Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-29
sS ~, s;
SHREWSBURY
BY STANLEY j. wEYMAN
zyzSSSAzs zSNzSSyzSAyzSySzSlSA! ! ! ~ ~

mind you. IL you ask me, he mas reason.
few minutes ago you were forward with
US to hang this persCn. And among gentle
men to urge another 10 do what you will
not do yourself lays you open to comment.
1t may even be pretended. that II your
rogue informed. you were not SO Ignorant
Of the fact as you would have Us believe
you
II was wonderful to see how the men, sore
and desperate caught at that notion; and
with what greedy fer0city they turned cn the
kuave who only few moments before had
swayed their passions to his will. 1t was to
no purpose that Ferguson. head and hands
shaking with a palsy, strove trantically
TO hurl back the accusation. His wonted
profanity seemed to fail him on this oCCa-
sion, while the violence which had daunted
men Of sauer temperaments proved no match
for Cassel's brutality. who breaking IN on
him before he had stammered a score of
words, called him liar and sneak and, de-
nouncing him with outstretched finger, was
in act TO hound his comrades on him, when
something caught the ear OF one of them,
and with a cry of alarm this man, who
stood near the door, raised his hand for
! silence.
| Rage died down in the others faces, and
| lnvoluntarily they clustered together. But
| the panic was OF short duration; hardly
| had the alarm been given and taken, or the
| lamp which hung against the wall been
snatched down and shaded before the sound
| OF a key in the door reassured the con-
splrators For me- who throughout the scene
! last described had leaned half-swoonng
against the wall listening with what feel
! ings the reader may easily Judge, TO the
| contest for my life-for me, who now stood
repr.eved, and for the moment safe, any
| change might be expected to be fraught with
! terror; but whether | had passed the bitter
ness OF death. or sheer terror had exhausted
! my capacity for suffering, 1t Is certain that
| | waited the event with iack-lustre eyes,
| and. hearing a cry Of Its Mat SMITH felt
| neither fear nor surprise, nor even moved,
when Smith entered. followed by woman,
and with quick glance took in the room
| end it's occupants.
"Goodr' said Cassel, with an oath. 81
| thought that the soldiers were on us But
| II they had been, curse me- but l would
have sent this old Judas to his place before
me-
Smith looked with a grim smile from the
speaker to Ferguson, and raising his eye
brows, "Judas!" said he, with ironical po-
liteness as he laid his cloak and cane on
the table rs it possible that you refer to
my friend. Mr.. Ferguson"
"Strangle your friendr' Cassel answered
coarsely "Do you know that his man there
has blown on the thing and sold us?'
Smiths eye had already found me where
I leaned against the wall, my hands tied
"I see," he said coolly. Il knew before that
the game was up; and l have been some
where-and warned some one" he added
with a glance at Charnock, who nodded
"But l did not know how they had the
office"
He gave 1t! That is how they had it"
Casael retorted. And it is my belief that
like man like master. And that that poor
piece there would no more have dared tc
inform without his patrons leave than"
He left the. end of his sentence to be un
derstood but Charnock, taking up the tale
and disregarding Ferguson's mutterings, de
scribed in a few words what had happened
When he came to the girls intervention
in my behalf, the who had entered
with Smith and who. though she seemed
! to be known to the conspirators-for hel
appearance caused no remark-had hitherto
remained fdgeting in the background, moved
forward into the room, and approaching
the girl who was sitting moodily at table
by the fire touched her cheek with hel
; fingers and slipping her hand under hel
chin, turned up her face. To this the gir
made no resistance and the two women re-
maned looking into one another's eyes fol
long minute. Then the elder, who was
i the same woman / had seen with Smith
at the lady's house in the outskirts le
the girls face drop again, with little fir
of her fingers.
Doris and Strephon, I see?" she said
with a sneer.