The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-02
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
a trembling hand seize his own. 1t was
that of the chaplain.
"Let me hold your hand. 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 thisr'
Because l saw the murder commit
ted, because-don't let go my hand-I
robbed the body
your"
in my youth l was a gambler. Lord
Bellasis won money from me, and TO
pay him l forged two bills of exchange.
Inscriptions and cruel, he threatened
to expose me if l did not give him dou-
bic the sum. Forgery was death in
those days, and 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 l
saw him fall l galloped up, but instead
of pursuing his murderer I rihed his
pocketbook of my forgeries. was afraid
to give evidence at the trial, or I might
have saved you. All! you have let go
my handr'
God forgive you," said Rufus Dawes,
and then was silent.
Speak cried North. Speak. or
you will make me mad. Reproach mel
Spurn me. 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. and, 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 establishment. that it was
not yet empty. If he didn't finish the
flask. he would be oppressed with an
everlasting regret. If he did finish it,
he would be drunk; and to be drunk on
duty was the one objectionable sim He
looked across the darkness Of the sea.
te where the rising and falling light
marked the schooner. The commandment
was a long way off! 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 q drink Leaving the
gate, he advanced TO the edge of the
embankment, and. putting his head over,
called out to mis- friend. The breeze,
however, which was momentarily fresh
ening, carried his voice away: and Jack
Nannix. hearing nothing, continued his
conversation. Gimblett was just DRINK
enough to be virtuously indignant - this
incivility, and seating himself on the
edge Of the bank, swallowed the remain
der of the rum at draught. The eff
feet upon his enforcedly temperate stom-
ach 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 smile of
reckless contentment. fell fast asleep.
North, coming out of the prison. did
not notice the absence of the jailer; 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 OWE cottage on the hill. "This
man convict he cried "He Is hero
IA martyr. What a life, Love. Yes,
that is love indeed. Oh, James North,
how base art thou in the eyes of God
beside this despised outcastw And SO
muttering, 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
slowly away from the prison shore. He
must not linger; they would be waiting
for him at the jetty. As he turned. the
moonbeams-as yet unobscured by the
rapidly gathering clouds-dung silver
streak across the sea, and across that
streak North saw a boat pass. Was
his distracted brain playing him false
lin the stern sat, wrapped in a cloak
| the figure of man. 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 strucl
him.
Was it possible that just HEAVIER
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
himself-a hateful self-lover, drunk
ard, The looking glass stood upon the
table, and North, peering into it, start
ed in insane rage at the pale face ane
bloodshot eyes he saw there. What {
hateful wretch he had become.
(To be continued.)