The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-29
c0pYRIGHr Iso7 RY IRVING KING ALI RlGKTs RESERvEn.

lurking there. At least so thought Wal ter Lester, the Squire's nephew.
 Walters father had disappeared when
 he was a baby, and when his mother died soon after, the Squire took the boy and brought him up as his own son. It
 was one of the Squires dreams that his
 erring brother Geoffrey-always a wild fellow-would return some day sobered and prosperous.
 After the strangers visit Aram, con
 trary to his customs in such matters,
 began to visit the manor house frequent
 ly, and the Squire observed with satis
 faction the growing fondness between him and Madeline. One day, as he was commenting on this to Walter something 1 in the youths manner made the elder | man pause suddenly. "Walter.9 said he
 ''can it be that you-I thought 1t was Ellinor. Have 1 been blind?" Walter trimbed as he stood "I would like to go away for awhile, sir" said he at last
 Much disturbed, the Squire agreed, and it was arranged that the young man should depart in day or two with old
 Corporal Bunting as his attendant. Bunt- ing was. as he himself said, Man of the world. sir-seen service, sir-augh!' But he was faithful, and the Squire de- pended on him. That night at dinner,
 as Walter looked at Ellinor, he thought: Why did l not love you?' and before
 
 occasion to say to her: You are worth dozen of Madeline"
 Aram's love for Madalne was that of
 the mature man-lastng and deep; that
 of Walter for her was but a flirting
 light dancing about seeking its true af- fnity One night, after Walters depar-
 ture as Madeline and Aram were taking their accustomed evening walk in a se- cluded path they came upon the rough stranger whose former visit to the stu
 dent had set the village gossips talking.
 Good evening. Eugene Aram.'' said the
 stranger, and as he spoke heehfted his hat slightly to Madeline. Pardon me moment" said Aram. and
 stepping aside he spoke few earnest words into the strangers ear. The man bowed and turning, disappeared in the wood.
 "Who is that fearful man?" exclaimed Madeline
 days and come to ask assistance" re-
 piled Aram. But the conversation Jagged after that, and the brow of the scholar
 seemed gloomy with dark and sinister 1 thoughts. When he finally left Made line at the gate of her home she entered
 with listless step A sombre presenti-
 ment weighed on her heart She could | have sat down and wept without knowing the cause.
 From the companionship of Madeline | Aram hastened to the place where he had
 appointed to meet the stranger What | brings you here, Houseman?" he asked i sternly.
 Well" was the iauntly reply, "I and
 my friends are doing little house break | ing in this part of the country and l nat
 urally called upon my learned friend | Eugene Aram. Perhaps you have heard of our exploits last night some four miles away?'
 'So tho ht1rplarv ,Uas vo,trcon eafd
 Aram That villainy.'' Come come" replied the stranger | remember the past"
 Talk not of the past. Destiny has | driven us down dark tides together | Houseman. But look you I cannot
 live and have my life darkened by you" Well, I must live" said Houseman 1 ''We shall go after we have swept the | country. If I am taken-why full con | fession of my past sins would make in- | teresting reading for-say the young lady | up at the manor house." Long they talked there in the darkness | beneath the trees, while rising wind
 moaned and sighed through the branches | The next day the whole village was | bustlng with wild excitement. Another and yet more daring robbery had been per- l pertrated in the immediate vicinity, and
 the police from the county town had been summoned and were investigating. The Squire came to see Aram and beg 1 ged him to forsake his lonely and issolat- l ed dwelling for awhile at least and come | to the manor house. By representing to | him how much this would allay the fear | and agitation of Madeline, Lester at last 1 prevailed on the scholar to go home with 1 him. As they walked across the fields | Aram introduced the subject of Madeines | dowry and told the squire that though | few days before, when the marriage had 1 been definitely arranged, he had announce | ed his intension of Talking no dowry with ! his bride. circumstances had caused him | to change his mind. An old debt for l which his creditor was pressing him rend- | cred it necessary for him to ask as a | favor that half of the amount the squire l had named as Madeline's portion he de- ! livered to him immediately. He wanted | to get that old matter out of the way | before his marriage.
 Enough enough, my dear Eugene | replied the squire. You shall have l G600 tomorrow morning. But. come, let | us hurry. To tell you the truth, should | not liked to be robbed tonight of all | nights: for besides the old family plate
 which is not much-I have in that bureau | in the parlor to the left of the hall 300 guineas which have not yet had an op- I portunity to take to the bank" Hist" exclaimed Eugene. stopping. "I ] thought l heard sounds on the otheG' side | of that hedge"
 Looking over the hedge they did in ! deed see two loutish looking countrymen | passing there. When questioned they | gave plausible explanation of their presence and had apparently heard noth- | ing Still Aram was disturbed and that | night kept watch in the manor house
 without removing his clothing and with | his pistol ready.
 | Outside storm of wind and rain was
 raging, and the villagers who had organ | ized themselves into a patrol soon sought ] shelter In the middle of the night peo- | pie in the manor house were aroused by
 the report of pistol and, hastening to | the parlor, saw by the light which the squire held aloft Eugene Aram standing | pistol in hand gazing at window from | which the bars had been sawed and
 which the thieves had left open in their | flight On the floor were clots of blood. | showing that Aram had not missed his | man.
 "Ah, my brave friend!' cried the squire 1 Tt is to you that l owe our safety" ! You Eugene!" cried Madeline, and | sank on her lovers breast.
 But let us to the pursuit." cried the
 squire
 Hal" muttered Aram, who had stood as if unconscious of all around him. Say you SO? Think you l have slain | him? No. no, 1 saw him stagger but | he was not slain There is blood Pooh, | pooh, What is little blood? There were two of them and. ha, ha,--they were both strangers"
 | Madeline. overcome by emotion and ex- | citement. tainted. and was assisted to | her room. while the squire and some of | the patrol, who had been aroused, went l. f1.