The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-23
THE FITTEST SURVIVES
Copyright, 1890. by the Authorl
By ]. H. CONNOLLY.


wrong done her father, who is now dead. Tn
mother, having followed her daughter, sur
prises the pair in the art galleries and take
the gIrl home with her.
ELRb lcoNTINUED.l
bah! He would think OF it no more.
That which was done was done and
could not be undone. He had not in
tended it, and, since fate had so ordered
ii, let fate assume the responsibility.
The practical thing for him to do now
would be 10 destroy the evidences of his
involuntary crime. He dragged from
his pocket the handkerchief with which
he had wiped what blood he could from
his fingers and thrust il among the
glowing Goals in Johns stove. The
overcoat pocket in which he had CON
cealed that enSanguined hand was stain
ed with blood He cut il out and burn
ed il also. Then ne very carefully wash
ed his hands and poured the Redeemed
water slowly among the ashes in the
bottom of the stove
Not until now did he observe on his
table letter that had arrived during
his absence. Il was from John Latham,
written at St. Louis and dated three
days before In il the writer said:
Ihave just returned this far from Tennessee
and snatch moment 10 send You an impur-
tant pointer. IL Wall street has dealt kindly
Win You IN my absence, SO that You have
means - operate with, ! would advise You ~
90 your length ON Memphis and Sout hweStern
1t Is an apparently dead stock now. but Ger
tain authoritative report that ] shall have To-
make when get back, will send 10 up like a
rocket. am violating implied requirements
OF secrecy perhaps in telling YOU this, so YOU
Will keep n strictly To yourself under all cir
cumstances. / am anxious 10 help You, bat
must not be known a. doing So. DO not neglect
TO take advantage OF the chance, for it l. a
sure thing.
What bittor nockCry it was Chcs-
ter thought, that such an opportunity
should have come 10 him only after he
had been utterly banlrLptcd in pocket.
hope and soul! How different would he
his position now had the happy accident
of such information come 10 him when
he first plunged into stock spcculationS. !
when he had 50. coo 10 invest. II would |
have made him arich. honorCd and hap. |
py man today instead Of a Bcggar. a |
thief, murderer.
iffu0iRf
back 90 HIM remembrance Of the wallet |
he had distracted from the dead mans |
breast. of which he had not thought
since taking 1t until Eow. He pluckCd
1t from his pocket and opened il. Tho
contents almost took his breath ava-
with surprise. They were only five bank
bills. bat four Of them were IF the de-
nomination Of $500 each and the fifth
was Of 81 600
Why. with this sum, he thought Cx-
citedly, and the pointer" he had iust
received he could avenge himself upon
Wall street and make a fortune at
single dash Then he would marry Irma.
She nor no one else need ever know he
had accidentally killed her father. Three
thousand dollars? No, it was the seed
OF millions that rclenting fortune had
thrust into his hands.
His transports ceased suddenly and he
sat pale, trembling, as if specter had
risen before him. Could he dare 10 use
that money: Prudent men, he was well
aware, made a habit Of recording the
Of large bills passing through
their hands, and if Banker Willmarth
did so-as was 10 be expected of a man
SO methodical in his habits-this money
might be fatal trap. His confidential
clerk might be able to give the numbers
Of those five bills to the police, and the
person who should attempt to pass one
on them would be seized, convicted,
hanged for murdcrl BY the way. was
that the only danger to be feared? What
If the banker should not have been quite
iead-if help had come TO save him-if
he should even now be so far recovered
as 10 be directing the police? But no.
That could not bc. The old fellows
head struck the jagged rock with such
force as must have split his skull and
killed him outright Oh, yes he must
be thoroughly dead, thank Godl
Notwithstanding his perturbation and
mental distress the thought flashed up
IN him: ]
What an anomaly Thanking God
hat murder has been successfully per. !
oetrated Well, why not? We thank
rod for the good we receive-regardless
4 our good has been the harm of some
lther person-and surely the getting Of
hat money is a great good to me. At
east 1t would be if / could be assured
hat the numbers on those bills would
not denounce me- z"
That brought him back to the starting
Doint in his hideous circle of necessity.
His torture was that of Tantalus For
une, all he had ever dreamed of and
more, smiled alluringly at him, and he
lid not dare TO take the first step to-
ward possessing her. Starvation threat
ned him, for he literally had not a
but those monstrous
Dills--and he was fearfully hungry,
hungrier, he thought, than ever before
IN his life.
IL he could only know what happened
when the-the-discovery was made.
Perhaps the morning papers weuld give