The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-06-07

Tor you to say whether you shall lei
4 them know 1T i'll person or 20 from here
u free man. "
Maxcy had been awake nights plan
ming his procedure at this interview,
AT this point i'll the case he had ALWAYS
pictured the trembling villain as turn.
ing pale and saying, "Oh, Mr.. Maxey,
do not deliver me TO the police. and I
will tell you cverythingr' but in reality
the prcsumable villain opened his un
Dianched lips to say in an entirely steady
voice:
Sir, you see here man who for years
and years has been struggling in the face
! OF great and insurmountable odds. and
who has made Il failure of the struggle.
| do not know what you mean, but Won
evidently desire to institute legal pro-
ceedlngs of some nature against me.
You have my full and free permission so
todo. If am accused of anything, care
not what i'll the category of crimes, from
! petty larceny to murder, shall not take
the trouble to deny it. When this man
brought me to your door, l was wonder
ing If it were possible for Providence SO
far to have relented toward me as to be
opening for me means of honest and
manly employment / came here as a
last effort i'll that direction. With tho
result of this experiment in mind, I
shall never try it again. No, sir Do
what you please with me- Twill employ
DO counsel. Twill make no defense. The
law may take its course. The remainder
OF my life, the manner of my death, is a
matter of total Indifference to me-
Ihe voice had still its theatrical ring.
but underneath it all there was a GRIM
ness and sincerity that carried with it
the conviction that he meant what he
said When the amazed Muxey could
speak, he exclaimed:
$50 You confess your share in the
crime without equivocation!'
'SiI, | can only confess the truth. but
as l am not man of veracity that
would have little weight. If you have
any evidence at all of any wrong dealing
on my part, an ignorant and uncultivated
jury would undoubtedly do your work
and convict me Of anything. look like
avillain. 1 have all tho suspicious and
uneAplainable habits of villain Twelve
average men would say at once: He is
villain. Let us punish him. ""
And you haven't shadow of a sus-
picion of what you would be accused?"
Sir, of what use is it to question me?
If | say no, you will not believe me. If
say yes, | should only lay myself open
to further questions, which it would be
impossible for me to answer and then
you would not believe me. In any case
l should be liar and an equivocator in
your eyes. The shortest way is to call
the police at once. Sir, have used al
cohol very freely of lato years, and it
has partially succeeded in achieving the
result to secure which learned to like
lt-ln bunting my senses and brutaliz.
ing my intellect, but have yet remain.
ing to me, think / may say without
eAaggeration, sufficient penetration and
sagacity to understand that gentleman
Ike yourself does not take such pains to
become possessed of the person of a so.
cial outcast like myself unless he be-
ieves such step of supreme impor-
tance, Doubtless you have your theo-
Iics?"
DOUBTLESS l have. You have parried
my question very ingeniously, Mr.. DYE.
Let me see what you will say to the
next You spoke of the truth in the
matter What is the truth"
''Sir, will answer you unrescryedly
connect my presence here, not without
some degree of naturalncss, you must
admit, to the interest you take in the
young lady whom have reared as my
daughter While can have no idea of
what your suspicious are or of what You
would convict me, inasinuch as Won !
spea& Of tho police infer that it must |
be something of criminal nature. The T
truth i'll relation to that matter is An
nette is not my child, and | have no !
claim or authority over her. | never 7
even legally adopted her. If she has
borne my name, it was because my late !
wife wished it for the child's own sake.
She believed that it would be humiliat.
ing for the child to he brought MP in the
knowledge that she had no name: that
she was in truth waif whose parent
age was unknown. Iwould have given
much il the name we gave her had been
worth more for her own sake, but it was
the best that we could do under the cir
"
who were Annette's parcnts?'
God knows "
"And you?''
"Sir, / am not in his confidence !"
You talk that way and expect me to
believe youp'
Sir, on the contrary, / do not. Nei-
ther do | wish to be understood as in-
dulging in profanc leyity. / have the ut.
most respect for the Deity. He has, he
can have none for me y
MaNey was astounded II was not
alone the coolness of the man. but tho
sincerity and despair with which he
seemed to speak. In spite of himself, the
irtist began to believe him. For mo-
nent he could not regain courage enough
% return to the attack. Mr.. Dye lifted
MS faded eyes inquiringly from the CON
emplation of his hat
''You don't believe mc?" he said,
''It seems hardly possible. "
Sir, it is the truth. For myself |
would not take the trouble to speak Fer
Ter sake l will say to you that | take nv
'ath before Almighty God, as hope for
mercy in the world to come, that do
lot know who her parents were. -
He said this solemnly and impressive
y. 1t produced profound effect on
1axey, who had never drifted away
rom tho religious teaching of his youth.
'he name of the Deity was very solemn
hing in his eyes. He could not under.
tand why it should not be in the ewes
all men, Nevertheless he mustered
p courage TO renew the battle
If this be true. why then did you
ppear so excited on the night when you
Mt this child into your wife's arms?
-S