The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-12-17
CHAPTER w

Gideon Hope stood dazed, crushed: a
hideous blight seemed to have suddenly
struck down courage. manhood, resolve
the sacrifice had been consummated. lie
had driven into the arms, the tolls of his
most bitter enemy the one being on earth
he worshiped next TO the memory of his
sainted brother.
Could aught atonel
A recognition of the daring. utter tri-
umph of Percy Kane, aided and abetted
by his own unconscious cooperation. an
palled the man 1! At that moment. stand
ing blinded and heart-sick at the threshold
of fair CElire Denslow's recent home. i'm
pitiful subjugation to fate. to doom, he
realized how puny, how shadow-like. were
the vanished powers of will and passion
when pitted against the relentless, I'M
yielding force of circumstance.
And now, revenge. hatred, the fierce
JOY of running down a foe. the glory of
annihilating a political party and oblit-
Grating a giant trust-all. all. faded into
nothingness. as mere filmy wreaths of
smoke. These that had seemed so much
were nothing in the face of stern new
presentment-Clairei Claire
He had counted his enemy done for, a
fugitive at his sole will. candidate for
the gallows when he elected. He had
torn from Kane's grasp the fortune he had
sought TO carry away in fight to obscur-
ity, and had gone home and slept, smil-
ing, fercely confident of holding his vic
tim in the palm of his hand.
But Gideon Hope, shrewd. keen reader
of mind and master of men that he was.
had not weighed Alright the boundless re-
sources, the daring character of Percy
Kane. In the apparent death throes OF
a supreme crucial struggle, the embezzler
and assassin had dealt blow. quick and
deep. that humbled. palsied. crushed the
victor of an hour.
IL II were subtle, ferocious stroke of
revenge, the very iron of its csnkering
essence deprived Hope of momentary
thought and action. II 1t was merely the
laundering afterthought of the miscreant
-ah had he not won what was more
worthy than fortune, or fame, a radiant.
peerless being, who typifed to Hope all
that was beautiful on earth in life
Hope staggered from the doorway in
which, puzzled and alarmed, stood the
wonder-faced landlady.
what shall say to him?' he gasped
Ito Denslow; Claire,s father."
A siclenins sense OF responsibility
swayed him. When he had undertaken
the scheme that was to bring Kane and
his thieving colleagues to ruin, he had
promised Denslow restitution. lie could
offer il now. In such a shape were the
affairs of the metal combination. in pos
session of such irrefragible evidence con-
corning its underhand primary dealings
was Hope. that in the inevitable reorgan-
ization of the wreck Denslow's just and
pretentious claim could not be set aside
but what of that other element. far more
dear to the fond parents heart-Claire?
For while Denslow. in retirement at a
distance. had consented that his daughter
should assist Hope in his schemes. he had
no idea how completely Claire had meant
her promise to obey this strange secret
friend. how far he, the master mind
would require her to proceed in order 10
ger the tolls fast and effectual about the
willy wrecker.
When the new and unexpected vista
had opened that brought Kane within
Hopes power. as man to man. the self
confessed murderer of Everett Hope, the
crisis was past-and. thrilled with strange
new ardor, the possibilities of love and
its rewards appealed to his soul. and Gid
con Hope had hastcned to apprise Claire
of a victory only to face a defeat. an I'M
expected revelation that seemed TO sweep
the very ground from beneath his feet.
He might find Claire-ah! yes, as he
he'd known he could drag from hiding his
arcl enemy when he wanted him-Dut
how? A wife the bride OF the blacklist
scoundrel the wide earth knew; and he.
the aIInoner of this mad. wicked rite, thar
gave innocence and shuddering. shrinking
horror into the keeping of villainy.
The thought maddened him-a blood
red mist obscured clear vision Yet. too
late, too late, lie had willed the sacri-
flee. and as a lamb to the slaughter poor
Claire had gone, very victim TO blind
devotion and love.
Ii seemed as IL infinite pity banished
all other emotions now-in his sheer help
lesSness this strong man WINGED he even
trembled
Blindly. vaguely, he went from the spo.,
seeing nothing. caring for nothing. his
dulIed mind directing this course till. the
shock of the hour losing its first devastat-
ing effect. the slow return of coherent
thought might gradually CT him to realize
what there was next to be done.
When he had come to the boarding
house. high. elated spirits had hidden de-
fiance to suspicion or fear. and Hope
had not noted that he was followed at a
guarded distance by hulking giant Of
falloxy who i'm turn was kent in sirhf hv
why. ferret-faced creature evidently of
his own iik.