The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-11-14


document missing which might be OF
Importance to me-
"When ! received 1t" she continued,
with the injunction to deliver it into
your hands directly you came home,
/ thought l would first see what it
contained"
"You infamous womany'
81 advise you to be polite. There
fore, l went to my room and opened
it. Shall tell you what it contained?"
81 am listening to you"
att is most considerate of you, seeing
that your life hangs upon thread
which it is in my power to cut. It
contained letter addressed to you by
the clergyman. read it with great
interest. 1t contained also a copy OF
Samuel Fleetwood's false confession.
/ read that with greater interest. It
contained also a private letter to you
from Samuel Fleetwood. read that
with ever. greater interest-indeed,
with SO much interest that retained
it,"
"You stole it, thenY'
IF you choose to put it in those
words I am agreeable. stole it. Mr..
Pardon, you are not young man;
you must have experiences and adj
ventures; you must know something OF
men and life. am younger than you
much, very much younger-but ! have
had my experiences and adventures,
and know something, too, of men and
life. Just now, judging from your agi-
tation, am the clearer-headed OF the
two, and tell you that never did man
stand in such fearful danger as you do
at this moment. A disgraceful, an in
famous grave is yawning wide for
you, and I alone can lead you from II
to safe ground. But you shall buy
your safety upon my terms"
I looked belplcssly around; her words
carried conviction with them. She
wilfully misconstrued my distracted
gaze.
81 know why you are looking about.
You are a strong man; am weak
woman. Have you any intention of
committing a second murder? Do not
entertain it, beg; weak as am,
shall be able to defend myself till ]
alarm the house. Then no power on
earth can save you from your fate.
I was speaking of Samuel Fleetwood's
private letter, and I. told you that
retained it. What is more, made a
COPY of it. The original is put safely
away; it is in the hands Of one who
will use it if the need occurs. Samuel
Il \ =. 1nrs fs
but he saw the deed DONE"
"He saw it done?' | gasped. WHO,
then, is the murderer"
ssWhat question: Who is the muir
derer? You! You, and no other man|
"You lie!' cried. you liew
II speak the truth, and you know it.
Samuel Fleetwood's confession is
false confession, made not so much to
save you as to save your wife and
daughter from indelible infamy. !
told YOU I had read the confession
which, Of course, you have also done
What do you think of that part OF It
which speaks Of the cord with
which the unfortunate gentleman was
strangled? Do You know anything OF
that cord? Gould you produce it il
you were forced to do sop
1t did not seem to me that human
being was speaking. The words heard
seemed to be uttered by some remorse.
1 less devil.
$50 much for the cord" she said
ssThere is another part of the confess
sion which must have puzzled you-the
ring. with its remarkable diamond
What do you think Of the description
Samuel Fleetwood gives in his confess
sion Of having taken it off the dead
mans finger? What do you think OIL
the description he gives? Shall ha1
ard a guess, and declare that you, and
no other man, knows where that rina
is at this moment? Shall hazard q
guess, and declare that, if you vert
at this moment seized and searched
the ring which proclaims you thief ana
murderer would be discovered? Oblige
me with an answer to that
She paused, obviously with the inten
ton of giving me time to reflect. But
all power Of logical thought had passed
from me. All could say was:
II must know more. Have you with
you the copy of the private letter yor
say you made:"
Il have it with me-"
"WilI you let me read it?"
II brought it for you to read. Invite
me to be seated"
''Be seated"
She laughed, and made me mockine
obeisanee; then, seating herself, handed
me the following document:
From Samuel Fleetwood, dead, to
Richard Pardon, Esq, living: ~
no be continued.
j L. ~.