The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-01

didn't know / knew who you were.
Why. you refreshing person, 1t was only
because did know that l pretended TO
fall into your BOBBY trap. only let you
take Hughes place on board the hulk
that l might get you into my power ana
rid myself of the pair OF you at sweep.
And to think that you didn't know that
I knewl Why, man alive. I've known
all about you from the first, and could
have sent you to join Quickly and Green
long ago if | had minded. But they
were mere bunglers, tit only TO put out
of the way just as one would tread upon
a spider or beetle, whereas you're really
clever and ingenious and all that sort
of thing, don't you know. and you IN.
terested me. / don't say that IL you bad
had any one you were very fond OLA
wife. sweetheart, sister-something
might not have happened to them, just
to let you know that Twas keeping You
in mind
"Once or s,7ice you played your cards
quite prettily but, oh, how you bungled
them at othersl Still, | might have ex-
pected that FROM your books. What
could be worse of their sort than they?
I've read them all, though how | en-
dured it / don't know. There is one
thing couldn't endure, however, and
that is that you should write book
about me. Spare me that last indignity
and I'll forgive you the brutal, black
guardly, costermonger blows you struck
me behind the postoff1ce s"
His eyes shone wickedly as he spoke,
and then for the first time il occurred
10 me Ct had been too fascinated by the
man to think of it before) that he must
have some motive for thus putting him
self TO the trouble of holding me in con-
versation at a time when he was, as
could see, suffering the keenest physical
pain. What could his motive be?
For answer there came from the space
where the dynamite was stored tiny
splutter, not unlike the splutter which
is given occasionally by badly trimmed
lamp.
We had not been in time to prevent
him carrying out his devilish purpose
after all. And I-blind fool that was
had been listening idly to his chatter,
not knowing that every word which fell
from his lips was bringing nearer the
certainty of dreadful fate.
This was Wy he had forced himself
| to smile and wear mask, was it?
But the mask was off now, for, catch
ing sight of the horror in my face as l
leaped to my feet, he raised himself on
| his arm and glared at me with "A coun-
L f..lI l,,,.x 10
ness by devilish hate and exultation.
| "You're too late, you - You re
too late. We're going to hell together,
and if there's deeper hell still I'll
seize You with grip you can't shake
off and leap with you into the eternal
fire. You sban't escape me there any
more than you have here, for we'll burn
together. You're too late, you re too
His voice died away in the distance,
for l was Ivy this time I'm the dingey and
rowing as man never rowed before.
Thank God, l was already ten yards
away-twenty, fifty, "a hundred.
Suddenly the sea behind me seemed
to open up in one sheet of purple flame
and was knocked backward out of the
boat as if by blow from q clinched
fist. Then il seemed as if the sea had
picked me up in its arms-as had once
seen drink maddened man pick up q
child whom he afterward dashed head
foremost against a brick wall-and had
flung me away and away over the very
worlds edge.
When came to myself, was lying
high and dry upon the Kentish coast,
carried there, no doubt, by the huge
wave that had followed the explosion.
Captain Shannon had been arrested at
last, and by an officer who for your
crimes and mine, reader-be they few
or many, trivial or greats now. hunt.
ing each Of US down to bring us to jus.
tice.
That etective-Detective Death
there is no eluding. and one day he will
lay his hand upon your shoulder and
upon mine and say, "Come."
And we shall have to go.
THE END.
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