The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-14
IA Mans Vengeance



afternoon, she burst into very passionate
grief
A acknowledgement above the
wall.
"Ahoyi whativer's the matter, Miss
Tregonf" he gravely inquired. "shall
fetch Mr.. Hocken TO eef"
"I hate himl hate himp' she sobbed
bysterically.
That's bad, /" said VIII sympathetically.
"whats he been up tol'
sup toi Isn't he oldf Isn't ne uglyf
Isn't he stupidf And-and--I hate him.
Mother may storm, but don't care
Will vaulted over the wall.
On the day appointed for James Hook
ems nuptials the whole village focked be-
times to the church. But neither BRIDE
groom nor bride put In an appearance, and
by and by II was known that Will Carter
and Bertha Tregon were missing and that
there would be no wedding at Pcngelly
that day.
Weeks and months rolled by, and no I'll
dings could be CLEANED Of the graceless oou-
pie. They had clean vanished, leaving no
clew TO their whereabouts. Mrs. Tregon's
tongue sharpened 10 double edged sword,
ready to slay friend and foe alike who al
luded to her daughter And the dumb
misery in Jim's plain face was pitiful to
see. Old Isaac's heart ached for his son.
II he had only prepared him for the blow
10 have been so imposed on-and with
his experience of womankind.
Curiosity was at length appeased. An
acquaintance of the runaways visited Lon.
don and returned with a woeful story. She
l. 4 .
that after being married at a registry
office VIII and she had decided to go TO
America, but while looking in at shop
window he had been robbed of his savings,
and that subsequently they We're reduced
TO great straits. Then he had brought her
the welcome news that he had obtained a
berth on a steam launch, and the next
morning bade her goodby to go aboard,
since when sho had never clapped her eyes
on him. Mrs. Pegg also said that Bertha
had refused 70 give her her address. But
Jim ascertained that she had met her at
Rotherhithe, and that was enough for him.
"I'm off to London" he announced
when he came down. stairs after pacing the
floor tho livelong night. II shall never
rest until Carter and me are face to face"
"Thee be fule, Jim" his father, who
had been disturbed by his monotonous
tread overhead, said peevishly. III you
must stir in this business find Bertha. It'd
be a charity. For all her sharp temper,
her mothers frettin herself into her grave.
Take what money you want out o my old
leather bag. Only promise, lad. noting
the sullen fire In his deep set eyes, mot TO
meddle wi Will"
Trust me to find Bertha. But she
would be destitute" he said hoarsely.
"And she may have become n shame TO
her kith and kin. And in that case no
promise would bind me, father. I'd have
his life II swung for IT,"
But Pengelly was convinced that VIII
had betaken himself to foreign parts.
And recalling this old Isaac was encourag-
cd to hope that Jim would be denied the
opportunity Of vengeance.
Jim had been In London three months.
His quest had been unsuccessful, yet he
continued TO haunt the principal thorough
fares, tramping north, south, east and
west In turn.
Big Ben had struck one. He was re
crossing Westminster bridge TO his lodg-
ings when a woman crouching by lamp
post ahead'of him fell forward In heap,
and Fastening his steps he endeavored to
raise her But, with the light falling on
the pallid, hunger pinched face, a groan
escaped him. His quest for Bertha Carter
had ended
At that moment policeman came up.
Poor soul She's dead" he said at a
glance. Better so than the leap into the
water she was bent on I've had my eye
on her since z O'Clock. She seemed dazed." "
The body was conveyed TO tho mortuary,
and the verdict at the inquest was in ac-
cordance with the medical testimony-that
death was due to starvation.
Outwardly calm, his sole thought to
avenge Bertha, Jim staggered out OF the
court.
His inquiries for the man who had rob
bed him Of the one jewel he coveted, to
cast IL from him, at length elected that
seaman answering 70 his description OF
Carter was homeward bound from Singa-
pore fThenceforth, knowing neither hum
ger nor WEAKNESS, he was watohful of new
arrivals at the docks
His desire for revenge was by now n
monomania. And today he had strange
prescience that Will and he were soon TO
meet. Self absorbed, in crossing the street
he was knocked down by u dray and,
stunned, conveyed TO the hospital
On recovering consciousness his hrst re
quest was for his discharge.
"Not yet awhile" said the nurse. "But
you won't be dull That poor chap yon-
der, indicating bandaged object in dis
tant bed, has been asking for you. You
don't recognize himi No wonder He
was brought in months ago-after the fire
In St Thomas street He was looking on,
and woman and some children appeared
at n top window The frcmcn were beat
ell back by the blaze below. But poor Will
-he won't tell us his surname-oouldn't
Withstand their cries, and he climbed up
the water spout on TO the roof with rope,
and threw one end to them, and had ac-
tually lowered two Of the children in safe
ty when the walls collapsed. He was
picked up so terribly injured that we had
little hope Of him. But he has done splen-
didly. If YOU
But Jim was midway across the ward.
Oh, hcavenl To think that this poor man.
gled wretch was Handsome Willl' And
so sorcly misjudgedl Leaning over the
brave fellow, Hocken's emotion was hard
20 restrain.