Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-06-27
CHAPTER xxXIv.

possessor, but his handsome face was
very pale, and in his glittering eyes
was light which betokened no mood
for trifiing.
At the lodge gates he drew rein, his
horse white with foam. |
"Tyrrell:" he called.
The man appeared in answer at the
lodge door.
"Have you made up your mind?
Have you concluded to give up the pa
pers? gave you an hour to decide"
II can't give what amt got" was
the surly answer. 81 never stole no
papers!"
"And the man I told you to keep I'M
der close watch you let escape YOU.
You steal. you lie and you disobey me.
DO you fancy there is no limit to my
patience? Well, there is, and you have
reached it. After to-day you are no
longer in my service"
"You name that, Mr.. Chester?" said
the man, coming a step nearer. his
question holding, perhaps. unconscious
menace in its tone.
Yes, I mean it," answered the mas
ter, land take care how you act and
what you say on leaving ms. You may
think you hold e little power in your
hands. Try to use it, and I'll throw
you in prison within twenty-four hours.
What do you think you could say
against Grey Oaks master to which the
world would listen? Pshaw! Why do
handy words with you? Go, you idle,
drunken cur and never let me see or
hear of you again. It's what I ought
to have done long ago. There's one
condition, however, on which I will
keep you. Give me the papers you
stole that night, and I'll pension you
for the rest of your life-remember, the
rest of your life. It'll not last long, by
the way. Whisky will soon make way
for the undertaken though such car
,cass as yours don't deserve decent bur-
ial"
And he rode off, with coarse. brutal
laugh.
"That'll bring him." he unused. "Ill
have the papers before nightfaN. He's
got them, know. I could read the lie
In his face. But I can't afford, in any
case to turn the fellow loose, only it
won't do harm to frighten him."
Meanwhile Tyrrell had not stirred
hand or foot from the spot where his
master had left him, but the express
sion upon his face was not good to see.
The sullenness had awakened from
its usual torpor to something akin 10
action; the malignity of terrible hate
shone in his eyes; the coarse, thick
lips were nearly white, in contrast. to
the deep red of his swollen cheeks.
At last he spoke aloud and to him
self:
'sAnd you'd be turning me away ike
a dog, Mister Chester, and it's my car
cass that's not worth decent burial!
Shure, then, it's on your may the crows
feast! And it's on the papers you're
.afther wanting-the papers as she said
shed prove his innocence? Well, you
and me is in league with the devil. II
he hasn't run away with 'em, maybe
TIL be tfther giving 'em to We: but 1t
amt done for love, behave that. and
keep out O. Tyrren O'Byrne's way on a
dark night, or it may be the worse for
We. TIL go and think it all over. Be-
tween now and nightfall I might
change my mind"
He turned and went into the lodge.
Hs he did so, a. man strolled up to the
door. ~
..You pardon!" he said, "but I've
been an unseen listener to your con-
versation that just took place between
you and your master. Do'you KNOW !
think I might show you a way out OF
his clutches? You don't like MN
neitter do I. Let's work together.
ST don't mind hearing what you We
got to say" assented Tyrrell, ana lnVie'
ed his stranger guest to enter.
Ten minutes later the men We're IN
earnest colloquy. while between them
was a steaning jug.
And, strange to say, as tne man
talked. the tones of his voice were sim
gularly like the voice of the ola man
who had taken so abrupt departure
but a few hours before.
But to Beatrice, the long hours
brought no hope nor respite from her
torturing thoughts.
One picture was ever present oe1ore
her. IT was the picture that she had
last seen as the three men once more
had dragged her lover from her sight.
For this they had toiled. For this
they had waited. And her appeal TO
BERTHE had brought it all about.
Cora, too, had deceived her-Cora. the
IlttIc IrlenU WuOll BIC 1Ie1o ~ - eSSS~'
And she had had reason to fear the
terrible and subtle power Chester had
ACQUIRED over her! It had been pre-
sentiment, and she had not needed 1t!
But what were her suffer!ngs COM
pared with Bertie's?
Once more he would be placed in the
prisoners dock. They would take good
care this time that he should not es-
cape them.
They would swear away his liberty!
They would make him a convict! Oh,
had Randolph Chester no mercy? Was
there no tender spot in the flint of his
soul that she might reach?
She sprang to her feet. and began
pacing anew the room, when, as If In
answer to her latter thought, the door
opened to admit him who had been its
object.
Beatrice he said, II have come to
you for the last time, to tell you that
believe before nightfall Il shall be in
possession. of the papers which may
prove your birth legitimate. You must
let no false hope be aroused, for am