The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-06-03
NHEKRY


cabin. and he began again, inviting
DICK with a polite gesture to resume
his seat at the table.
You may perhaps have overlooked
the iact, ne said, but the situation is
entirely changed since your letter of re-
icsal was written. We were in safety
there In London: here, at St. Helena,
we are IN peril or our lives; our train
Is nred, we must abide by the result; If
you IAN us now we are ruined
DICK made an impatient gesture, but
ne sat on n his face changed. The
coionel pressed his point.
ror myself ne SAID. Il trust l may
a. ,hst ahi'hot AFRAID. L nave es-
oapeu from prison more than once, and
"oIst can race death. But the
,"ous". oi oarhiiia rate Is more than
9" oear,
tne paused n then went on in a low,
'e,,ateu voice:
Wy irIehu' ne SAID nav o ever
=. -, riehch ownership L nave.
many years ago. out the recoiiec-
- VI those stihihg cages n the mass
:, s.a,ceiy human misery q be-
i IL oars Is d nightmare with me
~ ms uay' DICK breath missed IN
VAIN throusn MS teeth
'iiehce! ne SAID, sternly. Not an
o.ner WORD or l striker The colonel
~ not hlhch'
Strihe, ana welcome he replied, IF
sou 'nihh that VIII save her.
NO., sala DICK, nothing that | can
w WI save her; IL Would take the
sacrince Oh my honor. and that | can
not oher nor she accept.
iour honor! said the colonel.
surely IL Is TOO late TO speak OF that
"om.
why so! why late?'
because IL has long beer COM
pfoIniseu peyond retrieving.
what DO you mean?'
MY oear Estcourt, said the colonel,
In MS most serious and reasonable tone,
L see that you don't understand the
gravity or your position. Let me put it
oriehy before YOU. You will remember
that one day In March last l wrote a
letter asking you to join in this expedi-
tlon OF ours, n naming a place of rem
devious in case of your asserting to
my proposal. You kept that appoint
ment. and were then and there intro
uuceu 10 your felloW-conspirators.'
NONSENSE interrupted Dick. You
know wrote the same evening TO ex-
pam that mistake"
lnueed! replied the colonel, coldly.
II Is q that my servant never
u the note to me-"
NO! cried DICK. remembering the
SHADOW on the blind in Bedford Square.
NO, Out saw you take 1t from the let
ter-oox yourself
unfortunately said the colonel, 81
nave no recollection whatever Of doing
So III L ever did 1T, | feel sure that
hothlhs VIII recall II to my mind, and
DIS no one else seems TO have known
OF the existence or the letter, | fear that
thls part or your breaks down
Tor want OF confederation
NO matter, retorteI Dick, triumph
ahtly; Il can prove, for all that, that |
never thought OF accepting, for l didn't
get your letter until after | came back
from Russell Street
Excuse me-" said the colonel, but
your own servant has sworn that you
opened IL before IL O'Clock that morn
ing.
My own servant? To
wnomE
TO me. She mentioned the matter
when l called for you one day before
leaving town, and told me that you
had scolded her quarreled with your
lawyer, Mr.. Wickerby, about the seal
OF the letter, which she is certain you
broke yourself.
DICK was silent. and turned in his
CHAIR with an angry and impatient
movement. He remembered too we'll
the Overwhelming in which
Mr.. Wickerby had m~arshaled the evil
dence against him that afternoon. n
was staggered TO find how fatal had
been his contemptuous disregard Of that
worthy gentleman's advice. Clearly the
battle was going agai..5t him here, and
ne Tell BACK upon his third line Of de-