The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-10-10

| wv ctlcSS NICt'h "o bS vas Ahtb 49,
a terrible revelation to him.
But other, and to him, even more
terrible revelations were at hand.
Among the letters were W or three
signed Edward Lingham. and thee
were copies of letters written by NJ.
| Medlicott. 1t was only after perusing
several of these that the strange story
they. revealed began to dawn upon
him; and it was only after reading
them again that he could realize all
that that story meant for him.
First and foremost he learned that
the man whose life he had so cruelty
taken was not the II who had de-
frauded his father of his birthright,
but only his brother. Nay, more, that
this murdered man had strongly con
demned his brothers conduct, been
Edward Lingham5s friend. had more
than once assisted him from starva-
ton, and had never refused him help
when he applied for it, but no help
could i've that man from the conse-
quences of his evil life. And how
evil that life had been was abundant
ly proved by this correspondence.
But the torn letter that had been
given him by the dying man, surely he
could not have purpOSely wished to
mislead him? Oh, no! Death had inter-
yened before the explanation was
complete. and what terrible conse-
quences had thus been brought about.
Here, before proceeding further in
his discoveries, he paused to think and
to look back upon his life. from that
terrible night when he bad stood alone
upon the high road with the dead.
What that life had been it would
be useless to relate.
Envious and malignant by DISPOSE
ton. he had Rugged the poisonous
thought that, instead of being the out
cast and v%agabond he was. he might
have been living in luxury but for one
mar who had robbed him of his birth
right.
Soon after his flight from the work
house he had got over to America az
a stowaway, and there remained until
he grew to manhood.
Ever haunted by the prompting to
revenge he by and by returned TO Eng
land. Evil and dissolute as his life
had been, he had picked up a tolerable
education.
All advertisement In the Telegraph
for a young man to assist a gentle
man as amanuensis was n of the
first things that attracted his atten-
ton upon landing.
The gentleman's name was John
Roberts, and he lived at Croydon. A
willy tongue and any number Of lies
obtained him the situation.
1t was now that he took the name
of Abershaw, one of the many aliases
his father had assumed. He soon dis
covered that Mr.. Roberts was n friend
of Mr.. Medlicott. and when the former
about to depart to America he
obtained from him the letter of rec
concentration which has been already
given in these pages.
In the States Luke had served in
many capacities; among others he had
been an assistant in a drug store, and
had picked up some knowledge of the
business.
One day he happened to overhear a
conversation between his employer
and a doctor of the city concerning
the peculiar properties of a certain
drug. which, if administered in large
doses, would produce all the symptoms
of the disease for which it was fire.
quently prescribed, and act as a slow
poison that almost defied analysis.
What prompted the action it would
be difficult to say; perhaps he had no
idea himself-perhaps, unknown, even
to himself, there was some subtle on
nection between it and his ever-brood-
ing thoughts of vengeance. Be that as
it might, he secretly possessed himself
at different times of a quantity Of this
dangerous drug and Of others yet more
deadly, and carried them about with
him wherever he went.
When 1t was arranged that he
should enter Mr.. Medlicott's employ,
with the question how should he
wreak the vengeance that he had so
long thirsted for, and which was now
within his grasp, anne the memory of
hat conversation.
Blindly led on by Fate, he had
thought of making inquiries respect
ing Mr.. Medlicott 70 as to verify his
fixed idea that he was the man who
had wrOnged his father; he had ac-
cepted that fragment of letter as all il
concerned him to know.
With his thoughts still brooding on
his critical position, he resumed his
perusal of James Medlicott's letters,
in one Of which, dated twenty-five
years ago, he met a sentence abiding
to the kidnapping of mis- infant son.
The child was described as having a
physical defect, the third toe on the
foot being abnOrmally short and
undeveloped. His left foot was SINH
larry deformed. The truth flashed
upon his mind. And this was the re-
suit of his vengeance against his own
father and his sister.
Maddened by these thoughts, the
impulse of flight came upon him. He
unlocked the door, but was startled by
Godfrey's saying:
"You cannot leave this house"
Who'll prevent me- he shouted.
And up the stairs, uttering a demon
lac laugh, he rushed.
AL Of a sudden a duh, heavy thud
upon the pavement was heard-all