Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-01

ceep-Hned. craggy features and his enor-
nous limbs showed that he was possessed
of unusual strength of body and of char
acter. His tangled beard, grizzled hair
and outstanding, dropping eyebrows com
pined to give an air of dignity and power
TO his appearance. but his face was of an
ashen white while his lips and the cor
ners OF his nostrils were tinged with
shade OF blue. 1t was clear to me at a
glance that he was in the grip of some
deadly and chronic disease
Pray sit down on the sofa" said Holmes
gently. You had my note?"
Yes. the lodge keeper brought Ii up.
You said that you wished to see me here
to avoid scandal"
Il thought people would talk If I went
to the Hail.
And why did you wish to see me?' He
looked across at my companion with de-
spair in his weary eyes, as though his
question was already answered.
Yes, said Holmes, answering the look
rather than the words 1T is so 1 know
all about Mccarthy
The old man sank his face In his hands.
God help rne!'' he cried. But would not
have let the young man come 10 harm. L
give you my word that would have spoken
out If 1t went against him at the assizes-
Il am glad to hear you say So said
Holmes gravely.
II would have spoken now had II not
been for my dear girl. 1t would break her
HEARTH Will break her heart when she
hears that | am arrested
1T may not come to that" said Holmes.
''Whatr'
II no official agent 1 understand
that Ii was your daughter who required my
presence here, and am acting in her inter-
ests. Young Mccarthy must be got or,
however,"
II am dying man." said old Turner. II
have had diabetes for years. My doctor
says 1t is question whether l shall live a
month. Yet / would rather die under my
own roof than in a jail
Holmes rose and sat down at the table
with his pen in his hand and bundle of
paper before him. Just tell us the TRUTH
he said. Il shall jot down the facts. You
will sign It, and Watson here can witness
IL. Then | could produce your confession
at the last extremity to save young McCar-
thy. l promise you that l shall not use It
unless IL is absolutely needed
It's as we'll" said the old man: ITS a
question whether | shall live to the assizes.
so 1t matters little to me, but l should wish
to spare Alice the shock. And now l Will
make the thing clear to you; 1t has been
long time in the acting. but it will not take
me long to tell
You didn't know this dead man. McCar-
thy He was a devil incnrnate. l tell you
that God keep you out of the clutches OF
such man he. His grip has been on
me these twenty years. and he has blasted
my life. I'll tell you first how L came TO
be In his power.
1T was in the early sixties at the dig
SinGs. was a young chap then. hot
blooded and reckless. ready to turn my
hand to anything: / got among bad COM
my claim. took to the bush, and in a word
became what you would call over here a
highway robher. There were six of us, and
we had a wild, free life of 1t, sticking up
station from time TO time, stopping
the wagons on the road to the diggings.
Black Jack of Ballarat was the name [
went under and our party is still remem-
bere6 in the colony as the Ballarat gang.
One day gold convoy came down from
Ballarat to Melbourne, and we lay In wait
for it and attacked 1t. There were six
troopers and six of us, so II was a close
thing, but we emptied four of their saddles
at the first volley. Three of our boys were
killed, however, before we got the swag. L
put my pistol to the head of the wagon
driver, who was this very man Mccarthy.
l wish to the Lord that l had shot him
then but I spared him, though / saw his
wicked little eyes Fixed on my face, as
though to remember livery feature. we got
away with the gold, became wealthy men
and made our way over to England without
being suspected There l parted from my
old pals and determined to settle down to a
quiet and respectable life. l bought this
estate, which CHANGED to be in the market,
and l set myself to do a little good with
my money. to make up for the way IN which
1 had earned it. L married, too, and al
though my wife died young. she left me
my dear little Alice. Even when she was
just a baby her wee hand seemed to lead
me down the right path as nothing else had
ever done. In a word, / turned over new
leaf, and did my best to make up for tho
past. All was going Well when Mccarthy
laid his grip upon me.
q had gone up to town about an invest
ment and / met him in Regent street with
hardly coat to his back or a boot to his
foot
Here we are, Jack says he. touching
me on the arm; wen be as good as a fam
lily to you. There's two of us, me and my
son. and you can have the keeping of us. |
If you don't-it'S a fine, law-abiding coun- /
try is England and there's always po-
liceman within hail.
well, down they came to the west coun-
try; there was no shaking them off. and |
there they have lived rent free on my best |
land ever since. There was no rest for me,
no peace, no forgetfulness; turn where I |
would, there was his cunning, grinning face
at my elbow. 1t grew worse as Alice grew
up. for he soon saw | was more afraid Of
her knowing my past than OF the police.
Whatever he wanted he must have, and
whatever 1t was 1 gave him without ques- .
ton, land, money, houses, until at last he
asked a thing which l could not give. He
asked for Alice.
His son. you see, had grown up, and 90
had my girl and as l was known to be in
weak health, ii seemed fine stroke TO him
that his lad should step into the whole
property. But there / was firm. i would
not have his cursed stock mixed with mine;
not that / had any dislike to the lad but
his blood was in him, and that was enough.
l stood firm. Mccarthy threatened. l
braved him to do his worst We were to
houses. to talk it over.
When | went down there / found him
talking with his son. so l smoked "a cigar
and waited behind tree until he should be
alone But / listened to his talk all that
was black and bitter in me seemed to come
uppermost. He was urging his son to marry
my daughter with as little regard for what
she might think II she We're creature
from off the streets. 1t drove me mad to
think that and all that l held most dear
should be in the power of such a man
this. Could | not snap the bond? l was
already a dying and desperate man. AL
though clear of mind and fairly strong OF
limb, knew that my own fate was sealed.
But my memory and my girl! Both could
be saved If | could but silence that foul
tongue. 1 did 1t. Mr.. Holmes l would do
it again. Deeply as | have sinned have
led a life of martyrdom to atone for il. But
that my girl should be entangled in the
same meshes which held me more than
could suffer. / struck him down with no
more compunction than if he had been
some foul and venomous beast. His cry
brought back his son; but L had gained the
cover of the wood, though | was forced TO
go back to fetch the cloak which had
dropped in my flight. That is the true
story, gentlemen. of all that occurred"