The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-01-13

ttThiefls
The one choking word burst from
my lips as I painted up Thank heavenl
That contact had broken the unac-
eountable lethargy and for the next
moment I knew nothing except that
really had him by the throat in an in
sane grip, forgetting all but the one
m%onstrous fact that he had satempt-
ed the most despieable part that a mar
could play upon another, What next?
Why, there was a brief, blind struggle,
deadly shock and baked design on his
part, and incredulous passion on mine.
And then-then / had send him reel
ing back to the floor in a spasm OF
loathing just the one dull bump
there he lay, quite still.
Dead2 | did not pause to know,
Dazed, trembling with the reaction,
I had only a wild longing to be out OF
the place before he stirred, Row ]
dressed / shall never know; but in a
minute or so was at the door, the dis
patch safe in my pocket. Down the
staircase l went, and, perhaps luckily,
there happened to be no one at the hote'
entrance TO intercept me, or worse
might have happened. Now I was out
in the sweet night air, hurrying / had
no idea where. Only to leave the place
and that prone scoundrel behind!
Heavens! that struggle was shudder-
ing upon me still. The precious die
patch-the colonial Office
ftn-31- Dw2~- 49,. n.s,-V n-s.V-
W-what was thatP The wild cry,
from a woman's lips, pulled me up and
partially back to sense before, as it
seemed, I had gone hundred yards.
"Brian!" rang through my confused
brain, Was that-was that Lottie's
dear voice had the world come to
its end? 1t was wholly too much formy
strained nerves; there came a sort of
blank. They told me afterwards that
I caught at a railing and slid down be-
side it helplessly. Why, yes, think Of
it!
A sob, a broken "Thank God! Oh,
thank God for tnis!"-and my eyes
opened. What a dream! My Lottie
herself, white and sweet, holding both
my haLds. Quite enough! After thatI
know what the touch of firm ground to
the feet of a drowning man must be.
SCOT it, dear-the diamond-for the
wedding!" IT ecouect whispering up, in
quite a childish ecstasy. "Shines so
beautiful"
Better, sir?" asked a policeman.
better now, old man2" echoed an
other deep voice, that startled me to my
as nothing else could have done.
Why, the man who had been supporting
me in his arms
"J-Jack!" gasped, staring wildly.
eyes, yes, we know all-or we guess.
Never mind, so long as we're here in
Ssh, not a word now, for his own
sake, if not ours!" He whispered it in
my ear-and 1 knew it was indeed my
Jack Hamlyn, if only by the touch of
his beard. Tell us all afterwards. I've
Numbered; and a scoundreI has taken
of it to try. on the dirtiest
trick Of his ontembdR life Wilfredl
Here, constable, it's all right;
show us to a decent hotel!"
In less than an hour I had come out
If darkness into sunshine indeed, and
was able to see to the end of what had
seemed such an appalling mystery. My
.atal sip-my cablegram in code!
Jack, it appeared, who rented bach
slor apartments near the city, had re-
,eiVed the message from Madeira in due
course. Mystifed at first, he had at
managed to translate the words
nto sense, and made arrangements to
at Southampton to meet the vessel.
IN the all-important day while at
breakfast he r]ecollected some vital
business affair and hurried off to catch
business partner, leaving the mes
age and its solution beside his plate,
md in that unlucky interval something
happened.
Wilfred, his scapegrace brother, had
therefor money, doubtless, as
lie often did-seen the message, and,
Ilick-brained as he was unserupulous,
rad instantly conceived some idea of
Meeting me in the character Of Jack
md making off with the valuables
lad limited at. How? There was Jacks
on the steye-the landIady said
ir. Hamlyn would be back inside half
IN hour-the schemer saw his lfkeliest
nance in a flash. The half hour had
.uticed. Without knowing why or how,
lack had come out of a deadly stupor
ate in the afternoon, TO find that the
ocked door had been forced, and Lottie
nd a doctor, sent for by his landlady,
,ending over him.
Drugged!-probably with the bulk of
he very opiate which had been put into
ny own glass at the hotel hours later.
)nly reconeeting that Wilfred had
'een, and had seen the ~cablegram, Jack
instantly went off to catch the even.
ng express to southampton and,
leedless to say, nothing in the world
would prevent the woman I loved from
.ecompanying him. An anxious tramp
With the policeman through Southamp.
on streets, making inquiries every.
7here-and then 1 had rushed by them
Ike a ghost.
Yes, it was clever plot, conceived SO
and carried out with a stag
.ering success-only that my over
wrought brain had resisted the drug
nd furnad Yba -oaIo s,,eA e., 49,.