The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-05-05

eye twinkled-"I'C somewhat famous
in my poor Lucy with twenty-dollal
gold pieces"
Your wife is alive?"
Yes" he replied, gloomily; "but
anxiety has made an old woman of her
Her beauty has gone. She is the
wreck of what she once was. The Greek
! spoke of has charge of her and the
boy. He has been well educated, but
he cannot teach the lad much longer
sand the name, Mr.. Gerard, of the
murderer"
Huntington"
"What? The writer? The social
ist?"
THAT is he. meet him." he whis
pered fearfully. lat banquets. at the
clubs-everywhere."
| thought of that familiar figure.
DamocleS and the sword; of the wretch
in the iron chamber, whose torture Poe
has described; of many others whose
sufferings have stained the page OF
history; and, noting the haggard fea
ing fingers, his prematurely gray head.
his sunken chest, and in salient con-
trast to these his love of life and pleas
ure, his great wealth, his power and
fame-noting this and more. | con
sidered my own future. and trembled
l make certain, looking back, that dur
ing this interview bade good-by to my
-
stripped of gloss and glamour, grinned
sourly in my face. cacliling derisively.
''He cannot be mad" l exclaimed.
"He is mad" persisted Gerard. wait
till you see him. The glare of insanity
is in his eyes-others have noticed il
but his self-control is marvellous.
What" - he leaned forward and
touched my cheek with his clammy
fingers-"what will happen when that
self-control gives way?'
The $4,000 salary began to shrink.
''But your son." | said, impatiently;
"you wish me to be tutor to your son.
What has he to do with this man?"
burlington" returned my host. in
somber accents, will slay my boy as he
slew my friend. am certain of it,"
"Then he knows of your marriagew
''He does"
"Of the birth of your son?"
"Yes."
"Of the sanctuary"
81 don't know. l fear the worst"
"Mr. Gerard" I said, "are you sure
that you are not the victim of your
nerves? Possibly this man never COM
mitted the crime your wife charges him
with. Time has"
Tut, tut!' he retortcd, peevishly.
"Do you take me for fool? Burling-
ton knows what he is doing. Look here
and here"
He drew from his poclletbook half
a dozen sheets of paper. These were
soiled and stained from use. The man
must have read and reWead them n
thousand times. He spread one out
upon his knee, and without glancing at
it, repeated to me from memory the
contents.
"'You cannot escape me- he MUIR
INJURED, but know how to wait.
shall strike you down when you least
expect it,"
He handed me the paper, but could
not decipher the words upon it. 1t
bore date, March IT. 1875, and was
written upon a printed telegram form.
"A telegram!" exclaimed.
"Yes, and written in cipher, ci-
pher several of us used at Red GuIch.
and one familiar to Burlington. Here
Is another message, of later date. 1t
runs: You have child. Take good care
OF it, When | received this" said Ger
ard, tapping the faded paper, II went
nearly crazy with terror. had solved
the problem which had puzzled me for
five years. My life, in the opinion of
this demon, was not worth the taking
He had reserved for himself a sweeter
revenge. Nothing would glut his appe-
tite but the blood of my innocent child.
Of course ] dared not tell the mother
but | removed. her at once to safel
place, and for months ceased to visit
her. With the aid of my written di-
rections she escaped the lynx eyes of
our enemy, and as time passed | be-
gan to forget his threats. He had left
San Francisco. and my secret agents
knew nothing of his whereabouts. Then
be reappeared one day, and greeted
me on Market street with a dia-