Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-12-28
CHATTER xIIr.-tContinued.)


But Corr saw only that 1t had done
the deadly work he had meant II to do.
and that the man who had been writing
had fallen forward on the table now,
and was utterly still-as no human form
could be IL life, however feeble, were not
extinct.
Dead enough. muttercd shan, creep
Ing backward into the darkness, but
keeping his gaze to the last upon the
work which he had done so skillfully and
effectually. I'VE shall have no more OF
his"
ming hash-hc became aware that he was
not alone In the confederate darkness.
A sudden wrench as he felt touch upon
him, and instinctively tried to shake 1t
of In dread; aud the next instant he was
pinioned, and half dozen men stood
watching that wild stare Of his into the
face of Mr.. Poynz. who had been the hrst
to seize the murderer, and was now
standing before him In the full light.
mfr. Poynz," shouted the lawyer from
the open lighted doorway, as the armed
constabuIary marched their prisoner
down the avenue. ''he ought to have come
In first to see his victim. Shall the Off.
GERS bring him backT'
mo-" said Mark, coming up to the
door, and wondering much at the strange
exultancy In Mr.. Doyles tone, which
seemed to him untmely.
But he ought" the lawyer went on.
his voice raised as II he would like 1t to
travel rs far as possible. by all means
he should have seen his victm-shot
through the heart. A man likes to bring
down his game fairly. and always likes
to see how dead It falls. Besides that
the old gentleman's excitement increased
now with every word-"his bullet has
done further mischief, which l would
like him to see. BY Jove! his face would
have been a study, the rascal, when he
saw what good he had done us all, IN.
stead Of harm. long to show him how
the bullet, which was to have brought
down the owner of Traveere, after pass.
ing easily through our straw contrivance,
sped on its kindly way, and revealed to
us the hidden fortune Of old Col. st.
George. You look fairly incredulous, sir,
as Englishmcn always do over every.
thing. but by all the saints In Ireland,
It's true!'
The Vicar Of Kilver had rarely been
reused to state Of excitement; but on
the morning after the chance discovery
OF old Col. st. Georges hidden wealth,
his calm and patient little wife caught
herself watching him In mute astonish.
ment, as he paced rcstlcssly about the
breakfast room, giving no order for the
bell to be rung for prayers, though 1t was
nearly nm hour beyond the usual time.
Perhaps" suggested Mrs. Pennington,
q little amused By this conduct, "the girls
will not come In until they hear the bell.
Nora has been out for hours, hear, and
when Celia finds her, they will probably
loiter together until they are summoned
"All In good time" the vicar returned.
"Doyle will come down presently. lie
warned us he should sleep late after such
q night. Did you notice, my dear, what
spirits he was In? You may depend that,
careful as he was not to show II, his
guardianship rested heavily upon him 81
long as Nora was unprovided for"
"IIow strange It all was" observed
Mrs. Pennington. II can hardly believe
It even yet"
"Nor can l. And I'm sure Nora can
not"
"Oh, Nora will soon adapt herself to
her new position.' said Mrs. Pennington
with a smile. "Call to mind how often
she has longed for money, and how little
she has ever possessed. The widest OF
those old dreams Of hers seemed ensy OI
fulRllment to her, dare say, just In that
6rst hour"
Possibly" allowed the vicar, reAec
lively; "yet something else was more
dominant In her mind, for l never saw
anything more pitiful than her gaze al
that ridiculous straw figure, and thu
shudder that ran through her frame n
sight Of the spot where the bullet hat
pierced It,"
"It's a pity" observed Mrs. Penning
ton, In her simple, practical way, tina
the shot should have spoiled coat, bu
still"
but STILL" said the vicar. interruptini
her with a laugh. ut did 30 much goo,
after spelling the coat, my dear, that, j
I were Nora should have felt more In
clined to preserve the bullet than to turn
away from II as she did with such unut
terable repugnance. Dear me! dear me!
he continued, "what could have induced
old Col. st. George to conceal his saw
ings 80 effectuallyy
"There IL no difficulty In answering
that" was the prompt and unexpected re
ply, as Mr.. Doyle entered the room
through one OF the low windows whicl
opened to the garden. "The inheren
suspicion of mlser had lively time o
II, you may depend, In the old man
brain at the very last; for, from what
gathered last night, 1t would be only Of
the very night before his death that b
hid his hoardings so skillfully behind tn
wainscOt that, but for this attempte,
murder they must have remained ther
undiscovered till doomsday-Or. rather
till the old house fell wholly. as 1t fe
partially, on the night after he had 3
cleyerly effected the cOncealment.'
"But how" inquired Mr.. Pennington
"can you tell that he did 1t on that night
or that he suspected anyone! Whom
could he suspect? lie had no one abou
him but those two old servants--bOth II
honest as they are ignorant--and Nor
herself"
HE did not suspect either OF those.
said the lawyer, with laugh; "but Kit
told us at the time of old Col. st. George
death, IL you recollect, just what sh
repeated last nght-that on the nigh
previous to the fall of the chimney, Will
lying awake In alarm, she heard her oil
master walk many times backward m
forward between his bedroom and tn
sitting rOom--where we found the none
and that DIR. Armstrong was staying j
the house that night, and had rather
stormy scene with the old man befor
4, Hall. l.lt