Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-26

q close eye upon Derwent all the while
By-and-by he read aloud:
II, Henry Mason, alias Thomas j.
Derwent, do hereby certify that
forged the note upon the Goldthwaite
Bank, of New York City 20 years ago,
for which Howard Scott stood accused,
1 declare said Scott innocent. 1 alone
am guilty."
"Come now, and sign your name,
straight goods ; I know your signature,
remember"
II will give you ten, fifteen, twenty
thousand dollars" began Derwent,
eagerly.
"Sign!"
"Fifty thousand"
"Sign !" and the revolver clicked.
Derwent bent over the paper.
"One hundred thousand-anything,
everything"
"Write Henry Mason,
ALIAS THOMAS J. DERwENT,'" ,"
said Scott.
The man wrote, staggering back from
the table with groan.
"Now that part of the business is
finished. Resume your seat" said
Scott. 81 want to do some writing on
my own hook, and these are about as
cozy quarters as I can find. You are
pretty we'll known at home, Henry
Mason, if you did shunt that forgery
off on me, and it will add somewhat
to the interest of my kilograms to state
that they. were written in your own
handsomely appointed library. When
I have finished I shall use your tele-
phone a moment. The boys at the
station know me very we'll. Aspecial
correspondent comes to know great
many people, you know" he said, with
a short laugh, "and shall have no
difficulty in getting man to take
charge of you. Whatever else they
know about me, they know am no
liar. After that my game is played"
He wrote on busily for an hour. AT
last he picked up the loose sheets and
read aloud what he h.d written. He
had told the truth when he said he
knew how to write. The story that
he told of his own suffering for
THE CRIME OF ANOTHER
Would have made him famous, 80 full
was it of dramatic power and graphic
detail. At the first merciless head
lines Derwent groaned aloud, but
Scott went on pitilessly, telling the
whole dark story of the mans crime.
| Meanwhile he sat with his head
bowed in his hands, listening. He did
not raise his head even when Scott
rang the telephone bell and ordered a
man up from the station. The house
of cards which it had taken 20 years
to build had tumbled about his head,
and he sat bowed and broken among
the ruins. The passing moments
seemed hours of agony and despair.
In the midst of it all there was frou-
frou of skirts in the hall and the pat
ter of slippered feet on the hardwood
floor. The door opened softly.
"Is that you, father, dear ?" sweet
voice asked, and Scott looked up to
see young girl standing in the door,
way. She was beautiful, sweet
faced young thing, and her dead-gold
hair was flung loosely back over her
shoulders, and a tender look of sleep
was in her blue eyes. ~ am 80 glad
you have come, DEAR" she went on.
~ had gone to bed, and was asleep,
but
HEARD THE TELEPHONE
And fancied it must be you. l am so
glad to see you, you sweet old papa" !"
Derwent fancied he heard click of
:, the revolver, and looked up sharply.
But Scott threw a newspaper over bis
left hand and coughed softly behind
his palm.
"Oh, beg pardon, father !' said the
girl, springing to her feet. II thought
you were alone"
There was not even glance at
Scott as she turned and left the room.
Derwent uttered a stitled cry as the
door closed.
"Lucie !"
But Scott sprang to his feet.
SAT your perilr he said, jamming
the revolver under Derwent's nose.
"Your daughter, I suppose9" he went
on.
"Yes," Derwent murmured.
"How old is she ?"
"Eighteen years."
"Then she knows nothing of your
dirty past?"
"Nothing."
"ADd believes in you ?"
"Yes." And the man groaned.
"Then God help her, poor little
girl !" said Scott, fervently.
The heavy tread of the policeman
was heard mounting the stone steps.
Scott hesitated moment, then,
WHIPPING THE REVOLVER
Into his pocket, he snatched the close.
ly written sheets from the table and
tore them into shreds.