The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-14

who had remained with nm, ana Niieh l give the signal-you knowf
 Fancying they were alone, Sir Rowland produced heavy bag of money and pocketbook filled with notes, all of which he threw upon the table.
 You have behaved like man of honor. Right to a farthing." said Wild, after he had counted the money.
 q trust" said the knight. that we may never meet again have settled my affairs and will sail tomorrow for France have made such arrangements that Tn case of my death tardy justice will oe done to my nephew. While l am alive you are safe-after my death l can an- swer for nothing"
 Wild seemed uneasy for a moment, but his face soon settled into Its old determl- nation. Before l go,' continued SIT Rowland, will you tell me the name or Thames Darrelrs father?"
 "Willingly," replied Wild with a sheer. He was the Marquis de Chatillon of the Blood Royal of France. For private reasons he wished the marriage to be con cealed for a time, but had you delay ed murdering him a couple of days 1t would have been announced. Hero are docu- ments to prove the truth of what assert. My agents went to some trouble to steal them from the papers of your sister and from elsewhere"
 "Oh, had I known ths!' cried Sir Row land In agony of remorse. Hell hound why have you persecuted my fami- ly thus?"
 "Well.' replied Wild. cooly, when l have hanged Jack Sheppard and had Thames Darrell assassmated l Intend to marry Mrs. Sheppard and claim, In her behalf that portion of the Trenchard es- tate which l have not already extracted from you. The lady is now, I hear, re . moved from Bedlam and Is under the care of MT. Wood at Dollis Hill, where she has, partially at least. regained her reason. l intend shortly to have her ab- ducted and brought to this house, when l shall find way to make her accept ms as a husband"
 Sir Rowland stood aghast as the whole plot of the villain was revealed 10 him. but Wild. without apparently noticing his manner said: Pray take a glass Of wine. Sir Rowland-you have q long jou '- ney to go' This was the agreed signal. As the words were uttered Mendez sprang from behind the screen and threw a blanket over the knights head while Jon athan fercely attacked him with a bud geon.
 When Wild and his attendant left the room to dispose of the body In recepta- cle which the thief-taker had for such of his victims as he personally dispatched, Jack Sheppard and Thames Darrell en- tered the apartment, followed by Blue skin. On his escape Jack had sent Tor Thames to come and take farewell of hls1 as he was about to fly to France. While they were together Bueskin had brought word that Sir Rowland had been seen en- tering Wild's house, and the two young men had at once resolved to follow him there and confront their uncle and his accomplice.
 Jack had got in by a secret way known to himself and Blueskin. They had scarce- ly time to note the blood on the floor the gold and money on the table and the documents which the knight had exam ined. when Wild and Mendez came back. Jonathan gave the alarm and set upon Jack. The attendants rushed in and d light ensued, in which Darrell was left Tor dead on the floor Jack was captured and Blueskin, in the confusion, seizine the money and the papers and overturnins the lights, escaped by the secret way he had entered. and that night lodged tho documents In the hands of Mir Wood
 When the tumult was over. Wild sec ing that there was yet q little life in Darrell, thought at first to dispatch him. but. considering a moment, said. Not quite yet. He may be of some use to me yet alive" and had him conveyed to d cell in the dungeons under the house
 Jack, being again In Newgate under sentence. tried to bring charges against Wild, but could find no official to listen to such notorious character as himsels
 In spite of the utmost precautions Jack was destined to make another of his ia nous escapes, an escape which Is still re. garded as the most remarkab ble story of the "Newgate Calendar" Dexteriouslv freeing himself of his irons, and labor iously working his way through solid stone walls and heavily barred doors. he afna fha nAf af and descended upon the roof of an ad- joining house. Stealthiy entering one of the rooms he was startled to see Wini- fred Wood, who had called there with her father, who had business with tho owner
 Cautionng the girl not to cry out. Jack told her of his present condition and of what had taken place in Wilds house the night of his capture.
 "Oh. 1t cannot be true that Thames is murdered"' cried Winifred. We have searched everywhere for him, it is true, without avail. But dead Oh, no, No, And, Jack, your mother. too, has been abducted and we have been una ble to find out whither she has been taken. oh. this
 s too horrlble,''
 "Winifred," said Jack, If hopeless love of you made me desperate and drove m. 10 crime. so the thought of you has often kept me from evil. If Darrell Is alive he shall be restored to you. and when l am no more, think as well Of me you can lmprinting kiss on the forehead of the fainting girl, Jack stole quickly out of the house and took his way to the secret en- trance which led into the house of Jon athan Wild
 As he stole in he saw Quilt Arnold with a light in his hand descending into the dungeons and softly followed him. "In an hour, so Wild says, she must marry him. Poor woman. I don't like the job, but Jonathan will kill me if l don't go through with it." muttered Quilt. The young man Is to be killed first"
 Setting down the light on the floor. Quilt unlocked the door of a cell and, drawing his sword, stepped inside. Jack heard the voice of Darrell and rushed m just as the assassin was about to accom- plish his work. He felled the villain to the floor with an iron bar which he had caught up in his escape from the prison and carried with him.
 "Oh, Jack is 1t you?" feeby cried Thames, who was bound hand and foot "It is.'' replied Jack, unbinding him. ~,ff x.-t&A roG