Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19
CHAPTER XXXVII.


Sartoris sat a huddled heap on the floor,
with his white snarling face looking out
like the head of an angry snake. He was
not In the least afraid, and yet the ex-
preston of his eyes told that he knew every
thing was over. AS he struggled painfully
to his feet Mary ran forward and guided
him to a chair. He did not thank her by
so much as a gesture. All the care and
tenderness was wasted upon that warped
nature.
''If were not cripple he snarled, this
would never have happened. And yet
cursed bag of aching bones has got the
better of you all, ay. and would have kept
the better. too. If 1 could only have moved
about like the rest. But you not going
to get me to say anything If l sit here all
night
toris a huddled heap. cursing and snarling
in his chair. the man Reggie and the wom-
an Cora standing by, with uneasy grins on
their faces trying to carry it off in a spirit
of false bravado. To the right of them stood
Brentwood, now quite sober and shaking,
and Richford sullen and despairing. Bea-
trice was in the shadow behind Mary Vent
| more. Mary moved forward, followed by
Bennington.
What is the charger the man Reggie
asked. What have we done?"
Field shrugged his shoulders. Really the
question did not deserve reply. Sartoris
| took up the same line in his snaring voice.
That's what we want to know" he said
| What is the charge? If you have war
rant. read it aloud. We have every right to
know
Il have warrant so far as you are con-
| cerned," Field replied. For the present
you charged with forgery and uttering
| certain document. purporting TO be an as
| signment Of mining interests In Burmah
| from Sir Charles Darryll to yourself. The
document is in my pocket, and 1 can pro-
duce it for your inspection. if you like 1
need not tell you that there will be other
| charges later on, but these will suffice for
| the present"
THAT does not touch us at ALL" the wom-
| an Cora said.
| sibilty." Field said CURLY. IF 1 have made
any mistake, then you can bring an action
| for illegal detention later on. Col Ber-
| rington, we are wasting time here. Had
we not better get with our search?"
| Bennington nodded approval. There was
an exultng CLEAN in his eyes that betok-
ened the discovery Of something out of the
common. Mary crossed the room rapidly
and threw herself in an utter abandonment
| of grief at her brothers feet
"Oh, why don't You tell them everything?'
| she cried. why don't you tell the whole
| truth and save yourself? 1 have friends
here, more than one, who care for me, and
who for my sake would do much to save
! you from the shame and humiliation that
| lie before you. 1 know much, but do not
| know all. For the sake of the old name"
Burn the old name Sartoris said
t'What has it done for me? You have been
a good sister to me, but your attentions
have been a little embarrassing sometimes
And if you had hoped to change me, you
had your trouble for your pains. You may
put me on the rack and torture me, but not
one word do say"
"It seems SO hard. so very hard" Mary
moaned. And when I look back to the
time"
"Ch, never mind looking back to any
time" Sartoris muttered. The games up,
I tell you. / have been beaten, and there's
an end Of 1t. L should play the same hand
again If I had the chance, SO make no mis-
take about that. Wheel me as far as the
dining room"
cit will not be of the slightest use," Ber-
rington said in a cold, clear voice. II know
that you would blow the whole lot of us to
eternity II you got the chance, as a kind of
revenge for our victory, but I have put an
end to that. You will find all the wires dis
connected from your battery. After that
you are quite free to go into the dining
room"
Sartoris grinned and displayed his teeth
in an evil smile. Heaven only knows what
new form of villainy he was plotting. And
he would cheerfully have blown up the
house and destroyed everybody there. in
Guiding himself IL he had had the opportu-
nifty to complete his revenge.
I'VE are wasting time" Field said. Take
all the prisoners away except DIR. Bent
wood. 1 have very good reasons for asking
him to remain
Brentwood smiled in a mean and sinister
way. He had tried to hide himself in a
corner of the room There something
so cringing and fawning about the fellow
that Bennington longed to kick him. Sar
toris spoke in a waspish whisper:
so the land lies in that quarter" he said.
1--WE have informer among us. II l
had known that before. my good Brentwood
if had known that before!'
Big as he was, Brentwood looked small and
mean at that moment
"You are quite mistaken he cried. You
oft thar NV ri 7 ami
as much of prisoner as any Of you. l
was taken in fair fight outside after a des-
perate struggle. What have 1 to gain by
an attitude of unreasonable obstinacy?"
''Oh, nothing" Sartoris replied. But you
can make things easy for yourself by af-
fording the police information. You will
probably get off with ten years. 1 would
fight the thing out to the bitter end and
chance it. But you and 1 are made of diff
ferent stuff"
Mark Ventmore, watching the two men,
thought so too, but he said nothing. One
was a mere bag of bones, the other fine
figure of a man, but Mark would have pre-
ferred the cripple, who made no sign and
showed no feeling as he tottered to the
door. between the policemen. Mary would
have said something to him, but he waved
her back.
Now don't you trouble about me any
more" he said. II shall be. safe for some