Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-02-27
CHAPTER m.-(CoNrINuxp.,

He opened the door with one Of
bunch Of keys which he carried, and
noiselessly entered. The gas was
turned down low, but a mellow radiance
filled the place. A bed stood in one
corner, and Sharp advanced toward 1t.
The noise he had made. slight though
she started up in alright, Arch met the
soft, pleadinr Of Margia Harrison
son. She him, not to Sharp.
DO not kill me"
Sharp lai,i riI, Il hand on her shoul-
der. and pC &r'-e ut her throat.
Simultanc .ly. Arch sprang upon
him like tis5:.
Release that girl" he hissed.
Dare to touch her with the tips of your
fingers. and by Heaven I will murder
you"
Sharp sprang back with an oath, and
at the same moment pistol shot rang
through the house. and Sharp. bathed
in blood. fell to the floor. Old Mr..
Trevlyn, travel stained and wet, strobe
into the room.
I've killed him." he said, in a
cracked voice Of intense satisfaction.
He didn't catch old Trevlyn mapping.
knew well enough they'd be after my
diamonds. and l gave up the journey.
Margie. child. are the jewels safe?"
She had fallen back on the pillows.
pale as death, her white night dress
spattered with the blood Of the dead
robber.
Arch lifted tiny glove from the
carpet, thrust 1t into his bosom, and.
before old Trevlyn could raise n hand
to stop him, he had got clear OF the
premises.
Such relief as he felt when the
cool, fresh air struck his face. He had
been saved from overt criminality. God
had not permitted him to thus debase
himself. Now that his excitement was
gone. he saw the Nervousness Of the
sin he had been about to commit in all
its deformity.
Let old Trevlyn go! Let him gloat
over his diamonds while yet he had the
opportunity. He would not despoil
him Of his treasures. but he could not
give up his scheme OF vengeance. It
should be brought about some other
way.
A large reward was offered by Mr..
Trevlyn for the apprehension Of Sharp's
accomplice. 1t. as no description of
his person co..; / be given by any one
except Margie. who could not or would
not be explicit on that point. he was
not secured.
Trevlyn recognized and appreciated
her noble generosity in suffering him
to go free. for in the one look she had
given him on that disgraceful occasion
he had felt that she recognized him.
But she pitied him enough to let him
go free.
Well. he would show her that her con-
fidence was not misplaced. He would
deserve her forbearance. He was re-
solved upon new life.
He left the saloon, and after many
rebuffs succeeded in getting employ
ment as errand boy in large import
ing house. The salary was mere pit
tance, but 1t kept him in clothes and
coarse food. until one day. about
year after his apprenticeship there, he
chanced to save the life Of Mr.. Belgrade,
the senior partner. A gas pipe in the
private Office Of the firm exploded. and
the place took fire. and Mr.. Belgrade.
smothered and helpless. would have
perished in the flames. had not Arch.
with n bravery few would have expect
ed in bashful, retiring boy. plunged
through the smoke and flame, and bore
him to place Of safety.
Mr.. Belgrade was man with con-
taf II 60 l,t, l.
warded his preserver by clerkship
of Importance. The duties of this Of
flee he discharged faithfully for three
years. when the death Of the head clerk
left vacancy, and when Arch was
nineteen he received the situation.
Through these three years he had
been a close student. Far into the night
he pored over his books. and, too
proud to go to school, he hired a teacher
and was taught privately. At twenty
he was quite as we'll educated as nine
tenths of the young men now turned out
by our fashionable colleges.
Rumors of. Margie Harrisons tri-
umphs reached him constantly, for
Margie was belle and beauty now.
Her parents were dead, and she had
been left to the guardianship of Mr..
Trevlyn. at whose house she made her
home, and where she reigned a very
queen. Old Trevlyn's heart at last
found something beside his diamonds
to worship. and Margie had 1t all her
own way.
She came into the store Of Belgrade &
Co. one day, and asked to look at some
laces. Trevlyn was the only clerk dis
engaged, and with a very changeable
face he came forward to attend to her.
He felt that she would recognize him at
once-that she would remember where
she had seen him the last time-a house
breaker! She held his reputation in her
keeping.
His hand trembled as he took down
the laces-she glanced at his face. A
start of surprise-a conscious, painful
blush swept over her face. He dropped |
the box, and the rich laces fell over his |
feet.
Pardon me-" he said. hurriedly, and.
STOPPING to pick them up. the little
glove he had stolen on that night. and
which he always wore In his bosom. fell
out. and dropped among the laces.
I'll.