Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-26
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and were rendered more terrible by the
which pointed at the story Of Crawshay's
search.
Once more he realized to the full the
horror Of Crawshay's death. once more he
remembered the words OF the oath which
he had sworn, once more he recollected
the Judgment he had called down on his
own head II he failed to keep his word
And then again there came the memory
OF that morning when he had stood before
the looking glass with rascr at his
throat. and had felt an irresistible desire
to cut thin red line from ear 70 ear;
and. as he recalled it. he also remembered
that there was a loaded revolver in one
Of the drawers Of his writing table:
Moved by some power over which ne
had no control. he rose to his feet and
CROPPED his way to the table. He thought
that the Strip Of his fingers on the re-
vQlver would inspire him with courage.
was either IN the room or moving about
the house. He could hear nothing, but ne
seemed to feel their presence. It would
be wise to arm himself in case OF acct
dents
He fumbled with his keys. and after
several attempts. opened the drawer ana
took the revolver in his hand. For mo-
ment the feel OF the weapon seemed 20
fascinate him. Then he slipped 1t into
bis pocket. and once more his eyes feli
on the box In the corner. He walked
over to 1t and moved It out OF tho ray OF
moonlight into the darkness.
Then he returned to the windows. and
lifting aside one of the blinds stared our
moonlit sea. As he did SO he fancied ne
heard Noise but he could sec nothing.
and he turned away and struck q match.
He looked round the room In vain Tor
candle. they had all burnt down to their
sockets and he allowed the match to go
out.
He resolved to grope his way upstairs
In the dark. II he could not find candle
in the hall. He took a anal look round
the room. and then his eyes were ar
less.
Another ray of light had pierced the
darkness. and the box once more stood
out clear and distinct. az though iilumi-
mated by q searchlight.
He stood there for a moment paralyzed
with fear. The ray might almost have
been the accusing finger OF God AS a
matter OF fac., nothing supernatural had
happened. When he had looked out Of
the window he had left chink between
the blind and the wall. and. OF course. he
had not noticed the ray of light in the
yellow flare Of the match. It was a
mere chance that the light fell on the
place to which he had moved the box.
But to Sir Richard Gaunt. whose nerves
were already wrought upon by long
months Of fear. 1t was no chance. He
had not the presence of mind to look for
the material cause of the sudden and
manifestation Of some unseen power.
which was determined to thrust the box
under his notice at time when he did
not wish to see It..
For more than. three minutes he stood
almost az mottonless as though he had
lost the use Of his limbs, and In those
three minutes his brain seemed to be
more active than he had ever known It,
even in the days when it had not been
dulled by drink and excess. His whole
life seemed to Hash up before him in a
swift panorama, in which scene followed
scene with such incredible rapidity that
they became a confused blur Of sound and
color: Only two periods stood out with
had known Violet Hexamer. and the
other in which he had known George
May the dead rise up against me and
He muttered the words mechanically.
like some child learning a phrase by
heart.
And then at last he moved. His right
hand stole into his pocket and he pulled
out the revolver. 1t felt cold and heavy
In his hand.
You must hunt down the man: and
when you find him you must hound him
He did not speak the words himself.
but he heard them as plainly as though
they had been spoken in the room. He
could distinguish the curious information
of George Crawshay's voice. He an
swered them. not In his mind. but In
actual spoken words. as though there
were some one there to listen to him.
ct will hound the man to ruin and
DEATH I will keep my OATH"
And as he spoke the words he saw the
thing that he must do. He must plunge
once more into the old life of pleasure.
then-he would die. by his own hand. It
would not be hard to die when he had ex-
hausted all that made life worth living.
He would have his fling first and then
slip quietly out of the world.
Good. Crawshay. good" he cried. Il
will keep my oath to you. I will ruin the
man. and will kill him. But the mans
got to have his fling first: He's GOT
He paused and the mad words died into
silence. Something had happened. but
what? For the moment he could not tell.
But something had stifed his voice and
taken away from him the power Of
his hand his whole being. He saw him
self as though he were looking at another
man. He saw his right arm move slowly
forward and upward and then his fore
arm bend back TILL the revolver was Close
to his forehead.
And then came q wild. unrea soning de-
sire to press the finger on the trigger. 1t
was no desire to commit suicide. 1t was
merely an intense longing TO see the ef-
feet It almost amounted to curiosity:
there would be report, squirt OF flame.
some smoke, but after that-Well, 1t would
be easy to see what came after that.
And then suddenly a great fear over
came everything.
mo. no. Crawshay!" he screamed. mot
yet! No. I tell you! I will have my
Ming first." %s-rser-r.
His piercing, agonized voice rang
through the house. There was sound
OF footsteps outside. the hurried opening
Of door. another scream from Sir Rich
ard. who was struggling as II In the grip
of python. Itc
Then there was report. crash on the
floor and then silence. Sir Richard Gaunt
had tainted. and this alone had saved his
life. He pulled the trigger as he fell and
the bullet buried itself in the wall.
-
When Lady Betty Drake left Gaunt
Royal she stayed with some friends IN
Warwickshire tor fortnight. Then she
paid visit to some distant relations IN
London. and finally took small fur-
nished house In Mayfair.
1t was. of course, impossible for her 70
live alone: she was not a young girl, put
she was young enough to provide food lor
scandal She wrote to q certain Mars.
Prideaux. the widow of 3 very distin-
guisfed onicer, and asked her to share
her home with her This lady. who was
sixty years Of age and in receipt OF