Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
:=4:E3E@p EeSbrokonI oYY [ [}Qgl6allE.a.1r: o5

replied. when it is put to one like
that Il is different
Crawshay had not forgotten this phase
of his trends character. 1t was not an
uncommon one, even In men Of lower
and less educated type than Richard
Gaunt The navy who beats his wife.
and starves his children to purchase beer
is moved to tears at the picture OF the
heroine dying in the snow. and shrieks
out his execration of the villain as heart
lily as any good and loving husband All
this is the result Of dramatic effect II
Gaunt could have seen some Of the epi-
sodes in his own life placed upon the
stage he would have wept tears Of blood
Crawshay resolved to make good use Of
his opportunities. The scene was set for
the last act of a grim tragedy ana he &C.
cupied the center of the stage. He al
lowed nothing to soften the horror Of
that last picture. He refused to send for
Gaunt or any of his friends and died
alone. Even In the face OF death he was
strong enough to do all that would further
lied on the picture. An innocent man.
who was willing to spend his last days
on earth in the gloom and shame OF a
prison in order to avenge his sisters dis
honor. Surely that was pathetic enough
to touch the heart Of one who had wept
at the morbid SORROWS Of the little He'd
vis. And this was real life. staged mag
nificently. The prison. the dying man
shut out from freedom and sunshine. the
dishonored name. all these were things
that could not fail in their effect.
George Crawshay did not spend the last
moments of his life in prayer. His
thoughts were not of himself. but of the
sister who might have been by his side.
He died as he had lived-hard. relentless
and with one idea in his mind. And he
guessed that he had not worked and
schemed in vain. No man in the world,
who knew the circumstances could look
on his death without pity and horror Sir
Richard Gaunt would not dare to break
the oath that he had sworn.
And Crawshay was right. His death
had produced the effect which he desired.
Gaunt was afraid to break his oath. And,
as he sat in the library with the letter
in his fingers. he realized that he had put
his hand to the plough and there could be
no turning back. He was not scrupu-
lous man. but there were limits. even in
the mind of en- unprincipied blackguard.
And the manner of Crawshay'S death had
placed the possibility of fraud we'll be-
yond those limits. The man was literally
and physically afraid to break his word.
He was not superstitious, tut IN a case
like this he believed that the very dead
would rise up against him If he failed to
observe his oath.
Yet what a life lay before him! His
first thoughts had been for Crawshay.
but. as he sat there In the 6relight. he
began to think about himself and the
magnitude of the task that lay before
him. It night be the labor of years to
find the man. perhaps the labor Of life
time. And the finding of the man was
but the commencement Of a still more
difficult and unpleasant piece Of work.
The man was to be ruined, to be driven
to take his own life. 1t was monstrous
and impossible. The man was probably
in a position that would place him above
all attacks save those of scandal. 1t
would be easy enough to fling mud at
1t ~. % h. 80
perhaps ALLEVIATE the affections of those
who loved him. But there are men who
can stand a lot of that sort of thing
without flinching. And Gaunt did not see
how he was going to ruin the man. I'M
less the man happened to be in a very
humble station in life. 1t would. perhaps.
be a dangerous job. and it would GER
tainly be dirty one. Yet he had sworn
to attempt It. And he had been paid In
advance. He was richer by thirty thou
sand pounds, and had been spared all the
humiliation OF being sent to gaol. 1t was
certainly an unpleasant prospect, and his
face darkened at the thought of 1t: =.
His meditations were interrupted by the
entrance OF the butler. the only remain
ing man-servant in the establishment.
"A box has Just arrived for you, sir. 1t
is marked urgent Williams has just
driven up from the station with it,
Bring It up here" Gaunt replied.
The arrival Of the box did not interest
him. and he was not anxious to see its
contents. But they had to be seen and
examined and thoroughly mastered. 1t
was we'll to begin the work at once. Be-
written by George Crawshay, and that
could not fail to be of interest.
The butler returned with box and
placed 1t on a table. 1t was securely
corded. and the knots were sealed with
red wax. When the man had left the
room Gaunt severed the cords with a
knife. cut off the key, which was fas-
tened to one of the handles. and turned
the key in the lock. AS he lifted up the
lid he saw square, clean gray envelope
lying on the top of bundles Of dirty pa
per. 1t was addressed to himself in a
handwriting that he hardly recognized.
The writing was in pencil. and was feeble
and shaky as the writing of very old
man.
Gaunt opened the envelope. drew out
the contents and leaned forward so that
the freight fell on the paper.
Dear Gaunt," the letter began. II have
ascertained that this letter will be deliv-
cred to you, unread by any of the prison
authorities, who have really been very
kind to me. and so l write without re-
serve
At this point the handwriting became
almost .illegible. and Gaunt, after vainly
trying to decipher 1t. was forced to light
a candle and hold the paper close to the
flame. In the stronger light he was able
to master the sentences slowly, one by
one.
81 have done my part of the business.
1t remains for you to do yours. You VIII
find all the evidence which l have COL
lected in ten years. 1t does not amount
to much. but it will save you lot of
trouble.
eff had seen you personally about the
matter you would not have learnt more.
Besides. there might have been some diff
Guilty about the interview.
''Yoa will find the diaries very COM
plete and If you read them carefully, you
will grasp the whole matter.
Good luck go with you, and remember,
Gaunt. that l have paid you big price.
and expect some return for what l have
paid.
You will be surprised to find that my
sister Violet bears a different surname to
my own. The explanation is simple. She
is-she was only a stepsister. the child OF
my mother by a second husband. But l
loved her none the less for that.
1T is possible that l shall watch you,
although l am dead. Yours truly.
GEORGE CRAWSHAY.'
Gaunt folded up the letter and placed
it In his pocket. Then he picked up one
of the diaries and opened it, and the first
name that caught his eye was that of
Violet Hexamer.
He read a few lines of the small. neat
handwriting, and then leant back In his
chair with a white face and eyes that
seemed to be looking far back into the
past.
The search. which might have lasted
lifetime, was already over.