Morris tribune., 1899-09-02

more of Charles Hyde: but, instead
reverted to the invitation his sister
had charged him with.
will you come" he pleaded, "a
once? This is no place for you now.
| Marjorie shook her head.
| Don't think me ungrateful, Sir Ed
ward, but / cannot come. canno
leave here yet"
He looked at her in amazement.
"No." she went on more firmly
though with exceeding gentleness ant
sweetness. II cannot leave my friend
Madeline, who is in such terrible sor-
row and distress. You have heard OF
her, no doubt, and I you have heard
the truth. will know how greatly she is
| to be pitied.
1.-THE daughter of one of those men
the wife of another. and she herself
quite innocent of wrong, excepting
that they forced her to keep the secret
of their crimes. She has been the
truest friend to me. She saved my
life when was all but drowned in the
Lake. She is i'll, and her heart is
broken. T cannot leave her-I would
not leave her now for all the world
'"Tell your sisters thank them with
full heart. Though l don't know
them, / shall never forget their kind
ness-never, never! And please be-
Iieve thank you, too. l couldn't have
dreamed anyone could be so kind as
you have been to me- But can't leave
my friend Oh, please forgive me,
and don't think me ungrateful for say
ing So"
She rose, and put both her hands in
to his as she spoke, in her warm. i'm
pulsive gratitude.
And she looked SO sweetly lovely,
with her face lighted up with generous
feeling, that he pressed those little
hands, and held them for several mo-
ments in his own.
her perhaps he saw all eff
forts would be in vain.
II shall send my sisters to you as
soon as ever they can get out" he
said.
And then, feeling he had no right
to intrude upon her longer, he took
his leave.
Marjorie resumed her seat by the
fire, and, leaning her cheek upon her
hand, suffered her tears to flow with
out restraint.
Five minutes had passed thus when
she heard quick, firm step outside
the door-the handle was turned by a
hasty hand.
She thought it was Sir Edward come
back for something, and turned
flushed, embarrassed face towards the
door,
A faint shrek rose to her lips as she
saw, not Sir Edward, but him on whom
her thoughts were dwelling-the man
whom she had seen handcuffed by the
police a few hours ago.
She sprang to her feet.
Her first thought was that he had es.
capped.
She looked at him wildly, and then
stood motionless, as though rooted to
he floor.
He came towards her, swiftly, Gag
erly, his arms outstretched, his face
aglow.
Marjorie, darling! my precious
precious love! Have you been very
frightened all this wnile?"
He would have taken her in his
arms, but she shrank back, shudderlng |
though still without word.
He saw the horror in her eyes. He
saw she shuddered at his touch.
Darling, you mustn't shrink from
me-" he cried, reproachfully. 1T is /
time for you to hear, the whole truth
now. | am no thief. have been here
under false pretences all this time
am simply the detective who has rur |
to earth the cIeverest set of thieves IL
England. Now, Marjorie do you un
derstand?"
The shock was too great. Her nerves
were already too sadly unstrung.
She gave q little half-hyster1ca
shrek of joy, and sank. almost faint
ing, into his arms.
WnGu she udu SiOWu CdAA4Ol HhS
founG herself seated at his side on the
couch. his strong arm round her. his
frank. sunny eyes smiling love and re-
assurance into hers.
And then, very rapidly and eagerly
be told her his little story.
He was a private detective-his rea]
name Fred Trevor.
By birth a gentleman. he had been
by sudden change of for
June. to look about for the means OF
getting his own living, and he had
elected to become a private detective.
One of his clients. who had been not
only robbed but maltreated by the
Hyde gang, had set him on thei1
rack.
But so amazingly clever were they
hat they might never have been
brought to justice had not an accident
delivered them into his hands.
A young man named Charles Man
hip, one of the cleverest cracksmen In
England, had been about to join the
hyde gang, when he was run over in
london, and as Fate would have it.
vas taken to the hospital by young
Trevor.