The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-14
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The man wrote. staggering back from
the table with u groan.
Now tina. part of tho business is I'm
ishcd. Resume your seat" said Scott. -
want to do some writing on my own hook
and these are about rs cozy q unrtcrs Us
can find. You arc pretty we'll known mt
homo, Horny Mason, if you did shunt that
forgery off on mo, and 1t will add some
what to tho interest of my kilograms to
state that thcy were written In your own
handsomely. appointed library. Whom l
have finished L shall uso your telephone "a
moment. Tho boys ut the station know
mo pretty well. a special correspondent
comes to know great many people, you
know" no said with II short laugh, land
shall have no difficulty in getting a man
to tako charge Of you. Whatever olso they
know about mo they know 1 am no liar
After that my gamo is playod.''
Ho wrote OH busily for an hour. At last
he picked up the loose sheets and read
aloud what no had written Ho had told
the truth when he said ho knew how to
write. The story that no told Of his own
suffering for the crime Of another would
have made him famous, SO full was it of
dramatic power and graphic Diet oil. At the
first mercilcss headlines Derwent groaned
aloud, but Scott went on pitilcssly, telling
tho whole dark story of tho mans crime
Meanwhile he sat with his head bowed in
his hands, listening Ho did not raise his
head even when Scott rang tho telephone
bell and ordered man up from the sta
ton. Tho house of cards which it had
taken him 90 years to build had tumbled
about his head, and no sat bowed and
broken among the ruins. Tho passing
moments seemed hours of agony and de-
spair. In tho midst of it all there was a
frou of skirts in the hall and tho patter of
slippcrcd feet on the hard wood floor. The
door opened softly.
SIS it you, father, dcar3" a sweet voice
asked, and Scott looked up to SEQ young
girl standing in tho doorway, tho brass
bolt still in her small white hnnR She
was beautiful, sweet faced young thing
and her dead gold hair was flung loosely
back over her wrappercd shoulders, and u
tender look of sleep was in her blue eyes.
81 am so glad you have come, dear" she
went ON. Il had Como to bed and WIS
asleep, but heard the telephone and fan
ciod it must he you. am so glad to see
you, you sweet old papa you "Shc had
crossed the room and was knce1ing beside
him, her white arms about his neck
Dcrwcnt fancicd ho heard click of the
pistol and looked up sharply. But Scott
threw a newspaper over his left hand and
coughod softly behind his palm.
Oh, beg your pardon, fathor!' said
tho girl, springing to her feet. Thought
you were alone"
There WAS not even glance at Scott as
she turned and left the room.
Dcrwent uttered IL stifled cry as the door
closed, "Lucic!'
But Scott had sprung to his feet. "At
your pcril!'' he said jamming the pistol
under Dcrwent's nose.
" Your daughter, 1 SUPPOSED" he went
on.
Eyes" Derwent murmured
How old is sheg'
Eighteen years"
Then she Knows nothing of your dirty
pastf"
Nothing
And believes In you?''
Yes" And the man groaned.
"Then God help her." said Scott fer
vently.
The heavy tread of the policeman was
heard mounting the stone steps. Scott
hesitated n moment, then whipping the
pistol into his pocket, he snatchcd the
closely written sheets from the table and
tore them into shreds
So my game Is ended, he said with
laugh, rs he stuffed the torn bits into the
blazing CRATE. open the door and let the
man i'm
Derwcnt hesitated. "Cowardr' said
Scott between his teeth, but he opened the
door himself.
Tho big policeman looked from one to
the other in amaZcment. You, sir?' he
said, staring mt Scott. They were friends
in queer sort of way.
Yes, Mike" Scott answered "Gcntle-
men like that one yonder don't like to be
troubled with wretchos like me, so guess
you'll have to run Inc in. y bert in your
comfortable quarters is not objectionable
on n night like this"
what is to he tho charger" asked Mike.
turning to Derwcnt with no very good
grace.
The man was silent. He still sat COVER
ing i'll his chair. dazed and helpless.
''Ob, the gentleman will no doubt be
on hand to prefer charges in the morning"
interposcd Scott with IL laugh. Lets 20,
Mike"
what horrid wretch that was" said
Lucie, coming from tho back of the hall
and putting her arm through her fathers
when the door closed. What did no want
OF you, dearf'
Money, of course, child" answered her
father hoarscly.
well, I'm glad you telephoned for n
policeman TO take him away if he was
troubling you
A man was reported dead at police sta
ton No. 10 the next morning Thomas
Derwent went into the little whitewashed,
smoke stained room and stood u moment
looking into tho pinchcd face of tho dead
man whose lips were closed forever Then
buttoning up his fur lined oyercoat he
went out again, breathing frecly.-Lavinia
H. Egan in Philadelphia Times.
The Simplest Method.
The fashionable fad for artistic cxpres-
sion from spiritual standpoint, which