Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-05-04
wAKEENEY KANSAS SATURDAY. MAY T. 1896
where the family plate, their object,
was secured.

where the family plate, their object,
was secured.
He gazed at me curiOusly for a few
seconds, and then calmly walked across
the room to his chest of drawers, which
he opened, taking therefrom a small re-
volver which he slipped into his pocket.
handing another to me at the same
time
Sir Mortimer took the lead, and fol-
lowing closely behind him l noiselessly
stole along at his heels.
Arrived at the kitchen door the
sounds inside told us we had come on
the scene just at the right moment.
The baronet threw open the door.
The gas had been lighted, and standing
in the middle Of the room were the
three men, young Mr. Geoffrey apart
from the other two, pallid and hag
gard looking
And then / do not rightly know what
happened. It was all done so quickly.
Sir Mortimer stepped calmly into the
room, raised his revolver and fired at
his son, who was waiting for me-who
had lost all presence of mind-to act on
the initiative
With a dull groan he threw up his
arms and fell forward with a thud
on the stone floor
The other two did not wait for more,
but with incredible swiftness darted
through the pantry, and locking the
doors behind them, made good their
escape.
And then a White-robed figure APP
peared at the open kitchen door. and
gazed wildly about her
As her eyes fell on the body of the
man lying prone and lifeless on the
floor, Miss Linda Barbican-for she it
was rushed forward. and with dull
moan threw herself down beside her
brother, apparently dead, killed by his
own father
MY sin has found me outr' she
moaned My sin has found me out!'
And then, her eyes wandering to the
little pool of blood, which was crimson
ing the cold flags, she cried out anew:
Il can bear it no longer Father!
father! the forgery was my workv
Casting one look of concentrated hate
and anguish on the wretched girl at his
feet, he brushed her trembling aside
and knelt down, moaning softly to him
self, beside the body of his lifeless son.
Mr.. Godfrey did not die. His father
had shot somewhat high and the ball
had glanced off along the collar-b bone,
making a long, jagged wound But
still he was seriously ill, brain fever
setting in afterwards, and for some
hn 10 " 70
death
| fully explained to the baronet the
scheme his son had formed for thwart-
ing the burglars-whO, by the way were
captured some weeks after the at
tempted burglary-and Sir Mortimer's
feelings of remorse and sorrow at the
way in which he had Wronged Mr.. Geof-
frey were terribly poignant.
As for Miss Linda, her story can be
briefly summed up by the following:
Years ago she had apparently had a
worthless lover, with whom she was ut
terly infatuated. Gambling and other
forms of excess had left him in low
water, and his sweetheart had forged
the check to give him the money he had
needed so sorely, laying the blame on
and weaving her subtle net OF accusa-
ton round her innocent brother. What
ultimately became of her l never knew.
If | had only kept my presence of
mind and carried out my instructions,
the Baronet's hand might have been
stayed and Sir Geoffrey would not have
been shot. But then, perhaps Miss
Linda would not have confessed and,
thank heaven, there are not many wo-
men like her in the world.