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

| there was grOan, tneH u moVeHenl
behind him, and as he wheeled round
the man in the mask sat up.
"Har' said Tom. $50 it was you who
followed my master from the bank
and tried to break into his desk last
night! You've succeeded bit too late,
My masters got his money in his
pocket-and he isn't ferew
81 amt after lis money" said harsh
high voice.
"What then?"
"What you've got in your hand"
"Thls!" cried Tom. "Who are your
Names Wyeth. I'm lag, same as
you"
"Let me see your face"
Again that grin below the mask ere
1t was whipped off, and Toms eyes lit
upon horrible face horribly disfigur-
ed. 1t was perfectly fat. Disease had
RACED the nose to below the level Of
the sunken cheeks, and the beady eyes
seemed more prominent by contrast as
they glittered upon Toms visible abb
horrence. In an instant, however, the
adherence changed to recognition, and
q great light blinded Tom.
my Godw he gasped. "The man
that did it!'
Ibid whatp
"yVhat I'm here for-the murder Of
Captain Blaydes! 1t was. you who
killed him! 1t was you! saw you
close to the spot that night! Never
shall forget you-and this is the re-
ceipt gave him! l took it just now
from your hand"
"An' where do yer think L took it
| from?"
"The dead mans pocket"
"That there deskw
At last Tom said "Tell me! Tell me-"
And his voice was very weak. He
was leaning heavily on the chimney
piece, and now his elbow hid the time.
Wyeth removed hand from the
back of his head, looked at the blood
upon it and grimly showed 1t to Tom.
"You'ye been rough with me, you
ave, when you should ha' taken me
to your art, but l will tell you, COS
amt that much to lose, an it may
mean my ticket If you stand by me
like a true man. Say you'll do that an
I'll tell you every blessed thing"
81 will stand by you through thick
and thin," said Tom.
The other eyed him for several Sec
onds.
81 do believe you WILL" said he. "1t's
bargain between true man and true
man. Well, then, that night
"Stopp' said Tom. eve will have
another pair of ears" He went to
the, door and called loudly for Peggy.
No answer His voice reverberated
through an empty house. He had seen
the Fawcetts start for Sydney an hour
ago (even now he did not realize Why,
but Peggy had wHlfully deserted.
go on" said he. "What about that
night? l met you not 300 yards from
the stile where the body was found,
and you were going that way%
81 was" said Wyeth, "an' when /
come near what dye think | heard? A
couple of swells having a row. In 'alf
shake it come to blows, an / count
ed five before there was bit OF O
thud. and the one who'd been calling
out My Gawd, my Gawd! e shut up,
but the other went on saying You
devilp-through is teeth-jes' like that
until | come UP. / keeps quiet and
sees one swell take lot O. papers out
err the other swell's pocket, when in l
steps. You should ha' seen the one as
was pocketin' the papers! Up he
Jumps, with thick stick dripping at
the end, and before you can say Jack
Robinson e as me on the conk, an
that's the end o. mew
"Did you ever see him asainT
Toms voice rang strange with horror
and WEAKNESS. He did not want his
freedom. He was sick of the life that
Daintree had given him back, Of the
world to which Daintree had restored
him. His benefactor! The man filed
his mind in that first light only-and
in this last!
eyes, | see him at your trial." said
Wyeth, "but Pm coming to that. Mean
while I'm only silly, and what do find
when come to? A dead man, bloody
stick an me lynn alongside! Nice,
wasn't it? The moon was on i'm, an
he made me feel nice, can tell yer
But soon see it wasn't robbery. There
was that there diamond pin. I boned
1t, an there was some loose silver In
his pockets, an that come in andy too.
tooketo my 'eels an did "a slant the
way come, an l never see that swell
no more till your trial. l thought e
might be there. an e was. So the first
day / lied In wait for i'm, but the
Charles knoo me, an got frightened
an went an lost i'm. The next night
lost i'm again-an accident 'appened
anil come out ere, / dessay in the
ship arter you. An yesterday l see Is
Iofiship comm outer the Moo South
W1les bank as bold as brarse. He
never Seed me till you got afoat an
that's what upset you ALL AFTER that
/ logged i'm, but dursn't say word
till found a card or two to shove up
my sleeve. So, thinks l, the man who
steals papers may steal 'em to keep.
Well have look. An so 1t was. An
now them papers Is yours. an you're
as good as free man. You'll put in q
word for that ticket when you git
your own free parding? You won't go
an round on pore chap Gawd Al
mighty ms rounded OnY