Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-05-20
CHAPTER IX.
me details | learned later.

|
The details learned later.
Demetrius, it seemed, had asked th
boy to loosen the rope which Jap, will
hearty good will, had knotted so tight
ly as to cut the flesh. Mark, in abso
lutte ignorance of the true nature O.
the beast, and moved to pity at tn,
sight of his swollen and bleedingwrists
had consented to slacken one end. A
powerful wrench had freed the Greek.
right arm as Gerard entered the hut;
and Demetrius, faithful to his oath
had gfasped knife and turned upor
the boy. With both feet tied, he
moved slowly and with difficulty, ant
Gerard had time to fling himself be-
tween the miscreant and his victim.
He saved his sons life by the sacri
flee of his own, a sacrifice cheerfully
consummated.
Demetrius was arraigned for The
murder of his master and convicted
The day before his execution his iron
nerves gave way, and he was baptized
a trembling penitent, into the commu.
Mon of the Greek church. Before the
ceremony, and in the presence of the
warden of San Quentin, he confessed
to the murder of Ferdinand Perkins
The motive was jealous hatred of the
man, who had supplanted him, and,
cyershadowing that, the lust of gold.
Familiar intercourse with the Croesus
had aroused passion of envy. Gerard,
doubtless, had dangled his dollars be-
fore the young mans eyes, and had
trained his pupil in the CONSTRUCTED
area of the grossest materialism. But
the prize, partnership, had been given
to poor Perkins. The fastening of the
crime upon Burlington, who had begun
to suspect him, was an afterthought.
He left all his money, a large sum,
carefully invested, to the archiman.
drite of his native town; and he faced
the hangman with a smile upon his pal.
lid lips.
Gerard fingered several weeks, the
happiest, so he assured me. of his life.
The tangled skein was at length un-
Iaveled, and it was characteristic of
the man that he accepted his sentence
of death without repining or remon-
STRANGE.
"lf Mark" he said to me, only the
day before the final summons came,
"if Mark profits by my experience
don't grudge the price. I've always
held, Hugo, that reform rises, as
rose, from the ranks, but I've learnt
that it falls, like the sunlight, from
above"
Under the terms of his will | re-
ceived handsome legacy, sufficient
to insure independence and abundant
leisure to scribble, leisure also to brood.
To exercise the demon of unrest.
turned to sport, and spent the summer
and fall upon the headwaters of the
Saskatchewan, hunting and fishing.
But around my campfire hovered the
image of Nancy, alluring, mocking!
Upon my return to San Francisco
letter advised me of the approaching
marriage of Burlington and Mrs. Ger
ard. / was invited to the wedding and
assisted at the quiet celebration that
followed. Both Burlington and his
wife welcomed me warmly, but Nancy
so | fancied-held aloof, and greeted
me with chilling civility.
81 presume" said !, at parting, with
a forced smile, that you will be kind
enough to send me card for your we'd
ding"
my wedding?" she faltered.
"Surely that devotion you spoke OF
that night, you will"
Her bosom began to heave as she
turned from me.
Nancy" / cried, taking her hand in
mine, sit is well with you, Nancy, is it
not? You are happy?"
NO." she whispered, 81 am not
happy"
Not happy? If some fellow has
dared to-"
Don't look so fierce" she mur.
INJURED. Mamma has new interests
now, and of course, feel a little out in
the cold"
"It was your mother, then? For her
sake you re-"
"Yes."
Nancy took her sweet face be-
tween my two big hands-"Nancy, I'm
going to marry you, whether you like it
or not. Do you hear that?"
Her eyes were upturned to mine, and
in their luminous depths saw the re-
fcction of my own face. Was it mir
rored likewise in her heart?
eyes," she murmured, 81 hear"
"And what do you say?"
81 think,'-a smile rippled across
lips and cheeks--I think, Hugo, that |
shall like it"
THE END.