Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-05-14
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And that was one of the days. ] think,
when you proved the alibi in Belgium be-
tore the Devonshire magistrates 1T Tayi-
stock. yesterday, the clerk went On. with
Q searching glance. Cyril started &kis lime.
He saw ina second the new danger thus
press the matter home to the hilt; he must
necessarily arrive at one or other of two re-
sults---either the alibi would break down
altogether, or.it would be perfectly clear
that Guy had committed forgery.
80 ii seems, he answered, looking his
j. seems, /! should say, by the date on the
face Of it.
But the cashier did not care to press the
matter home any iartehr; and for very
good reason. II was none OF his business
| to suggest the idea Of forgery, after check
had been presented and duly cashed If the
customer to whose account it was debited
in course chose voluntarily to accept the re-
sponsibility OF honoring it. The objection
| should come first from the customers side
| II he didn't care TO press it. then neither
did the cashier. Why should he, indeed?
Why saddle his firm with six thousand
pounds loss? He would only get himself
into trouble for having failed to observe
the discrepancy in the signatures, aud the
| difference between the brothers. That.
after all, Is what q cashier IL for If he
| doesn't fulfill those first duties Of his post,
why, what on earth can be the good Of him
to ybody in any way?
The two men looked at one another
across the counter with strong, inscrut-
able stare OF mutual suspicion. Then Cyril
slowly tore UP the check he had rendered
| for fifty pounds, filed in another tor his
| real balance OF twenty-five, handed it
across to the clerk without another word
received the cash in white, trembling hands,
and went out to his cab again in a turmoil
of ex element.
All the way back to his rooms in Staple
Inn, one seething idea possessed his soul
His faith in Guy was beginning to break
down: and with it. his faith in himself al
most went. The man was his own brother
Ibis very counterpart, he knew; could he
really bell We him capable OF committing a
| murder? Cyril looked within. and said a
thousand times no;he looked at that forged
check. and his heart misgave him.
At Staple Inn, the housekeeper who took
| care OF their joint rooms came out to greet
him with no small amount OF tears and lam
| entations. "Oh, Mr. Cyril. she cried
| seizing both his hands in hers with trem-
ulous welcome, I'm glad to see you back,
and to know you're innocent. always said
you never could have done it;no, no. not you;
| nor yet Mr. Guy neither. The police has been
here time and again to search the rooms
anything! And I've got letter forycu,
too, from Mr.. Guy himself; but there--I
locked it up till you come in my own cup
board at home, for fear of the detectives;and
now you're back and safe in London again,
Ill run home this minute, round the cor
ner, and get it"
Cyril sat down in the familiar easy-chair
holding his face in his hands, and gazed
about him biankiy Such homecoming
as this was inexpressibly terrible to him.
In few minutes more the housekeeper
came back, bringing i'll her hands Guys
letter from Plymouth.
Cyril sat for minute and looked at the
envelope in. deadly silence: then he mo-
toned the hOusekeeper out of the room
with one quivering hand. Before that
good woman's face he couldn't open it and
| read it,
As soon as she was gone, he tore it apart
trembling. As he read and read. the sus-
picion within him deepened quickly into q
doubt, the doubt into conviction, the con-
viction into certainty. He clapped his
hand to his head Oh, God. what was this?
Guy acknowledged his own guilt. He
con essed he had done it,
Cyrils last hope was gone. Guy himself
| admitted it,
"How came to do it," the letter said
IA strange. unaceountable impulse-a
| prompting ss II were. pressed upon me
| from without, and almost before knew,
the crime was committed. M
Cyril bent his head low on his knees with
shame. He never could hold up that head
henceforth. No further doubt or hesitation
remained. He knew the whole truth Guy
was indeed a murderer.
| He steeled himself for the worst and read
the letter through with superhuman ef-
fort. 1t almost choked him to read. The
very cOnsecutiveness and coherency Of the
sentences seemed all but incredible under
such awful circumstances A murderer,
/ dQd N sfsPi lp,,I "
as that! And then. too. this undying an
| ger expressed and fc I, even after death
against hts victim, Nevitt Cyril COULDN'T
understand how any man--least OF all his
/ own br0ther-could write such words about
the murdered man whose body was then
lying all silent and cold. under the open
| sky. among the bracken at MANI bury.
And once more. this awful clew Of the
dead mans pocket-book! Those accused
notes! That hateful sum Of money!
How could Guy venture to speak Of it all
in such terms as those-the one paipalle fact
that indubltably linked him with that
cold-blooded murder. THE three thou
sand sent herewith recovered. almost by
Q miracle. from that false creatures grasp
under extraordinary circumstances, and
return them now, In proof OF the fact, in
Montague Nevitt's own rocket book, which
I'm sure you'll recognize rs soon as you
look at it"
Cyril saw it all beyond the shadow OF I
doubt. He reconstructed the whole sad
tale. He was sure he understood it; but to
understand it was hardly even vet to be
lieve it. Guy had lost heavily in the Rio
| in an evil hour he'd been CATO Cd
into forging Cyril's name for ii,
thousand. Montague Nentt had in some
way Incorporated the stolen SUM. Guy
had pursued him in q sudden whitehead
e t.rv h..l come I'D with him unawares
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