The Washington herald., 1906-12-20
CHAPTER XX-COntinued.

!
for oil and mustard. Payne took up the
cup which Miss Berengaria pointed out
and examined 1t. He touched the sedi-
ment with the tip of his finger and tasted
! it. Arsenic" said he.
Good Lordr' cried the old lady sitting
down heavily, and in my own house.
Doctor, that boy must be arrested. Are
you sure?"
Certain. Arsenic has been admins
tered That is why he feels these burn
ing pains Give me che oil and snustard.
We must give him an emetic, so that he
may get rid Of the poison. We may save
/ him yet
You must save him. cried Miss Beren-
garia, lending a hand readily for his
/ evidence is needed to convict BeTyl OF
murder"
/ MI. Durham told me something Of this.
/ but not all" said Payne. going on with
/ the business. Go down and leave the
man 10 me for a time. Miss BerengaTia.
| ! will call you when he is better"
/ BY this time Michael was almost In
/ sensible with pain, but Miss Plantagenet
/ left the room at once. Hurrylng down TO
/ the drawing room. she found the four
/ young people waiting there with scared
/ faces Even Durham was startled by the
expedition with which Julius had carried
/ out his plan Of Kidding himself Of an un-
desirable witness.
4 Though he's a fool" said the lawyer.
/ emphatically He should have made
/ Jerry wait for a few days
And 10 use such an obvious poison. -
( said Miss Berengaria; 1T is arsenic that
/ has been administered.
4 Al i
Alice 4 do hope he won't die. Mr..
durham, where are you goingy
To the Hurseton telegraph office. The
| doctors trap is at the door now. wish
/ to virc to Scotland Yard, so that Jerry
may be caught"
Don't 60" impIored Alice; at any
| time Michael may be able 10 speak. and
/ wish you 10 write down his confession
Il VIII 60" said Commission, jumping
up Write down the wire, Durham. The
sooner Jerry is tracked the better. We
I shall catch julius yet"
Il only hope wen save Michael %
mutrered Durham. going 10 Miss Plantag-
enets desk Come here, Commission.
When the wire was written-and a
I long ono Il was-Copniston made free
with Payne's trap and drove 10 Hurseton,
where he sent the telegram at once to
/ London Meanwhile, those tn the draw
/ ing-r0om talked over the matter and
waited 20 hear from the doctor. After an
/ hour he made his appearance. He Is
better" he announced; "the mustard and
oil made him sick / think he has got
rid OF the poison. He wants 20 see you.
( Mr.. Durham"
III go al once. said the lawyer. while
/ Alice cIasped her hands"
But Payne stopped him. NO, I want
I the man 90 have short sleep first he
said, and I am returning TO watch be-
side him. ! Will ring the bell when he
/ is better and able 10 speak"
I Il was late that night. or rather early
next morning, before the household re-
tired Miss Berengaria. thinking the
servants had better know as little as
possible, sent them 10 bed, retaining only
Maria TO wait on her personally. Then
/ Commission returned. and the five sat in
/ the drawing room talking. About in the
morning the bell in the tUrret chamber
Was heard TO ring. Durham. with writ
/ ing materials FASTENED up at once Alice
wanted 10 go. but Miss BerenEaria made
her stop. Then she seHt Commission 10
the Hall 10 tell any servant who was
waiting up that Miss Randolph would
remain that night al the Bower. And
when YOU return. you can sleep also, 20
she said.
Durham found Michael better, but weak
He was lying back on his pillows in an
almost exhausted condition, and Payne
was feeling his pulse. Il wanted him
20 wait till the dawn" said the doctor,
/ but he insists on speaking
Il might die" said Michael, HIS eyes
large and bright and his voice hoarse
I want my revenge on this man who
tried TO poison me-"
Are you SUE Berry,"
I am quite sure Jerry brought up
the tea, and arsenic was in il. I know
Beryl wanted TO get all the estate to
himself. Tell me"-Michael looked anx-
iously toward Durham-'1s Gore alive?"
Yes. Miss MalIeson and Miss Plantag-
enet knew you were Michael Gilroy as
soon as you came
And they fooled me-"
They did admitted Durham, prompt
~. and I did also. I allowed you to
make that false will, SO as to trap
Berry,"
'Ah. and he viii be trapped and
hanged" said the boy. bitterly. 4 only
hope I'll be alive to see him swing"
Mr.. Durham" said Payne removing
his finger from the patients pulse, 'if
you want 70 hear this confession you
had better get to work at once. 1 can
not allow him 10 talk long
'IIl begin" said Michael. in a stronger
voice; and without further preamble he
began 70 talk In a slow, m0notonous
voice, almost without a pause. Durham
took down his words swiftly.
My name IS Michael Gilroy," said the
lad. quietly. Il am the son Of Walter
Gore, the father Of Bernard. and of Mira
GlrOy. who was the hOUsekeeper at tho
hall. Ny father deceived her by a false
marriage, Is at the time. although my
mother did not know, he was already
married to a Signora Tolomeo."
You are sure Of that?" asked Dur
ham. Your mother said"
Il know-I know, but she is wrong
She wanted TO make me out the heir. But
! am three years younger than my half
brother. 1t was a false marriage. When
my mother discovered the truth, she
went To America with me- Ny father al
lowed US an income. When he died, my
mother was starving with me in New
York She came 10 this country and saw
my grandfather, Sir Simon, in London.
He heard her story, Snd was sorry for
her Then he offered her the post Of
housekeeper at the hall. and promised to
provide for her after his death. But he
would only assist her on condition that
was sent back TO the States. 1 returned,
and my mother kept me out OF her wages.
She has been a good mother to me-
Take this" said Payne. holding wine
to his lips, for his voice was growing
weaker
Michael drank. and continued at once.
My mother had an idea of making me
the heir But, as I told her. that was
impossible. She had told Sir Simon TOO
much at first. I remained In the States
till 1 was over twenty, then I came to
England Sir Simon got me post in
the city. I did not ike the work, and
lid IL. nftan aseistnd me hahauad