The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-11

Sadie did not reply. Instead she sprang in front of him. pushing him back into the covered stairway of the saloon. Go down." she bade imperviously. He obeyed. A glance had shown him that the leader of the wardcrs was emerging again from the thicket. Sadie went to the side and stood unconcerned- ly.
 The man pauzed awhile with a puzzled ] air, then came to look over the river ! bank and to scan its margin critically. After few seconds of further reflection he reused himself and departed, shrugged | his shoulders. Sadie heaved a sigh of re- l lief and turned to descend the saloon ! stairs Halfway down she was arrested | by a singular sight.
 | In the entrance of the saloon. and just | visible from the curve in the narrow l stairs that Sadie had reached was Mark | Abingdon. At his feet lay a broken glass | from which the brandy and water he had
 been to fetch had spattered the floor ol the short corridor. His eyes were start ing, and his mouth was agape as he con | fronted the disheveiled and handcuffed newcomer. Some words burst from his lips and reached the ears of Sadie Le- l land, words spoken in a husky, shaking l whisper.
 "Merivale! What-what do you wan with meg'
 There was d ring of superstitious dread
 in the broken syllables. They were an
 swered by low, fierce laugh from the
 fette.ed man.
 I'm no ghost" he said, though you
 conscience makes you think me one. l have escaped from the jail-or, rather l from the jaiers to whom your dupe. MT Leland. consigned me. Liar and coward Oh, if I were not chained Sadie heard him grind his teeth in : rasson of impotent indignation; she hat drawn back up the staircase and stood lis [, hing hard, Shrcwd light in her girl
 ish face.
 , Mark Abingdon pulled himself together , glancing at the broken glass by his feet
 "Escapcd!" he repeated. "Escaped! An' you come here to threaten me with thu } badge of your Imprisonment upon you , A discreet proceeding. truly l have bu , to give the alarm and you will be scizet and detained till the police can be sen ' for to rearrcst you-under her eyes. fo she herself Is here.
 Richard Merivale took him suddenly b the throat with his chained hands, . You hound," he said; now 1 am sur
 l that you put the notes in my pocket your | self You read my secret, you were jea ous of my nearness to her, of her simpl kindness to me. You laid a fiendish tra and you triumphed. But you shall nc l taunt me and go unmarked. : He grasped his struggling prey an shook him like rat.
 l Mark Abingdon closed with his antagor [ ist and tried to throw him, calling in , hoarse whisper for assistance But he wa [ no match for Richard Merivale--indolenc
 and good living had overweighted an handicapped his once athletic frame. 2 There was hot colored blood in Sadi l Leland's veirs-it had stolen into he
 cheeks and was glltteriLg in her eye' She crept down the staircase a pace C
 two more and stood pccring round th sheltcring curve.
 Let me go!'' gasped the half-strangle ? man Tn the thin. breathless syl&bles tha
 were all he could compass. "Ill give 70 money money, to get away witn-lts you . only chance. You-you cant hope prove your innocence. And, after all, yo could never have married her [ His voice grew fainter. Great Heavens
 he whispered, you won't kill me; you