Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-09-24

~ tasT ne became .nvoiye,i y = DO
l:tieal plot Of the gravest character.
aEd for once lost his craft. There was
! q meeting of the eonsTirators. at which
&C -hgsiasm ran high. and in the Juror
Of the moment. a compact was drawn
up and signed BIZ those present. S,
reasonable was this document that the
signers were hopelessly compromised
should it fall into the hands OF even
the most mercifully -disposed govern
laent. Within "a hours after the meet
ing the paper disappeared. The sign
ers set themselves TO search for it. and
at last gained a clew Following this,
they discovered that it had come into
the possession of a woman of rank.
young. beautiful. ambitious. mad for
political intrigue. and attached to d
rival faction. The fact that she had Sc
cured it was sufficient TO insure the
failure of the project it outlined; but
worse than this failure was the menace
to the signers. 1t WIS resolved TO re-
cover the compact at any cost: but
then arose the question. who should
undertake the difficult task? The
man who afterward came 10 you vol
unteered. and was accepted.
He recovered the document. Single.
handed. he wayIaid the lady's carriage
drove off her servants, and. on her re-
fusal to surrender the paper. cut her
throat. As he had expected. the precious
paper was found in the bosom of her
dress.
He fled the country forthwith. carry
ing with him the cause of he tragedy
So long as he retained possession of i.
he was certain of holding his cocoon
spirators at his mercy. Many of them
abhorred his bloody deed. but he held
their fortunes and perhaps their lives
in his hand; and some OF them. at
least. were forced 20 aid him in making
his escape. The family of his victim
swore undying vengeance. Her broth
ers traced him to Europe. and then to
the United States. They were close
upon him when he sought your aid:
had it not been given. he could hardly
have escaped: for in your country a
man of his face and accent was easily
traced-he impresse4 the persons he
~
He had heard of the lonely coast
you described to me. end he had carried
with him the card he presented to YOU
1t was given 10 him. Tot because | was
myself involved in the political net.
but because others whom | loved were
fast in its meshes, ard for their sake |
desired him not to fall into the clutches
OF the avengers. When he came to vol,
the pursuers lost the trail. They
searched and searched, but for
months without result After time
was told of rumors that he had
opened correspondence with his broth
ers at home, and that they were sup
plying him with large sums. His enc
mics also heard the reports, and strove
IN every way to hit upon the channel
OF communication. but their efforts
seemed to be doomed to failure.
Chance finally did what skill and
bribery could not effect. By acct
Gent, traveller, who. through friend.
ship for the murdered woman's kins-
men. had aided them in their hunt,
stumbled upon the fugitive's hiding
place. and is even said to have seer.
from an ambush of his own, the muir
derer moving about his retreat. The
discoverer lost no time in bearing the
rews to his allies. Two of the victims
brothers. with force of assistants in
whom they could trust. sailed hence,
ostensibly for Franco. Rumors cur
rent here have it that they arrived only
TO find that their enemy was dead. IL
is also said that the compact is de-
stroyed. If you have any knowledge of
its fate you may relieve many anxious
hearts,"
Lamars pursuers had been the
avengers of blood. By my aid he had
cvaded them, yet through me they had
come upon him at last. Fortunes ca
rriec had granted him but reprieve,
allowing him, in the end. only the priv
iiege of dying by his own hand rather
than by the hands of his foes. Baffled
in their vengeance as they would have
carried it out, they had as partial COM
pensation the knowledge that they hal
forced him to the dread alternative. A
penalty-if not that which they
desired-had been paid for his crime.
THE END.