The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-12-15
CHAPTER xxx

Montgomery was alone. He tried to
think out bis situation; he found it a
difficult task. He was utterly in Rod
wells power. Once in the hands of the
police. what would the story he could
tell avail against the word of gentle
man? While thus revolving in his mird
his perilous position, he took out his
pipe Searching in his waistcoat pocket
for match. be felt some smooth, hard
substance
1t was the locket that Mr.. Porter had
handed him. and which he had entirely
forgotten. His thoughts were too grs--~
" engaged to give any heed to it
But in taking it out OF his pocket.
better to catch hold OK g match tia,
eluded his fingers, his gaze fell upon
the back. upon which Was engraved the
Initials f. B. and E. NJ. joined togeth-
er by true lovers knot. A cry of as
constituent burst from his lips: he took
1t to the window. infinitely examined it,
passed his hand across his eyes. as
though doubling their evidence. Then,
with trembling fingers, he tried for the
spring. At last he found it. Upon one
side was the miniature of a beautiful
woman; upon the other, which had once
contained another portrait. a lock OF
dark hair
He sank into a chair. trembling as
with an ague st, and gazing wildly upon
the miniature. But soon his. face soft
ened. the tears gathered in his eyes, and
his chest heaved with deep sobs. He
kissed the picture, and murmured words
Of passionate love over it. In trying Tor
the spring. Mr.. Porter had bent the case
little AS Montgomery pressed il to
his lips the portrait fell out and dis
closed, neatly fitted at the back. scrap
Of paper. There was writing upon it;
but the characters were so minute The
he had great difficulty in decipherii
them At last he read these word
The child upon whom this is found il
Silas Acrant. son OF Francis Morant.
whose portrait this is, Of The Willows,
Herts"
For some seconds, both strength and
consciousness deserted him. At first, his
thoughts came back broken and confus-
ed. This portrait of his wife in Mr.
Porter's possession. How came it there
"a child of whose existence he was ig
noranti Silas Morant-Silas Carston
and Madame Berne interested in him.
Great heaven, this boy. then, whom he
whose lifelong misery he had sealed,
whom he was on the brink of consigning
to an awful death. was his own son,
Back upon his soul like the blast of a
trumpet rushed the parting words of
Madame Berne-that vengeance was
held By higher power than that of
puny man."
For the first time since<his childhood
days, this hardened man of sin knelt
down, and trembling and appalled, at
what had been. what might have been.
and what might be yet, prayed to heaven
for pardon and for succor.
What was to be done? If he could get
clear of the house, there would be no
difficulty. But he had heard Rodwell
lock the door behind him. All, the win
dow. 1t was a French one. opening
upon a garden; it was unfastened; he
could see the back door before him. The
next moment he was there. He could
not open it.
1.-The door is locked, SIR" said voice
behind him.
Montgomery started, and upon k
ing round saw a burly looking 1e. W,
dressed like a groom, sitting under a
tree .'Win you have the kindness to
open it for me?' he said, in as uncon-
cerDed a tone as he could assume.
Cant. SIR was the answer. MAS
ter has left me here with the key. to
see that nobody passes out whatsom-
ever
For a moment, Montgomery entertain
ed the desperate idea of trying a tussle
for the key, but the powerful build Of
the fellow, and the thought of the noise
1t would create, quickly dispelled it An
other and more feasible plan crossed his
brain.
Would yon ike to earn dollar, my
MANI" be said. Il don't mean by let
ting me out of that door, or by disobey-
ing your masters orders Will you take
q message for me to the telegraph office
close byT'
The fellow considered for a moment
swell. wasn't told anything about mes
sages, so I dare say 1 can get it done
Tor you by somebody"
1t was an enormous hazard to trust to
this man; but it was the only chance
left. There were writing materials in
the room be had just left. He fastened
back. and upon a sheet of paper wrote
addressed to Jonathan Rodwell, Nor
IF you wish to sec your granddaugh-
ter alive, lose not a moment in going to
Manor House. Essex, John Rodwell's
house.
As a double security, he would send
another to Bow street station The sec
ond telegram ranpthus:
.The young girl for whose discovery a
reward has been offered is at Manor
House, Essex. She is in imminent dan
ger-lose not a moment"
He sealed these up in separate envel-
opes, and went back 10 the man. A
youth. looking like a stable lad. was by
bis side; this vas to be the messenger
No person was in sight. The lad de-
parted upon his errand, and Montgom-
cry returned to his room.
The next thing to be thought of was
his own course of action, or rather, what
answer he should give to Rodwell when
be returned. He must feign to assent to
his diabolical proposition difficult
task IL the present agitation of his mind,
but the only one But would Rodwell
implicitly trust to so sudden CONVEX
sion?
All this time he held the portrait of
bis wife in his land. never taking his
gaze from off it. And amidst all these
racking doubts and fears of the present
there rose up images Of the past-bright.
beautiful, gloomy, and sad. Let us pho
tograph some of these pictures, connect
ing them by links that have dropped
out of his memory. and adding many de-
tails Of which he is ignorant
II