Morris tribune., 1905-10-14

you are man of your word and a
white man, and I'll tell you the whole
story But one thing 1 will say first.
so far as l am concerned | regret
nothing and I fear nothing, and
would do 1t all again and be proud of
the job. Damn the beast, if he had as
many lives as a cat he would owe them
all to me! But it's the lady, Mary
Mary Fraser-for never will call her
by that accursed name When think
Of getting her into trouble, who would
give my life just to bring one smile to
her dear face, it's that that turns my
soul into water. And yet-and yet
what less could do? I'll tell you my
story, gentlemen, and then I'll ask you,
as man to man, what less could 1 do.
Il must go back a bit You seem to
know everything, so 1 expect that you
know that / met her when she was a
passenger and 1 was first officer of the
Rock of Gibraltar. From the first day
[ met her she was the only woman to
me. Every day of that voyage 1 loved
her more, and many a time since have
I kneeled down in the darkness of the
night watch and kissed the deck Of
that ship because | knew her dear feet
had trod it. She was never engaged to
me. She treated me as fairly as ever a
woman treated man. I have no COM
plant to make. 1t was all love on my
side and all good comradeship and
friendship on hers. When we parted
she was a free woman, but | could
never again be free man.
Next time l came back from sea 1
heard Of her marriage. Well, why
shouldn't she marry whom she liked?
Title and money-A-ho could carry them
her marriage l was not such a selfish
hound as that. l just rejoiced that
good luck had come her way and that
she had not thrown herself away on a
penniless sailor That's how 1 loved
Mary Fraser.
''Well, | never thought to see her
again, but last voyage was promoted,
and the new boat was not yet launch
ed, so l had to wait for couple of
months with my people at Sydenham.
One day out in country lane met
Theresa Wright, her old maid. She
told me all about her, about him, about
everything. l tell you, gentlemen, it
nearly drove me4mad This dHalnken
hound that he should dare to raise his
hand to her whose boots he was not
worthy to lick! l met Theresa again.
Then l met Mary herself, and met her
again. Then she would meet me no
more. But the other day | had a no
tice that l was to start on my voyage
within a week, and l determined that
I would see her once before l left.
Theresa was always my friend, for she
loved Mary and hated this villain al
most as much as l did. From her
learned the ways Of the house. Mary
used to sit up reading in her own little
room downstairs. | crept round there
last night and scratched at the win
dow. At first she would not open to
me- but in her heart | know that now
she loves me, and she could not leave
me in the frosty night. She whispered
to me to come round to the big front
window, and l found it open before
me, so as to let me into the dining
room. Again l heard from her own
lips things that made my blood boil,
and again / cursed this brute who mis-
handled the woman l loved. Well,
gentlemen, was standing with her
lust inside the window, in all inno-
cence, as God is my judge, when he
rushed like a mailman into the room,
called her the vilest name that man
could use to a woman and welted her
across the face with the stick he had |
IN his hand. 1 had sprung for the |
poker, and it was a fair fight between |
Us. See here on my arm where his first
blow fell. Then it was my turn, and !
went through him as if he had been |
4 rotten pumpkin.
''She had screamed when he struck
her, and that brought old Theresa
down from the room above There |
was a bottle of wine on the sideboard,
and opened it and poured little be-
tween Mary's lips, for she was half
lead with shock. Then l took drop
myself. Theresa was as cool as ice,
md it was her plot as much as mine
We must make it appear that burglars
had done the thing. Theresa kept on
repeating our story to her mistress
while swarmed up and cut the rope
If the bell Then l dashed her in her
chair and frayed out the end of the
'ope to make it look natural, else they
would wonder how in the world a bur-
slar could have got up there to cut it.
Then l gathered up few plates and
oots of silver to carry out the idea Of
he robbery, and there l left them,
With orders to give the alarm when /
lad a quarter Of an hours start. /
lropped the silver into the pond and
made for Sydenham. And that's the
ruth and the whole truth, Mr. Holmes,
f it costs me my neck
Holmes smoked for some time in 81
ence; then he crossed the room and
hook our visitor by the hand.
That's what / think" said he. 81
now that every word is true, for you
ave hardly said a word which 7 did !