The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-11

you Speech failed him; he could say no more.
 "Why not?" demanded Merivale, for a cold ferocity had taken possession of him; you did worse than Jill me. Why not I say?"
 Sadie Leland reused from her quicsccnce to glide down the stair and lay soft hand oa the shoulder of Richard Meri- vale.
 You need not kill him." she said "I have heard everything. am your witness before the law and the world And that is why Peter Leland did not come back to find his daughter betrothed 10 the husband of his choice. Instead, to his profound bewilderment, he discov- cred his late secretary seated composedly in the dining saloon over a dainty high ! tea, in which cold chicken figure,i con spio-lously.
 Naturally, being still handcuffei-for the official form of letter is not a thing 1 to be easily tampered with--Ricbard Mer- ivale could not feed himself with over- much grace, but Sadie, buslly making the delicate white meat into sandwiches, did not seem to mind. The Colonel gazed incredulously at this amazing picture, and blinked deilberateiy ! several times Sadie went to him. Dad" she said it Is Mir. Merivale l himself. He has escaped, as you see, and l is very hungry.
 Peter Leland choked down his astonish- ment He was too disconcerted to inquire | by what means Richard Merivale had !n- stalled himself upon the houseboat. 1 Sadie" he stammered, '1-I-we kept l if from you. Abingdon and l, thinking II best. But that fellow there Is thiet | He robbed your-your future husband of three or four hundred pounds Tn notes | about a fortnight ago, before we let' | town to come here. Mark was for lat | ling him go, but l sworc, after all done for him. he should be gaoled Tor It l Don't you contaminatc yourse1 py eo' , ing near him.
 sadle's answer was to refill the @ let tered mans cup and dehNer N 'o ii'i | with a bewitching bow
 | .Go slow dad" she rctorted. "l oVer- heard the dishonorable Mark talking tc MT. Merivale when he thought they Wer' quite alone: they had tumbled across one another down here when l was up "t deck. throwing dust in the eyes of the
 gentleman from the gaoi. l suppose you'll take my word for what gath' ered?"
 "Why-why. certainly" said the Colon ial; you cant do one thing, sadle' ana
 that's lie. But
 His daughter came to him. flushing
 slightly. MT. Abingdon put the notes 1T
 
 MT. Merivale's pocket" she explained.
 Great Scott" cried Peter Leland. But
 what on earth did he want to do thai
 trick for?'
 That's what you won't have to ask
 too many questions about just now
 papa" said Sadie sweetly. "l-l coulf
 make you understand it all much better alone. What you've got to do at present
 is to get these horrid hand-cuffs off MT
 Merivale and arrange things so he won be carried off to prison any more. The Australian looked at his cX-secre
 tary So. Merivale," he observed dry
 ly. Tt seems I've been spoiled. But why
 didn't you speak out man? It was youl
 silence that made things so black. Richard Merivale'S fettered hands tri
 fled ncrvously with each other.
 MT. Abingdon had guessed a secret Q
 mine' he said; ''a-a secret that wash
 quite unconnected with Sadie-with Mis- Leland. That was why he tried to rur