The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-11-27
His left hand 1rGs dl1rdys vtsible upon
the door.

His left hand 1rGs dl1rdys TfStble upon
the door.
formation l can give you. Mr.. Elmen-
dorf? It's all up. | might as well
talk"
Why didn't you run?' demanded
Elmendorf.
81 staid to play the game out" re-
piled Blair. There was money in
view, and | love money, my friend;
also l love life. How absurd, but
| do-now that it's over! Think OF
it, And there isn't a man in New York
this minute as wretched as | am. Why,
I'd Just heard from the hospital, and l
was sitting there on that couch, staring
at the pillow she made for me, think
Ing OF the endless stitches and the love
-Elmendorf, she told me that every
one of them was sewed with love for
me. Why does that stick in my mind?
Why couldn't l be straight? Well,
we'll. I'm done for-done for"
Elmendorf eyed the man curiously.
His face was flushed as If with fever,
and his words were thickly uttered
and hurried, as with delirium.
you didn't get the money!" said
Elmendorf.
Money! echoed Blair. "For the
first time in my life l forgot that there
was such n thing. l read that letter.
as you guessed. and l was crazed. l
knew she was holding her secret, and
would put him off for shame. and be-
cause she treasured up something he
had said that frightened her-about
some woman who ran away to De mar
ried. Well, l went there that after
noon; I talked with her. raved at
her and then-well, you know what
happened. / thought every n would
know l did it. We had had more meet
ings in the last few weeks than you'd
believe possible" he rambled on, "but
then nobody cares what his neighbor
does here in New York. Our whole ro-
nance passed without notice. | was
on the balcony when Robinson came"
"Did you know that he r%eturned?'
asked Elmendorf.
"Returned?"
"He left his cane in the room, got
outside the house. got in again because
the lock hadn't caught and entered
the room, thinking that he had heard
an answer to his knock. There was
the money right on the table, and no
body in sight, you and Miss Miller
being on the balcony between the win
dows. He needed money, and he took
it, and l traced it. The mans at head
quarters now. He tried to skip, but be
was Swallowed at the time, as | knew
and he didn't"
II thought Neale got the money"
said Blair, starting as If from a doze.
Robinson will be released" said
Elmendorf. ''Therell be no complaint.
This whole case will be covered up"
Covered up?" echoed Blair. and he
laughed. "IIl be covered up-in my
grave, and. by -. Elmendorf, don't
want to die! l don't want to die! Can
you understand that?"
Don't die, then" said Elmendorf;
there's no need Of it. l shan't trouble
you. | could make q lot Of money by
letting you alone, and I'm going to do
it for nothing, or, to be exact. I'm
going to do it for Elsie Miller. You'll
go scot free, Blair, you black hearted,
lying brute"!
Blair suddenly rose to his feet He
seemed to be impossibly tall as he stood
there with raised shoulders and clinch-
ed hands, staring down at Elmendorf.
"Do you mean to say that you have
not come here to take me?' he demand
ed.
That's what l mean," said Elmen-
dorf. "You can go where you please,
and you'd better 60 rs fast as you can'
for Alden may be here at any moment
Perhaps you have observed certain
physical pecullarities Of Mr.. Alden!
seem to hear your bones crack. Blair
in his hands"
Blair gave utterance to a terrible
oath.
"Do you know what I have done?'
he cried in a voice that sent a chill to
Elmendorf's heart. Look here"
He lifted the small bottle and then
dashed it down to shivers.
I'm done for! I've taken enough OF
that to kill three men. No electric
chairs for ME. And now-I might have
lived! l might have gone abroad. l
could have had money-found a new
life; but I'm q dead man."
He had wrenched open the door Of a
locker upon the wall, but at the last
words he turned to launch q frightful
curse at Elmendorf.
81 may still save myself" he bab-