The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-06-03
-. Ole -.
Rogue March.
BY E. ". HoRkuNG,
Author of "Raffles. the Amateur Cracks
man." "A Bride From the
Bush" Etc
Copyright, 1886. BIZ Charles Serib'
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His second murders. gasped Tom.


fratricide. There were two brothers
James was the younger. Out shoot
ing one day when they were both
mere lads. he shot a dog dead in his
passion. The brother abused him. In
an instant he also was shot through
the heart 1t was brought in an acct
dent, but the family knew what t
was They drummed him out They
refused TO see his face again. He
was as much transported as any felon
in New South Wales, with as good a
cause. We never knew why his fam
lily would have nothing to do with him.
Why, for instance. the very flowers he
laid upon his mothers grave We're
summarilv returned TO him. 1T seem
ed inhuman, but / think it was very
human now. God help me, I thought
it was only the ordinary wild oats
made too much Of But was at fault,
grievously at fault Bitterly l regret
it, Bitterly l shall rue it till my dying
day.
Nicholas Harding was deeply moved.
He was indeed different man. In a
hoarse voice he described the horrors
of the interminable outward voyage.
the perpetual dread of being too late,
the nightly nightmare of Claire mar
ried to a criminal lunatic if not dead
already by his hand.
Crime and Madness said he. t.are
in their blood / found that out too.
The mother was a saint, but / discoy-
cred she had died in an asylum. The
father is sane, but you know his repu-
tation. He had denied me an inter-
view before. / forced myself upon
him now. And he admitted the perfect
truth of the story l had heard. You
ask how that woman came to know of
il. Well, SO did |. As l told you, she
had sunk as low as possible. 1t seems
she made practice of asking her COM
panions whether they knew aught of
the Daintrees, because she suspected
our guest of some shameful secret, but
never of killing Biaydes, and she had
always the thought of repaying Claire
the good turn of which Claire must tell
you. Well, at last-calI it chance or
fate or what you will-but at last she
hit upon trail that led to the truth.
She discovered an old gamekeeper who
had actually seen the deed and been
pensioned to keep it secret. but blabbed
1t III HIS QOld-e. Anu 1lGl size Chile 10
Avenue Lodge"
Once his tongue was loosed and it
was seen that the subject excited the
convalescent much less than had been
feared. Mr.. Harding would speak of it
with apparent freedom. Yet the case
had aspects which he sedulously shun-
ned. And toward the end of the voy-
age he became yisibly troubled and
depressed, but at last one chilly north
ern night, when the western islands
had been left astern, he took Tom by
the arm. and his hand trembled.
''Erichsen," said he, Il was once
your enemy. l am now your. friend.
In the near future | am to be some
thing more, and | cannot face it a
humbug and hypocrite. You remem-
Der those letters you gave me back
without question? | have waited for
that question all these months. That
you have never asked it that alone
shows what you are. 1t makes it the
harder to have to tell you the kind of
man / was. But | have made up my
mind that you shall know"
And he confessed that he had been
5ut4AA ttiOuSA VI Inc DIlDtIy GIi Dut
brought home to him and yet not more
guilty than hundred others, many of
them in higher places. as he said with
perfect truth, but little bitterness. The
voyage out had purged him of self es-
TEEN and arrogance; the homeward
voyage was rearing better qualities in
their place.
Yes, IL was a true billI'' he sighed.
True also that my money had silenc-
ed the witness who refused to speak
true that / have made it worth his
While to 90 to prison. But letters had
passed between us. Blaydes got hold
of them. He was on his way to me
with those letters in his pocket-to sell
them TO me for a fancy price-when he
met his death. Do you recollect the
first lawyer who came to see you about
the defenseE"
Tom started, but said he did remem-
ber
He came from me- And he not
only assumed your guilt-as 1 fear we
had all assumed it-but he wanted to
know where you had put what you had
taken out of the dead mans pockets.
You were only to tell him that to Sc
cure the best defense money could OBJ
tain. Instead of telling him you threw
him out of your cell. You were oute
right. / was well served After two
years. Erickson, 1 tell you that I am
Tom inlplored him to say no more. |
There was more, however, that must |
be said.
Before your trial." continued Hard |
ing. 4 was almost mad with anxiety /
very hour l expected those letters TO |
e found. Daintree knew well enough |
what was the matter. The letters were |
10 his own possession, but he obtained /
my confidence. wormed it out of me /
1ne night. and from that hour my
soul was not my own. He began By |
ira gging me to your trial.
He told me you dragged him there"
1T was the other way about / am /
4 shaned TO say it, but it was the other
way about. I want to hang myself /
when / think of that time. / remeEn-
per him taHnting me BIZ saving I ought
to sy1npatlize with you because I de-
served 10 stand IN the dock myself +
tie who had done the murder for