint glow came into
the clerks face, the disordered wheels
Of his mental machinery seemed oiled to
q smoother operation. 1t hraced him for
the distasteful task that Dacre had set
him.
Watching him moodily, anxiously, the
cripple sat In a remote corner OF the
room. He camc forward as the old clerk
spoke.
Tom"
"Here, SIR" he quavered distrustful
OF u second demand for liquor.
II am in trouble" went on Wharton,
hurriedly, recklessy; ''sore, terrible
trouble, and it's going to kill me-.
Heaven help you. heaven spare your
murmured the cripple terventlv.
''Can | trust you?" demanded Whar-
ton, almost tercely turning upon the
other.
Can you trust me? Oh, master, friend,
wouldn't | die for your
John Wharton was acting queerly.
quite out Of himself. For a moment he
was lost in sombcr thought as though
debating with himself. Then he sud
denly thrust his hand ito his bosom.
Thence he drew the package.
Take it," he uttered sharply, extend
ing 1t towards his companion.
''Take it?" muttered the other va
guely.
Eyes"
''What is it?''
"Never mind. You say I can trust
you II ido it,"
Hide it?" came the parrot-like mono
tono. "Where?"
"Where you WILL so it is safe 1t
haunts me- l can't think. My brain
seems reeling, but it must be safe.
Don't tell me where only hide it. A
thousand angels seem tugginp at my
heart-strings to restore it to her, one
gaunt, menacing demon says no, and |
dare not refuse. Hide it safe, secure.
If anything happens to mo-"
'It won t--mastcr Oh. it surely
won't! You are only half daft over the
trouble at the bank"
eff it does, go to Arnold Dacre and
tell him entrusted the package to you.
Deliver it to him. No, no! l can eX-
plain no more, only obey. l have task
to perGorm-a task to perform-a task to
perform"
Way down the stairs echoed the last
words Of the strange monotone Hold
ing the packet in his hands. the cripple
only knew that its owner had fed from
the room as II posscssed-that it was en-
trusted to him for safe-keoping.
ut must be valuable" he muttered
with concern" too valuable to hide here
in Ridgefeld, or he'd have done it. l
known u place-up the Rivera safe
place, a sure place"
Tho man with a mission to perform"
had meantime gone out upon the public
streets of tho town, had mingled with
= 40 >>l, l., tnI k,t ,.;,
task apportioned to him by his tyrancal
maStor.
1t was full eventide when he returned.
If his face had been palid at noon, it
was CHASTITY now. His eyes. rolling,
haunted, seemed to turn and dilate on
ricketty pivots, continual tremor Of
the bloodlcss lips told OF emotion that
was fast sapping life and energy with
its intensity.
"Tvc done it.' he muttered. II have
succeeded-oh. the pltiful farce, oh. the
heart-breaking effort"
Utterly unnorved, Wharton sank to
couch. The grey shadows came through
the windows, the deeper dusk began
to penetrate the lovely room.
He tried to resin vain. His hand
would seek his head, his eyes would
glare strangely. Once he started up
with terrified cry, and stared at q
corner Of the apartment, as II his fevered
fancy depicted some horrible wrath
lowering there.
1.-The Old man." he chartered, ''the
poor, honest master who was so kind to
me- Murdered! I can see his CORY
locks or silver now, oh, mercy! mercy!
didn't do it, didn't do it,"
He shrieked forth the words and
pressed his hands over his eyes. as IL to
shut out the AWFUL picture that haunted
him.
II can't stand it," he gasped at last,
arising trembling in every limb, and
gliding like a thief to q table.
A bottle he had brought stood there.
He took up Il glass So unsteady were
Ills fingers, that the flask ratified against
the goblet like hailstones on thin
pane
Suddenly bottle and glass went crash
ing to the floor. 4 violent shock had
assaulted the miserable wretch. The
tension reached its highest bcarable
point.
Something snapped in John Wharton'S
head-something gave way in the mental
equilibrium.
\ strange cry like tie whine of dog
when stricken with poison, escaped his
lips.
"It's comef' he whispered in hollow
tones; "oh, God! whose laws have out
ragged, whose commands l have rejected,
mercy. mercy!'
Fighting off imakinarv hosts Of bat
Ting demons, shrieking, covering, the
dull hopeIessness of the idiot in his eye,
the fury of the maniac in his twitching
face, the convulsion shook the strong
frame as by u cyclones breath, and then
east him prone on the floor, quivering,
iabbering, helpless.
ut had come" at last indeed.-the
silver cord was loosed, the wheel at the
cistern was hroSen-the mailed menace
of doom had crushed him, and the worst
had befallen John Wnarton-the hand of
A.ii