The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-29

could tell strange tnfnBs IT sne Wouiu about ,Clarke's disappearance. Once the clergyman said she had boastcd that the life of Aram was in her power.
 Father of mercy" exclaimed Wal ter; "and did inquiry sleep on words which called for the liveliest examina- tionf
 Had the suspected person been any other Walter would have pursued his Investigations with the same thorough ness, but the fact that that person was Eugene Aram awakened in him sort of frenzy in the prosecution of his task It was not that Aram had rob bed him of the love of Madeline--that was long past But the scholars na- ture was so antipathic to his own, his dislike of and his curious shrinking from the man had been so great from the first that he felt himself the pre- destined destroyer of a fiend as well as the avenger of his father.
 The clergyman and Walter visited the old hag and. fortunately. found her sober. ski1fully the curate drew her to speak of her former lodger. Aye, shc said at last, Eugene Aram-I could hang him If liked"
 "Poohr replied the clergyman, you only say that to appear wise. If you really have any story to tell will give you five golden guineas to tell It. There! You have no story. l thought so."
 Enticed by the sight of the gold and piuued by the curate's doubt of her having any story worth telling, the old woman became voluble. And the gist of her story was this: On the night or Clarke's disappearance he had visited Aram in company with Houseman; ana after staying a while in Arams room all three had gone out together. To- ward morning Houseman and Aram re- turned and went again to the students room, where they lighted a fire and burned something, as the old woman saw by peekinR through the keyhole. When she visited the room in Aram absence, later in the day, she saw that all the ashes had been removed from tbe fireplace. She then examined the ruhhish heap m the back yard and found there pieces of clothing partly burned, and among them handker- chief with bloodstains on 1t which sne had seen Houseman wear.
 She showed the partly burned hand Ixerchief to Houseman, who threatened her with death if she breathed woro of what she knew. And now, MT Summers" she concluded, T feeis more aaavlila in my mind than ! have Tor 1ons. lime. would have told before, but I was afraid of Houseman. It was thinking of this secret that drove me to drink and made me lose the good character had before.
 eve will 20 to a magistrate at once. aaid the curate, as he and Waiter !ett the old woman's house. AS they left the town on tneiE ws to the magistrates they saw M crowu of neople collected at spot known as thistle Hill. What is the cause oS this crowd?" asked the curate Of peasant who was hurrying Dy.
 q don't know, sir; but they say that Holm Winnings. digging for stone in the unekiln. have dug up DIE wooden chest with a body Tn II. ..,,<oa
 As walter and the curate 1olLoWeo +ha neasant to the crowd, they saw bleaehed skeleton, which had been ta- ken from thc box, lying on the ground. s'It's Clarke's bones" said soIneohe, and Immediately the murmur spread through the crowd, "Yes. US ClarAos bones." .+.na,re him Houseman. contemplating tha skeleton with glaring eyes. ihe child had just died and' orazed with grief. he had Ie1t the house and wandered into the heius. He was unnerved. uRmanned' nopeiess and trembling. ,,o,,.,
 "Clarke's?" exclaimed house' ztooping down and picking up a tnlgn bone. k1ds llabs than mine" ,oa
 "pehold," cried Walter in voice tha1 ranr from cliff to plain, peholu Inc murdererr And he seized house- man with giants grasp
 twenty people threw themselyeo yo,,eS the half crazed Housemah, wno 4i oaid. at them at first ana then Salu .T teii you these are not Clarkes Oomest nHvIoro do they lie? shouted Wal Dale confused, bewildered. the man turned ghastly face to waissr and then gasped out: Search S Roberts grave in the turn at the en ,a tSoa Rnt did not do it. l swearS did not do it. Twas huse"o who struck the blow. ,ss u,a
 s0 God, Thy hand has directed me hitherl" exclaimed Waiter. ot
 IT. was the night before the day set ror the marriage of Aram ana Ha line when Squire Lester ah4 tbe law Accompanied by officers Of the taW' .o nc suddenly into Aram's stuoy m his lonely house. eu,,,ra
 "Oh my dear friend" said the Squlre' .here is some terrible mistake. Wnsn walter vehemently accused Arani ol spo murder of Clarke he answered. nS' tI,1. .evVhat was Clarke to thee
 :tIo wss the uncle of your afhance1 bride-my fatner-C'
 W a,- ra n, never fa1tered. He stoutly de- ,,ad anv knowledge of the crime m lleu t @n' tn binn gave a true history or the u,ras of Houseman and asked IT the S oF such a man should stand HUi% st that of a man of such blame Zee fife as his had been. They .ooA I'd ro nrisoner to York, where aIs' was lodged in jail. Maoe Ina vas prostrated by the blow put na,yar for A moment faltered Tn heI aeI,eF in the innocence of her lover. s1uire Lester. too. stood mantully py Dts friend and refused to believe the story of Houseman. ,,as brompbt to trial. the family meantime taLine a residence near York, so that thev might visit and console the pris- oner. Walters position was most try Ing only Elllnor seemed not to con sidar him the cause of all their mis- bringer of unfounded cbarpes against his cousins bethroth" ed The young man stayed in York; but saw little of the family except FL linor With her he held many secret meetings and the hearts of the two vounr people grew closer together In the shadow that had fallen on the family.
 At last the day came Houseman, be- rause he had turned Kings evidence was arraigned and discharged after giving his testimony. Then Aram. who had insisted on acting as his own coun- sel, made his defense. Madeline, pale and worn, and dressed in the garments In which she was to have been mar ried, was in the court room It had
 NOlr