The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-04

perintendenI named 6pidle' "hS " hated particularly.
 Felix arrived in time to see Spratt dragged, screaming and yelling, down the steps Forcing his way in, he tried to get close to the victim. The men, recognizing him, thought that he had come to help them. and to onlookers he seemed lead ing spirit of the mob.
 The constables attacked at this moment. One spirited fellow, Tucker. fought his way into the crowd and. seeing Felix close to the towering Spratt. leaped at him with his sword. Felix had no time to explain. To save hls life he clinched, threw the man and wrested the weapon from him.
 Don't touch him'' he cried. Let him gol Follow mel''
 It was a tangled business. His first thought was to draw the crowd away from the constable. His next was to lure them away from Spratt, whom they were determined to kill. He succeeded They left Spratt tied up, at his orders, and fol- lowed him out of the town, wondering where he was leading them, but obeynig for the time being without question, as mobs will when led.
 Holt's only object was to get the men away from the town. in order to avoid a conflict with the military which had been called out Just as he thought he was successful some one cried: ITO Treby Manori". and in moment his leadership had vanished. He found himself help less unit borne along by the crowd that now had distinct object and went straight to It.
 Instead of leading he followed now, anxious to do what he could to prevent mischief. With all his haste he arrived only after the advance guard had broken into the hall. While he debated what to do. he heard the sound of cavalry coming smartly. Leaping to the balcony with the sword that he still carried. he cried to the rioters: Back! Back! The sol diers are coming!"
 A voice shouted "Firel' and a bullet whizzed through his arm. He fell. The rioters ran like sheep. That night Felix Holt, whose wound was found to be triv- ial was lodged in jail under three charges. One was for leading a riot. An other for assaulting constable; but the worst was for manslaughter. Tucker had received a concussion of the spine when Felix threw him and was dead.
 A week afterward Harold Transome sat in the library of the beautiful manor house sorting over papers. He had lost the election. but worse than all, he had become disgraced in the eyes of his neigh bors by the riot He confessed to him. self that it had been brought on by the methods which Holt had assailed and he felt sure that the young Radical was an innocent victim of conditions for which his own agents were responsible. He swore to himself to repay Jermyn for 1t.
 Harold Transome had been away from
 England almost all his life. younger brother, he had left home to make his fortune, and having made It. he was in no hurry to return, even after his elder brother died. When he did return, he found that his mother had given Jermyn a free hand during all the years of her sway and that the lawyer had enriched himself in every possible way
 He had waited only till the election should be over and his need for Jermyn's
 services be ended to file bill against him in Chancery On this morning he was awaiting the lawyer who had asked for an interview.
 Jermyn wasted no words but informed
 Harold curtly tha unless the suit were
 withdrawn at once he would bring for
 ward a Bycliffe. Most certainly" said
 he, 'it happens that the Bycliffe claim has just become valid. The Transome line has just expired. Old Tom Transome
 was the last of the line as l can prove. He was killed in the riot His death gives the reverson to the Bycliffes; and I can
 prove that there is a Bycliffe living. It rests with you whether or not keep the
 secret.'
 Harold felt inclined to thrash the attor- ney then and there but he suppressed the
 inclination and agreed curtly that he
 would suspend action on the suit till he could think matters over. MT. Jermyn retired confident of what
 the decision would be. Perhaps he would
 have won. Harold did not pretend to feel delight at the thought of handing over his estate He was angry at the mere thought. He hated the idea of compound ing with Jermyn, but he wanted to re- tain the property.
 The scale was thus evenly poised. A touch would decide 1t. The touch was given by one of Jermyns pawns Christian had come to the conclusion that the most profitable investment he could make of his knowledge was to sell it to Transome. He appeared at Tram some Court three days after MT. Jermyn's visit and Harold obtained the name of the Bycliffe heir in return for bribe of one thousand pounds
 He felt sure that he could make g. compromize with the preachers adopted daughter and he determined at once to tell her the truth and thus frustrate Jer- myn's plans and make him bite the dust. He told his mother the startling story at once: She was agitated and trembled. Her 1 lips grew pale. Harold was not surprised, but what he failed to see was that his mothers greatest agitation came when he | told her of his proceedings against Jer- myn which she now heard for the first l time.
 Faintly she urged her son to remember | Jermyn's long service. He replied that | the lawyer had repaid himself by rob- | ping the estate of three thousand pounds l year "Of course he had no trouble l in cheating poor father" said Harold re- | ferring bluntly to the fact known by l everybody in the county that MT. Tran | some had been half imbecile all his life And he hoodwinked you. Why do you l want to shield him, mother?" l Mrs. Transome did not reply but arose -l~~ kx. xzx.+A .e <,nr tfa rr<,