The Somerset reporter., 1899-06-01

Keown, and. pushing him before me.
left the hut
But kissing whisper followed me
"All right. young man, your turn
now. But you' II pay for it. "
One day letters came across from the
mainland-one from Cts and one in an
unknown hand
CHS letter, OF course. l read first
Then tore open the other and skinned
it through
Only by slow degrees did realize its
import Ny mothers uncle. old Sir
Bernard Child, had died and left me
everything Why, had never seen
him, hardly imagined that he was
aware Of my existence | walked out.
and, still in a dazed condition, called
McKeown to pull me across to the
mainland Then | bolted up to the vii
lage postoffice and sent off a wire To
ward sunset the reply came, assuring
me my news was correct in every de
tail | looked up the first train from
Culcroes in the morning, arranged
about a car to take me there aud WAS
toon rowing back to Skryn.
The sun had long set behind the sea
rim as we pulled into the little cove,
and it was quite dark as we clambered
up the narrow rock path. Reaching the
top | glanced across to the huts and
thought | saw the CLEAN of light flash
under the door of my shanty. l was
about TO hurry on when the boy laid a
hand on my sleeve.
Presently there was scratching from
within. A match famed up. The man
who had lighted it was crouched on the
floor his body between us and the
light He WAS unwinding a piece of
very thin Irvine or strong thread and
carefully stringing it across the floor
from the bed to the stove. He passed 1t
round leg of the stove and then back
again. securing it finally with infinite
caution to q little shiny metal tube
which protruded from the top of a small
parcel This parcel was standing well
hidden under one of the chairs at the
foot Of the bed As the man turned
saw his profile plainly. 1t was Callan
An instant's thought and my engi-
neering training made plain to me the
whole Internal plot The parcel was
gun cotton the tube held acid in thin
glass receptacle. Above this was a lead
en- bullet, kept in place by movable
pin. The string so carefully wound
across the floor was attached 10 the free
end of the pin. A touch Of careless feet
against the string, the pin would pull
out. the bullet fall, the glass shiyer and
the acid do It's deadly work on the ex
plosiye below
had forgotten for the time all about
the boy Suddenly, in a moment Of mad
fury-fOr be, too, had understood the
plot II he sprang up and beat with his
fists npon the pane Callan raised him
self quickly but carefully. not forgel
ting the deadly string What he did
forget was how near he was to the stove.
AS in dream | saw his coat catch
against it. 1t swung and the big kettle
overbalanced For an instant it seemed
TO hang in the air. | strove to call ont
1t was too late. Smash, it fell right on
the string The whole world turned
NA'lhsoi anu 'uiSi lhNp d SlVdA EihlN Va
flame. Something struck me in the
chest and drove me backward.
praise the saints, his eyes are open.
doctorl"
Yes, he'll do now, said another
voice, in rich brogue.
/ went To sleep again.
When | awoke il was bright daylight
| was i'll Callan hut, on his cot.
felt sore and bruised all over, and
at first could not remember what had
happened
Then it began to dawn on me.
"Whcre's - began
Ssh" came in the same soft brogue
as before Don t talk Callan wont
be bothcring ye any more. Mckeown )
not much the worse, barring his hair
And there's nothing broken in yerself
''How long - ! was mad to know
how soon | should be able to travel
The doctor checked me again
" In a week, he said, "if you II lie
still
| did. and tomorrow | am starting
Cicely will meet me at Holyhead. -
Chicago Journal