Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-12-01
CHAPTER xxx

CHAPTER xxx.
This is my story. Let It plead with
you"
1t had grown dark In the prison, and
as he ceased speaking, Rufus Dawes felt
trembling hand seize his own. 1t was
that Of the chaplain.
Let me hold your handl Sir Rich
ard Devine did not murder your father.
He was murdered by a horseman who,
riding with him, struck him and fed"
How do you know this2
Because | saw the murder commit
ted, because-don't let 20 my hand-I
robbed the body"
"YouT
I'm my youth was a gambler. Lord
Bellasis won money from me, and to
pay him forged two bills Of exchange.
Inscriptions and cruel, he threatened
to expose me II | did not give him dou-
BILE the sum. Forgery was death in
those days, and l strained every nerve
to buy back the proofs Of my folly. /
succeeded. | was to meet Lord Bellasis
near his own house at Hampstead on the
night Of which you speak, to pay the
money and receive the bills. When
saw him fall galloped up, but instead
Of pursuing his murderer | rihed his
pocketbook Of my forgeries was afraid
to give evidence at the trial, or | might
have saved you. Ali you have let 20
my handv
God forgive you" said Rufus Dawes
and then was silent.
Speak, cried North. Speak. or
you will make me mad Reproach mel
Spurn mel Spit upon mel You cannot
think worse Of me than l do myself"
But the other, his head buried In his
hands, did not answer, nnG. with A
wild gesture, North staggered out Of the
cell.
Nearly an hour had passed since the
chaplain had placed the rum flask in
his hand. and Gimblett observed. with
semi-drunken astonishment, that Il was
not yet empty II hs didn't finish the
flask, he would be oppressed with an
everlasting regret. II he did finish II,
he would be drunk; and to be drunk on
duty was the one objectionable sin. He
looked across the darkness Of the sea,
to where the rising and falling light
marked the schooner. The commandant
was a long way on A faint breeze
which had arisen with the night. brought
up to him the voices Of the boats crew
from the jetty below him. His friend
Jack Mannix was coxswain Of her. He
would give Jack a drink. Leaving tho
gate, he advanced to the edge Of the
embankment, and, putting his head over,
called out to his friend. The breeze,
however. which was momentarily fresh.
ening, carried his voice away; and Jack
Mannix. hearing nothing, continued his
conversation. Gimblett was Just drunk
enough to be virtuously indignant at this
incivlllty, and seating himself on the
edge Of the bank, swallowed the remain.
der Of the rum at draught. The ef
feet upon his enforcedly temperate stom-
nch was very touching He made one
feeble attempt to get upon his legs. cast
a reproachful glance at the rum bottle.
essayed to drink out Of its spirituous
emptiness. and then, with a smiic of
reckless contentment, fell fast asleep.
North, coming out Of the prison. did
not notice the absence Of the TALLER; In
deed, he was not In condition to notice
anything. Bare-headed, without his
cloak, with staring eyes and clinched
hands, he rushed through the gates into
the night as one who flies headlong from
some fearful vision. 1t seemed that
absorbed in his own thoughts, he took
no heed to his steps, for instead of tax.
Ing the path which led to the sea, he
kept along the more familiar one that
led to his own cottage on the hill. "Thl.
man convict" he cried. HE is a hero
"a martyrl What lfel Love! Ye.
that Is love indeed! Oh, James North
how base art thou In the eyes Of God
beside this despised outcsst!" And 30
mutterins, tearing his gray hair. and
beating his throbbing temples with
clinched hands. he reached his own
room. Already he fancied he could see
the speck that was the schooner move
must not linger; they would be waiting
for him at the jetty. As he turned, the
moOnbeams-as yet unobscured by IN.
rapidly gathering clouds-fung a silver
streak across the sea, and across that
streak North saw a boat pass. Was
his distracted brain playing him false?
in the stern sat, wrapped in a cloak.
the figure of a mani A fierce gust Of
wind drove the sea-rack over the moon,
and the boat disappeared. as though
swallowed up by the gathering storm.
North staggered back as the truth struck
him.
Was II possible that just heaven
had thus decided to allow the man whom
a coward had condemned to escape. and
to punish the coward who remained? Oh,
this man deserved freedom; he was hon
est, noble, truthful How different from
hlmself-a hateful self-lover. a drunk
ard! The looking glass stood upon the
table, and North, peering into it, start
ed in insane rage at the pale face and
bloodshot eyes ne saw there. What
hateful wretch he had becomel
ITO be continued.)