Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-11
CHAPTER VIII.

n ER. HARDING drove home in
kNE Il dull fury and WAS met by
Claire upon the steps. He"
heart sank at his face. He
passed her without Il word. She fol- |
lowed him into his library and there
besought him to tell her what had nap
pened now.
"Oh, nothing, I wash my hands of
a young demon. that's all"
TON Erichsen"
YES"
you have changed your mind?"
81 have"
And he told her how the prisoner
had treated the attorney he had sent
him that very afternoon, committing Il
brutal and unprovoled assault upon
the very man who was there to save
his life. if that had been possible. It'll
was not. The villain would hang. and
rightly too. But there was gratitude!
There was u young tiger i'll human
shape.
Claire kept her head and gradually
Mr.. Harding cooled down Then she
asked questions and discovered that iii
was not the family lawyer who had
been SO grossly handled, but one whose
name WAS new to her.
"Hattersley never touches criminal
work. said her father; besides. |
should have been ashamed to ask him
No; l went to the very man for the
Job. and this is all the thanks l GET
Did he know it was you:"
NO: l sent word l would give any
! money, but not my name"
THAT message was deliveTed!'
1T was
something more must have been
said"
Hardly word. My man was pro-
! ceeding to business when this maEiac
| sprang upon-him and flung him out OF
the cell"
Claire shook her head.
| ~ cannot think that's all that pass
ed" said she.
1T was, though; you ask the ward
erS There We're three of them outside
the open door. and they've put him in
a straight waistcoat for it, at any rate!
So you see how he has made use of
the chance | gave him. Don't ask me
TO give him another, that's all"
mo, no. said Claire sadly; lit was
only too noble of you to give him one
at all and l shall never, never. never
forget all this-your fOrgiyeness-ev-
| eTything! Papa, dear, you may not
have me with you very long; how can
! one go on living after such thingE
loved him. and l long to die. But until
| do | promise one thinG-I may de-
ceive others, but never again will de-
ceive or diSObey my own dear fathCr!'
She spoke with the sad fortitude of
sheer despair, and she left Nicholas
Harding in an icy eXhalation, with one
tingling spot where she had stopped
and kissed his face.
Claire had hardly reached her room
when there was a knock at the door.
and in came Hannah with a neat, seal
ed packet.
"Oh, please. miss. Mr. Daintree said
| was to give you this
"AIr Daintree."
She had seen him during the day;
then what could he have to say to her
which would not bear plain verbal ut
- terance? Claire opened the packet
when the maid was gone and found Il
smaller packet and letter inside The
letter ran:
Dear Miss Harding - Think what you
will OF me for slandering the dead.
can bear it better than to see you mourn
ing one who was never worthy to touch
the hem of your garment. The inclOsel
will give you true insight into the char
acter of the late Captain Blaydes, but
make separate packet of it so that yoJ
may destroy it unread if you prefer moi
to know and TO think me the liar.
You may remember telling me thai
Captain BlaYdes had the room that
2 have now when he was here and l wa:
: not. That was the week before last. The
weather has been SO warm the fire ha:
= not been alight since my return, and to
day quite by chance l discovered torn VI
: in the CRATE the fragments which I have
4 put together and now inclose. / will no
tell you the word that caught my eye
and irresistibly impeled me TO put tn,
{ letter together and read il through no.
n Will | seek to defend action that will
no doubt condemn me in your eyes for
ever. 1t was dishonorabe. I admit it
S But | am q believer in instinct NV in
: stlnct always told me that that man wa
bad man, and my instinct told me the,
that 1 was within reach of proving it
L own unerring truth and the measure o
a Villains Villainy. l have done both a.
n you will soon see If you can nerve YOUR
| sell 10 Know the truth. II not. condemn
me with a glance or with words as bite
G as you please. and L leave this hous
+ tonight and forever. 1 shall never regre
what | have done. You mourn a traitor
and / had rather forfeit your respect
l. nay, and my own honor to boot-than lie
j. one SO divine waste another sigh on on
g so deVilish
But if you forgive me, oh. let me hea
= 1t from your own sweet lips, and | vii
II move heaven and earth to atone 70
what present misery this may inflict
y, one day you will thank me. Meanwhile
IL you do not spurn, command me. an
your hShtest word shall be my law !
only l could do something for you! NJ
one remaining chance of happiness is i
serving her may not love. Humbly an
" sincerely always.
t. JAMES E. w. DAINTREE.
T.. Claire arrived at the last paragrap