Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-24

longer shirked the ceremony, but for
one instant had a mad design himself;
the next, his right hand was warmly
held.
THANK God" cried Daintree in a
breaking voice. Il knew you didn't
mean it, No more did / mean any
thing l said. Forgive me, Thomas.
and don't desert me at the last
And Toms heart sank as it once
more softened to the man who was not
mad, but only unstrung, and again he
lOnged to eschew the church, but he
kept his word, and fortune was yet to
prove his friend. A mile they had
driven when loud cry broke from
Daintree. In his agitation he had for
gotten the ring. He burst into tears
at the discovery.
"Never mind. Never mind" cried
Tom in his oldest role. I'VE can turn
back. What, isn't there time? No,
know it would never do to keep her
waiting. Then look here, I'll run back
and gallop in again on your horse.
I'll be there almost as soon as you,
and the ring isn't wanted till quite
the end"
Daintree thanked him through his
tears-the first Tom had ever seen In
those fiery eyes-and he sped back
strangely touched. but strangely COM
fOrted too AT least he loved her! The
man might be egotistical and vain and
overbearing, all three to the verge of
lunaCy, but that he was marrying for
sheer love was even more palpable
than it had been before. Tears In
| those eyes, Tears at the thought of
losing her for one more day! Then
God grant that with Claire at least
he might be unselfish, meek and gen
| tie, though an egOtist. Il cOycomb and
| tyrant to all the world beside!
So praying as he ran. forgetful of his
own debt to Daintree-for the moment
| self forgetting altogether-To was at
| the bungalow gate in time that would
not have shamed the bridegroom in his
athletic youth. And in the very gate
| way he stopped dead. He had caught
glimpse of ragged coattails disap-
peaTing through the study windows
A crazy skiff lay hauled up on the
| strand.
| Tom kicked off his shoes. He made
no sound on the veranda. but he vast
ed some seconds. and heard two draw
ers burst open as he Crept nearer and
nearer He was totally unarmed; his
one chance lay in taking the thief by
surprise.
The veranda on this side was In deep
| oh al Tho MORNING N tho cool
dusk of the study a masked man was
rifling drawer after drawer and tossing
the contents right and left. The floor
was strewn with papers as Tom leaped
across it and hurled himself upon the
thief. They crashed to the ground to
| gether. The mans head caught the
corner of the bookshelf. and he lay SUI
pine. with a mouthful of crumblins
teeth grinning horribly below the mask
His nerveleSs fingers still Clutched {
packet of blush letters half torn from
their wrapper. Tom took them from
him and rose up painting. \ mOmen
later they might have heard his shou
at Piper'S point.
All but one letter had slipped from
his trembling hand. On the back o
that letter a few lines had been scrawl
ed with lead pencil.
1t was the receipt
renciled 10y Blaydes on the back of
letter, signed by Tom in the moonll
Hampstead fields and taken by til
murderer from his victims person,
was neither more nor less than tn
missing document whose production
would have. acquitted Erickson at tn
Old Bailey. And now after eightee
months and here on these outlandis
shores it had cast up at his very fee
He held it-held his freedom-in hi
! own trembling hands.
The words spun like midges as til