The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-29

T gave you" Aram was saying, "the | sum agreed upon as the price of your leaving the vicinity of Grassvale. Here | are 300 pounds more. It is well for | you that you were not one of those | who broke into Lester's house that night. And bad for me, perhaps. For | had seen you then, my aim could not have missed, and I would have freed myself from you forever. I have sold my annuity, or rather transferred it to you, to be paid as long as you stay out of England. I shall expect you to be in France within two day" "Yes yes" replied Houseman, "but I must go down to-you know the place and get my daughter first. Poor. little motherless thing! If 1t were not for her, Eugene Aram, I would stay in England only for the sake of being a torment to you. But the little girl must be brought up right. She must never know she has a criminal for a father. Yes. yes, in some foreign land I will bring her up to a respectable life"
 haughtily left the miserable habita- tion and the next day returned to Grassdale and his promised bride. The Government pension and the remaining half of Madeline's dowry would suffice for his wants. and he looked forward to freedom forever from the menace of Houseman's peresence and new hap piness in the constant companionship of Madeline. Scarcely had Aram left the miserable house where Houseman made his lair when a woman with a light in her hand entered the apart ment they had consulted.
 How now Bess? Drunk again?'' said Houseman. Go to bed, you she shark" For reply the woman handed him letter, saying: ''Tis letter come this morning only Somehow or other l forgot to give it to you till now"
 The housebreaker seized the letter and read it hurriedly. Then he broke forth into wild lamentations: My child-ill-dying. Curse upon you, hag! My child-my pretty Jane. l will seek her. What is money? What s | ease, if" and he rushed from the house.
 Meanwhile Walter, pursuing his in quiries, had finally placed the matter | of his quest in the hands of a lawyer l of York, who ascertained that cer- tain Colonel Elmore, who had been in | India. had died about the time Geonrey Lester had visited Squire Courtland and had left legacy of considerable amount, together with the lease of house at Knaresborough, where he | llNeu, 10 man named CldThe' u "fS also ascertained that Clarke turned everything into cash and had borrowed from the Coloners brother gems of considerable value, taking them home with him under pretense of exam1nin them with a view to purchase. Both Clarke and the jewels had mysterl- | ously disappeared.
 The man calling himself Clarke had ! lived a dissipated life for the short time he stayed in Knaresborough and had run up debts which were left un- paid al the time of his disappearance It seemed clear that he was simply an | abscOnding swindler.
 As Walter was on his way to Knaresborough to make more careful l investigation. he and his attendant | the doughty Corporal Bunting, over | took d man whose horse. weary with | long and hard travel. was staggering and seemed unable to carry its rider l further.
 For Gods sake, sir" said the stranger lend me your horse. My child is dying in wonder town, and must be there before she breathes her