Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-01-25

she saw something in the man which
| terrified her, and she wrote g pitiful let
! ter To father, who went over to Paris
at once, and finally succeeded in buy
| ing the man of Father paid him
| $4,000 francs, / belieVe-perhaps e was
the fact that he knew he was not really
Edith's husband-that he himself had
committed a crimc-whiCh made him
take it. He agreed to leave the country
and in the following December ne wrote
father that he was about to sail for
Martinique In a ship called the Cen
I taur He said he intended TO buy a
plantation in Martinique and make that
his home. In February. We learned
mat the tentaur had been lost. with
all on board. After eight years. It
seemed certain that he was dead and
Edith felt free TO marry again"
Was Mr.. Delroy Informed OF this
early indiscTetiCn2"
Certainly forgaVe t. AS anv
good man would"
Pardon me for asking the question
Miss Croydon, but IT was necessary
When Was II you first learned that Ire
maine was stiil alive?"
one night nearly two months ago
Edith brought his letter 10 me. she
was wild, distracted, ready TO XIII her
self-that is what | have feared every
day since. She loves Mr. Delroy. Mr.
Godfrey and yet she believed herself
the wife of another man. He demand
ed that she meet him i'm that apartment
house | knew she could not bear such
meeting, and yet he must be seen.
offered to go in her stead | had some
Wild idea OF appealing to his better ma
ture. OF persuading him
she stopped. silenced by her own
emotion.
That, Of course. could not have al
tered the fact that your sister was his
wife. observed Godfrey
No, that was the terrible part OF
IL, nothing could alter that There
must or course be a separation. but
we thought We would solve that problem
after we had settled the other. So I
went. He opened the door to me.
had never seen him, aud | confess his
appearance and manner were not at all
what expected. He did not look I'm
the least Ike sCOundrel nor did he
act like one. He listened to me with
attention and seeming respect. He even
appeared moved. Oh. ! know now what
hypoCrite he was. | know that he
was laughing at me. that he was plan
ming something deeper. more villainous
] had brought 81. 200 with ne-aI that
we could gather together at the mo
ment-aud | pressed il upon him. urg-
ing him To take IL and go away and
We would send him more He pretend
ed to refuse the money, to protest that
il was not IN the least what ne wanted
but compelled him to take IT, And
just as | was hoping that / prevailed
with him. the door OF the bedroom
opened and horrible drunken man
staggered out
Well Vic he cried. so this is tn
gal, is It? She's likely piece. /
Nouldn give her up, Vic. no. not fer
ten thousand
-
brute! cried Tremaine, and he took him
roughly by the arm.
But the other shook him off
Don't lay your hands on me. Vic"
he cried Don't dare lay your hands
on me"
Il saw the very devil spring into Ire
maine's face. He looked about him for
some weapon, and picked up piece
| Of pipe that lay beside the radiator.
/ Thompson saw the action and lurched
| heavily toward him.
! Coin { use that on me. Nic?' ne
| asked You'd better try it, and he
made a pass at Tremaine and tried to
snatch the pipe away. You try it on
\ an III blow your game ike ] did once
/ before down at sydney.
He struck at Tremains again. but
the latter sprang away and in an in
stant had brought the pipe down upon
/ his head. Thompson fell like n log
/ then shat fendish look flashed into
/ Tremaine's face a second time. he
snstChed out "A revolver dimly un-
derstood what was coming indeed.
had my own revolver in my hand and
fred at him, but my shot went Wild
while his -
She stepped and buried her face in
her hands, overcome for the moment
by the terrible spectacle her words
had evoked
She controlled herself by an effort
took down her hands
He put his pistol away and stepped
over very close TO me.
' Miss Croydon he said rapidly II
will be well for you to say you die
not know me. | have committed nc
Crime-he Was the ggressor-what
did was done In self defence. One
thing more your sister has nothins
10 fear from me-l shall never bother
her again-I promise you that
He was gone in an instant and
then The janitor came and you and
the detectives"
Godfrey nodded thoughtfully
That supplies the motive. Lester,
he said II have felt that my explain
alton Of the crime was not quite ade
quate. But il was not only desire fol
revenge that urged Tremaine on--it
was also the knowledge that Thompson
knew of his first marriage and threat
ened. with a word, 10 wreck his plan:
a second time
Yes" | agreed, and sat silent, pom.
dering the story.
Miss Croydon" asked Godfrey after
moment.
From what you read of them. / sus
peCted how vitally they concerned IN,
sister. That was a secret, l felt, which
must be kept at any hazard. II wa'
done without consideration. on III,
spur OF the moment. or | should neve
have had the courage to DO ii at all
And why did you hide them unde
the carpet?"
She laughed outright She load wa
llifted-she was fast becoming her usua
self
Il had a wild idea that you wer
going TO search me- l saw that loos
place in the carpet the instant | aros
with the clippings in my hand. One
had put them there, / had no chanc
at all TO get them again
Godfrey nodded.
You tried to get them ;he day afte
the inquest, didn't you
Yes; but the jantor was so afrai
OF me that he wouldn't even let m
go upstairs"
And there weren't any papers,
! No. that was lie. / saw | mus
invent one--that | must offer some ex
plsnation OF my presence there"
> Did Tr.maine keep his promise
Not TO bother my sister? Yes; h
mentioned IL again only 10 assure IN
that the past was dead-that he woul
never revive IT,"
But how could you admit his pres
! ence here ~
J How could we prevent Il? II wa
Mr.. Delroy who brought him. w
= weren't strong enough to tell rim tn
whole story"
E You mean you told him part {
$ it?"
. There has been a virtual separatio
? ever since Mr. Tremaine appeared
Godfrey paused reflectively.
: why were you so agitated,' he con
! t!nued finally. when you were aske
TO identfy Jimmy the dude, at N
inquest"
: Because did identify him.
{ You did,
5 "Yes--as the man had seen talk
= ing to the janitor In the lower hal
I | 10 f, H. ha