Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-02-07

YOU have loaded 1t, but I'll trust you,
Thomas. You're the one man In TINS
world do trust. And now put on your
hat and come in with me to Sydney.
Tom drew back. This was not In the
programme. On the contrary, he was
to stay and mind the house. !,
ON the housed" cried Daintree'
'"The girl can look after the house.
Your place is at your masters side or
else you are the foulest migrate In New
South Wales! But you are. / have al
WAYS known you were. You have only
waited for this hour to turn and rend
mew
"You are wrong" said Tom grimly.
81 do not leave your side again" for
the man must be mad, and Tom no
longer shirked the ceremony, but for
one instant had mad design himself;
the next, his right hand was warmly
held.
THANK God! cried Daintree In a
breaking voice. II knew you didn't
mean it. No more did l mean any
thing 1 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 1nstrung, 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 q 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. 1--WE can turn
back. What, isn't there time? No, l
know it would never do to keep her
waiting. Then look here, III run back
and gallop in again on your horse.
I'll be there almost as soon as you,
ard 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 he egotistical and vain and
oyerbearing 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, a coxcomb and
a tyrant to all the world besidel
So praying as he ran, forgetful Of his
own debt to Daintree-for the moment
self forgetting altogether-Tom 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-
pearing 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 be vast
ed some seconds. and beard 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
shadow all the morning. In the cool
dusk of the study masked man was
rihing drawer after drawer and tossing
the contents right and left. The floor
was strewn with papers as Tom leaped
across 1t 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 su-
pine, with q mouthful of crumbling
teeth grinning horribly below the mask
His nerveless fingers still clutched a
packet of blush letters half torn from
their wrapper. Tom took them from
him and rose up painting. A moment
later they might have heard his shout
at Piper's point.
All but one letter had slipped from
his trembling hand. On the back OF
that letter few lines had been scrawl-
I'd with a lead pencil.
1t was the receipt.
Penciled by Blaydes on the back OF
letter, signed by Tom in the moonlit
Hampstead fields and taken by the
murderer from his victims person, 1t
was neither more nor less than the
missing document whose production
would have acquitted Erickson at the
Old Bailey. And now after eighteen
months and here on these outlandish
shores it had cast up at his very feet.
He held it-held his freedom-in his
own trembling hands.
The words spun like midges as the
paper rustled and shook. He had to
set it on the chimney piece to read it
through
Received from J. Montgomery Blaydes,
late captain, Coldstream guards, his
watch and chain, etc., in settlement of
all claims, and in consideration of which
I undertake to return pawn ticket for
same to said ]. M. Blaydes, Ivy cottage,
West End, within three days from this
date. T. ERICHSEN.
April q, 1887.
He forgot the wedding, ring, forgot
the wedding. He was an innocent
man. He could prove it now before all
the world by this Incompatible testi-
mony, this inanimate witness that
could not lie. That was Toms first
reflection. His first emotion was
rush of thankfulness, ineffable and UNI
mixed. Curiosity succeeded. How
came the receipt here? But as he
wondered, as his thoughts flew from
the broken headed robber to his friend
Daintree, lit was not the bridegroom
that they pursued to the church, but
..Oe..a4c.. 4hat thor faIlQ1uad