Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-14

A
never again be free man.
Next time 1 came back from sea I
heard OF her marriage Well, why
shouldn't she marry whom she liked?
Title and money-who could carry them
better than she: 1 didn't grieve over
her marriage 1 was not such a selfish
hound as that 1 just rejOiced that
good luck had come her way and that
she had not thrown herself away on
penniless sailor. That's how l loved
Mary Fraser
Well, l never thought to see her
again. but last voyage l was promoted,
and the new boat was not yet launch
ell, so l had to wait for a couple of
months with my people at Sydenham.
One day out i'll a country lane l met
Theresa Wright, her old maid. She
told me all about her, about him, about
everything. l tell you, gentlemen, it
nearly drove me mad. This drunken
hound he should dare TO raise bis
hand to her whose boots he was not
worthy to lick, l met Theresa again.
Then | met Mary herself, and met her
again. Then she would meet me no
more. But the other day / had no.
tice that was to start ON my voyage
within "A week. and L determined that
l 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 / did. From her l
learned the ways of the house. Mary
used TO sit up reading in her own little
room downstairs. L crept round there
last night and scratched at the win
a. oh 10
me, but in her heart l 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 / found il open before
me. so as 10 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 1 loved. Well,
gentlemen, l was standing with her
Just inside the window, in all limo
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 u woman and welted her
across the face with the stick he had
in his hand. l had sprung for the
poker. and it was Il fair fight between
u.s. See here on my arm where his first
blow fell Then it was my turn. and
1 went through him as il he had been
a rotten pumpkin.
'.She had screamed when he struck
her, and that brought old Theresa
down from the room above. There
was n bottle of wine on the sidebOard,
and l opened it and poured little be-
tween Mary's lips, for she was half
dead with shock. Then 1 took II drop
myself Theresa was as cool as ice,
and 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 10 her mistress |
while / swarmed up and cut the rope |
of the bell. Then / dashed her in her |
chair and frayed out the end OF the |
would wonder how in the world bur |
glar could have got up there TO cut IT. |
Then / gathered up few plates and |
pots of silver to carry out the idea Of |
the robbery, and there l left them, |
with orders to give the alarm when 1 |
had quarter of an hours start. l |
dropped the silver into the pond and
made for Sydenham. And that's the
truth and the whole truth. Mr. Holmes,
if it costs me my neck
Holmes smoked for some time in ST.
lence; then he crossed the room and
shook our visitor by the hand.
That's what | think" said he. 81
know that every word is true, for you
have hardly said a word which 1 did
not know. No one but an acrobat or
a sailor could have got up to that bell
rope from the bracket and no one but
Il sailor could have made the knots
with which the cord was fastened to
the chair. Only once had this lady
been brought into contact with sailors,
and that was on her voyage. and it was
some one Of her own class Of life, since
she was trying hard to shield him and
so showing that she loved him. You
see how easy it was for me to lay my
hands upon you when once had start
ed upon the right trail"
II thought the police never could
have seen through our dodge"
And the police haven't, nor will
they, to the best of my belief. Now,
ook here, Captain CrOcker, this is a
very serious matter, though l am will
ng to admit that you acted under the
most extreme provocatiOn to which any ,
man could be subjected. / am not sure 1
hat in defense of your own life your
action will not be pronounced legiti- ]
nate. However, that is for British
Jury to decide. Meanwhile l have so
much sympathy for you that, if you
,hoOse 10 disappear in the next twenty !
-our hours. l will promise you that no
me will hinder you" I
And then it will all come outE {
Certainly il will come out"
The saiIer flushed with anger.
What sort of proposal is that to
make MANI L know enough Of law
o understand that Mary would be held
IS accomplice. For heavens sake, Mr..
Holmes, lind some way of keeping poor
Nary out of the courts" U
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