Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-01-31

viii. 1r!l driving furiously
md Wycth seated Grir.ly at his side
A. tW',ty past they turned into Mac
quart" street. Wore rattling up Hunter
street next minute. then into George
street The whip whistling. wheel OF
the curb AT every corner. pedestrians
flying and cpaStahles challenging, and
SO up Charlotte place 10 the church
The clock on the round cnstcllated
tower made 1t IL time yet II they
had waited for the ring. But there
We're no carriages outside. and Toms
hart stopped rs he saw n woman
emerge and lock the church door.
rs the marriage OVER" he screamed
There's 40 marriage this morning
It's put off"
For the ring"
"No, for the bride: she never came"
"NeVcr came:"
EIt the woman had been robbed OF
her fees. and the loss involved that OF
her temper Better 90 to the Pulte-
ney hotel If you want to know more,''
said she. and four wheels would have
locked In the mad whirl with which
Tom turned Curriclc and horses.
Over the bridge to O'Connell street.
Pulteney. A waiter spoke to the oc-
cupants. and II drove off without ons
Of them getting out. Meanwhile Ton
had seen the Fawcetts In the gapin,
crowd outside, had left them on guar
over the curricle and Wyeth and him
self rushed into the hotel
There's no wedding. The guests ar
being sent away" said waiter, stand
Ing in his path.
Where's Mr.. DaintreeY'
'In the ballroom, but there's q gen
tlenan"-
Tom hurled him on one side and wa
IN the ballroom himself next instant
1t was a spacious saloon, the best II
Sydney at that time, and the frs
thing Tom saw was the loES table Will
the vista of silver and glass leading t.
a s1owclad mountain Of q wedding
cake ut the far end. The chairs were
empty. the table uncovered, and only
two men were In the room, the bride
groom in his marriage garments and {
person Of equal stature In top boots
and u pea jacket, whose face Ton
could not see. Next moment Nicholas
Harding turned his head. 1t was tc
him Daintree had drunk in the gray
dawn that seemed year ago.
The ruddy hair was shot with silver
the massive face refined by suffering
lie had aged ten years in eighteen
months.
Tom went straight to his old enemy,
turning his back on his old friend
you came out to stop this marriage,
sirf"
Il did. 1t was the only way"
Il congratulate you on arriving in
time. You would have had a murderer
for your son-in-laww
Daintree gave cry. Tom had turn.
ed upon him with flashing eyes.
How do you know?" cried Harding
III amazement.
Il will tell you. This man has been
my best friend. He paid for my de-
Tense, and he took me away from the
iron gang. Do you know whyY
Il know one reason"
$50 do /, but there was another. He's
been hedging matters with his God
He murdered Blaydes himself"
"Blaydes"'
And Mr.. Harding flung up his hands,
while Daintree sank into a chair Us
yellow as guinea, but with hot eye.
balls fixed searchingly upon Tom.
Your proofs" said he hOarsely
"YOur proofs in support of this-mon.
strOus-charge,"
Il have clear proof in my pocket
said Tom to Mr.. Harding as he but
toned up his coat. II have the receipt
gave Blaydes for his watch and
cnainv
Daintree sprang up. He was trem
bling from head to foot, but his fists
and his teeth We're clinched.
Thief" he Kissed. You have bro
ken open my desk! l saved you from
the gallows. You think you'll hound
ME there in return-you fool, when YOU
know what I know! What you have
stolen is no proof at oil. migrate, ser
pent, 1t will only tighten the rope
round your own ungrateful neckw
He turned Oh his heel and wrote
something on a card. He rang a bell
met the waiter ut the door and handed
him what he had written.
THAT may Ike So" said Tom to Mich
olas Harding. II may swing yet, but
thank God. not for Blaydesw
1T is really the receipt?"
Undoubtedly, written by Blaydes
and signed by me. 1t will clear me OF
that crime If 1t doesn't convict him.
don't want to convict him."
The other shrugged his shoulders.
1T would Ike useless. There's mad
ness In his blood as we'll as crime! But
Il that your only evidenceY"
mo. l have witness outside who
all but saw him do 1t. He did see him
taking the papers from the dead mans
pocket"
"Papers" cried Mr.. Harding. Hill
high color fed and came again. They
belonged to me. Give them to me
Erichsen, for Gods sake!"
Then keep your eye on him, and
you shall have all but the one l mar
want. saw they were letters to YOU
And in an instant they were in Nicho
las Harding's pocket, all but the one
With the receipt upon the back, and he
also buttoned up his coat.
Meanwhile Daintree was at the othe,
end OF the long room guarding the
doos, and now they saw him fling Il
open with an evil smile. Next mo
ment strange gang entered-two con
stables. Ginger, Nat Sullivan and Peg
gy O'Brien.
PegGy's presence Is only too easily
explained. When her own ears heard
Tom consent to leave the country she
shut her teeth and swore that he
should not. In New South Wales he
should remain, though back he went
to the chain gang. but she trusted t.
her own testimony to save his neck
SO she slipped out Of the bungalow
while the master was being dressed
followed the Fawcetts into Sydney
and went straight to the Pulteney no
tel to tell Nat Sullivan the truth ahor,,