The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-12

1 gency that had helped him to keep his ] promise. and had strengthened his res- ! olution to remain at Gaunt Royal i It was quite clear that things could not continue tn their present state Ha I had sense enough 70 see that he was drinking himself to death. and he real 1 ized that so long as he remained with out amusement or occupation of any kind. so long would he have to drink in mere seifdefence. He had no wish ! to die in such thoroughly unsatisfac. tory fashion. He did not mind drop. ping of sheer exhaustion after wild years of passionate excess But to be punished for what. after all, supplied him with only a negative form of pleasure. was intoierabie. It was clear that he must leave Gaunt Royal and break his promise. but 1t was not yet clear how he could do it and stili re- tain hold on Lady Betty Drake.
 The other matter which occupied his thoughts was less practical. and at first little more than a phantom of his own brain. but by degrees 1t assumed the proportions of real and sub stantiai factor in all his plans for the future. It was the oath which he had sworn to George crawshay.
 At first he had disnissed the whole subject from his mind. and his only feelings had been those of relief and satisfaction. The very nature of the oath had seemed to render the fulfii- ment of it impossible.
 And then had come the swift ilium- nation. sent to him at the bedside of his dead mother He had seen. as in a flash of lightning. a brief glimpse of his own dark sin. and he had realised that it was yet impossible to keep the oath. and that the absurdity of 1t was more apparent han real. What was there 10 prevent q man running his own life. and then putting an end to him self? It was a common enough occur ence in every day life And though it way always done without any motive. there was no reason why it should not he done with very definite motive. II was certainly not an impossibility
 This germ of though. sown in sud den moment of grief had expanded it. self in the dreary weeks spent at Gaunt Royal. The dull. close atnos- phere in which he lived was suitable for the growth of morbid ideas Ills drink -sodden brain was in At state to conceive the most fantastic forms of thought. With nothing to occupy his mind. he allowed himself to dwell on this unhoIy subject. and find argu- ments both for and against the keep ing of his oath. And more he thought about H. the more terrible and real seemed the necessity to do something to carry out the bargain which he had sealed by words as solemn as had ever come from the lips of man.
 Again and again he recalled George Crawshay's death. and the horror Of that last grim scene fin the prison hos pital so stamped itself on his brain that he could picture every detail of it. Again and again he recalled his own words:
 May the dead rise up against me and destroy me if do not keep my oath"
 He had fulfilled part of his bargain. He had found the man. but the man was still alive. It was clear that abso- iution would only come with his own death.
 More than once he wondered if he were not already undergoing the pun ishment he had called down upon his own head. Was he not suffering the torments of a hell on earth. was not his very life in itself working out fulflment of the oath, but working 1t out against his will? If that were the case. would 1t not be better to do the business thoroughly. to ruin himself body and soul. with a definite purpose7 Perhaps by doing that he would make his peace with the dead.
 Continued Tomorrow.