The Washington herald., 1908-04-16
CHAPTER LII-COntinued.

] he selI-ef4cenieut or mat llIlc h0uSe-
held was at an end Freed from the
bondage of silence, the truth WIS at last
told. Maud. with her own lips, explained
to Charlie the confession she had made
TO Marion on the night OF their disappear
ance. She had told her how the man
Adam. whom she had known in Belgrade,
had followed her several times In the
nelghborhood OF Earl's court. had spoken
to her, and had declared his love for her.
She never suspected that he had been
her fathers enemy-the man who had
been the instigator Of the dastardly out
rage-until. on the previous evening heI
father had, IN confidence. told her the
truth, and added that. because of his re-
appearance. they had 70 fly. She dared
not tell him they had met. but she had
made Marion her eonfidante. Il was the
story Of the bomb outrage that had held
Marion horrifed.
Charlie, WREN he had listened open
mouth to the explanation Of his we'll
beloved. crie,..
The assassin! And he dared to speak
10 you Of lover
He is dead. dearest" answered the
6-AA1 A~a~tAS SALbAAiS HIS 4tdit AAtlAi HIS
brow Let US forgive hinl-and forget
For answer he took her again In his
arms, and kissed her tenderly upon the
lips.
Three days later.
The eoroner's jury had returned a YER
dict OF suicide while Of unsound mind. +"
and the body Of Jean Adam had. with the
undertaker's assistance, been buried in
Highgate Cemetery in the actual coffin
which had been so long prepared for him.
II was surely a weird revenge Of old
Sans
But the whole occurrence was a grim
and terrible repayment Of an old debt.
In the fading twilight of the wet and
gloomy day on which the dead man s
body was. without single follower. COM
mttted to the grave, Rolfe and Barclay
were seated with the millionaire in the
familiar library in Park lane.
Old Sam had been making explanations
similar to those made by the doctor down
al Arundel. Suddenly he said. looking
from one to the other:
And now I have TO apologize 10 you
both In arranging the disappearance
Of my dear friend the doctor. I contrived
70 mislead you, in order TO add mystery
10 the occurrence. I knew ROlfe, you
lost your train at Charing Cross that
night; that you did not wish to be seen
on by your sister Marion because you
had-ia my interests-quaFreled with
Adam and had made VurdeTOus threats
against him-perhaps unwisely. These
threats. however, you believed Adam had
told 70 Barclay. kence your fear OF the
last named later on. I arranged that a
man should be present at Cromwell road
in clothes resembling your own, that a
garment should be placed in the house
with a bloodstain upon It, and that the
doctors safe should be blown open as
though thieves had visited the place after
the removal of the furniture. l knew
from the doctor that you. Barclay, would
go there that evening, and my object
was to puzzle and mislead you, at the
same time believing that, having sus-
picions Of your friend Rolfe. you would
not go TO the police. Again, IN order TO
test Rolfe's devotion 20 myself, I suggest
ed that the honor OF the woman he loved,
If sacrificed. could save me. I made this
suggestion IN order TO put ROlfe of the
scent"
Then il was all your own doing?" Max
cried, in surprise.
Entirely" was the old mans response.
IN the interests Of myself. as we'll as OF
both Of you. Adam believed that YOU
were aware Of HIS secret intentions. there
fore he was plotting to entice you TO Tur-
key-a country where you might have
disappeared with ease. That was un-
doubtedly his object"
For a few moments he paused; then.
clearing his throat, the old man said, in
q distinct voice:
The other night you we're no doubt
both surprised to find my drawing-room
transposed into the interior Of a Russian
house. Well, II was done with a dis
tinct purpose-to defeat my enemy. He.
with his friend and accomplice, Lyle. had
made a false charge against me-a charge
supported by the perjured evidence Of the
hunchback-a charge OF having in the
old days. years ago. murdered a woman
the woman who was my wife"
A shadow of pain crossed the old mans
brow at what seemed a bitter remem-
branee Then, after a moments pause,
he went on:
she was worthless! All! yes, I admit
that But I swear 1 am innocent OF the
charge they brought against me. She
was killed in Caracas in a brutal manner,
but by whom 1 could never discover.
After her death I left South America.
Adam and his friend dropped their foul
charge against me. and I lost sight of
them for years. Later on, I was pros
pecting In the Timan Mountains, in
Northern Russia, within the arctic cir
Gle. wild. snOW-cOVered country outside
the edge of civilization. Both gold and
emeralds had been discovered along the
Ishma Valley, and there had been a rush
there. Among the many adventurous
spirits attracted thither was Jean Adam,
mill nsf oTe a~1a p
met again. Il was in winter, and we were
IN a state OF semi-starvation, all three OF
Us. Not a word was said regarding the
charge they had made against me. Both
were without means, and both down on
their luck. For a fortnight We remained
together, then, finding things hopeless.
resolved TO struggle back to civilization
at the nearest little Russian village, a
miserable little place called Ust Ussa,
$50 versts south. On the way we all three
nearly succumbed 10 the intense cold and
want Of food. At last. however late one
night we came across a lonely house in a
clearing in the pine forest on the out
skirts OF the village which was our goal.
Sinking with fatigue, we begged shelter
OF the White-bearded old man who lived
there. He took us in, gave US food, and
allowed us to sleep. I was drowsy and
slept ucdNiiy. II was iate When aWOke
when l awoke to find lying beside the
table opposite me the old man. stone dead.
stabbed TO the heart The place had been
ransacked; the old mans hoard Of money
for there are no banks there-had been
found, and my two companions were
missing They had gone-no one knew
whitherl What could I do2 To remaii
would mean to be accused OF the crime,
and probably sent 10 Siberia. Well. I re-
ilected for a moment. Then I took some
food, stole out and made my way again
into the snow-covered wilderness. All!
the recollection OF it all Is still upon me,
though years have since elapsed"
And then?" asked Max. when he found
tongue.
.tNs-... 49,. = - -