Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-28

He was slippery s a serpent In my
grasp, and Il was taking all l knew
to manage him. when a cry from Kar-
inc gave me the first warning that I
was attacked from behind.
The confidential man had stolen In
as noiselessly as i had crept upon the
roof and to the sky light.
''Take that them" 1 heard him
snarl savagely. and a low exclamation
from my darling told me that in some
way he had revenged himself upon
her. For an instant lost my presence
OF mind and my hold upon MILDRED
Involuntarily I turned to 60 to Kar-
Ines rescue, and the movement was n
fatal one. Mildred was up like a rod
of steel that had been forcibly bent
backwards. I felt sharp, hot pain
run fiercely through my side, and
knew that 7 had been stabbed. My
one thought was for the girl. II they
worked their will upon me and killed
me before her eyes what was to be-
come of her?
"Run-Karlne-esca I painted. I
could not see her but 1 was assured
that she had not obeyed by the loud
screams for help which she was des-
perately uttering.
Again 1 got Mildred down, but the
other man was on top Of me, and for
the second time felt the bC-ning pain
this time in my shoulder. 1 fought
like mad creature now, with the in
tent to kill, which had not had be-
fore; but the conviction grew within
me that, battle as l might, the efforts
would be all In vain.
Sparks advanced before my eyes,
and then everything grew dim. Out
of chaos came a Shrek from Karine.
Could it be cry of joy? What rea-
son was there for rejoicing?
But there followed n renewed crash
ing of glass, the mufiled thud of feet
descending from a height upon the
soft surface of rugs and the sound Of
mems voices.
1t seemed to me that Cunningham's
was among them, but n strange cold
pall Of darkness enveloped me, and
knewtno more.
Afterward learned how It was that
Cunningham, with two detectives from
Scotland Yard had arrived in the very
"nick of time"
His statement to the police authori-
ties had been necessarily so elaborate
and had been deemed so extraordinary
that it had taken some time to create
tiers.
He had been still at "The Yard''
when my wire had arrived. When at
last he had induced the powers that
he" to grant warrant for Wildred's
arrest on suspicion of having muir
dered Harvey Farnham and to send a
couple of men to the house by the lock.
where my telegram had announced
that he was probably to be found, il
was too late to catch anything save
the 10 o'clock train.
Having reached the door of the grim
old mansion. Karine's cries for help
ringing out upon the night through
the broken skylight, had told them in
which direction to proceed, and they
Lad used the same method for sur
mounting the obstacles which j had
adopted and left for them.
The servant was secured, but Will
dred, seeing with his usual quickness
that all hope of escape was over, had
shot himself through the heart before
the officers could reach him. So died
man WHO had accomplished the
death of many another, and through
his humbla accomplice (who now
breaks stones at Portland. and the
wrfched wife. found poisoned in n
room upstairs, the secrets of his num-
erous crimes, and the dark house by
the lock, were revealed.
1t was not for many a day after that
nights terrible experience that Iheard
.all the truth What with the two
wounds l had received and the strain
of the past few weeks, which had be-
gun to tell upon me at last, for a
zine / Law in rather precarious con-
dition. BIT one\morning l awoke to
consciousness and found that the
beautiful face which had been near
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