The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-12-03
CHAPTER TX.
Continued.
By MRS. ALEXANDER.

'Wll1 you forgive me, my dear young
lady. If I ask you to leave me with
your father and Mr.. Glynn I have
one or two matters to speak Of" She
paused.
Certainly" said Elsie, rising;
''you will send for me when you want
me-" and with smiling, wondering
look at Glynn she left the room.
The door being closed, Lady Geth-
In, turning to Lambert, said, "At the
risk of awakening painful memories,
must ask you a rev questions!
Your daughter so closely resembles
dear friend, or rather one who was
dear friend of mine long ago, that
cannot refrain. Pray, has she any
relations named Acton?"
No." said Lambert, eyeing her
suspiciously; 'she has no relation in
the world but myself"
She must have some others, Cap
tain LAMBERT" persisted Lady Geth-
in. "Strange ideas rise in my mind,
coupling the likeness with Deering's
efforts to find her. The friend Miss
Lambert resembles, and whose
daughter she might be, was Isabel
Acton, who married Gilbert Deering
against the will of her people, and
went away with him abroad, where
she died"
MY God!" cried Lamb ert, turning
CHASTITY white, this is incredible!"
He remained silent for minute, his
hands clasping and unclasping the
arms of his chair, his mouth twitch-
ing. Ring the bell!" he said at
length to Glynn. "Get me some
brandy and water. I will tell you my
whole story. You look like a good
woman, Lady Gethin. You will not
turn against my girl, though her
father has been bit of blackguard
in his time"
81 will not" said Lady Gethin,
stoutly.
DO you wish me to leave you?"
asked Glynn.
NO; my confession is as much for
you as for my lady here. 1 must go
long way back. 1t was about fifteen
years ago when, after knocking about
in Texas and California, found my
self at Chile in very low condition,
both as to money and prospects. Just
at that time a railway had been be-
gun by a clever adventurer who had
been kicked out of Frisco, but per-
suaded the Government of Chile to
take up his scheme. This railway
was to village up in the mountains,
In the middle of a rich mineral dis
trict. teeming with wealth. The diff
ficulty was to find ready money to
pay current expenses; they were
never more than week ahead of the
mems wages. 70 provide for this
outlay, Jeaffersop, the Yankee pro-
moter, got together three or four
gamblers to meet the men at the vii
lage where they were paid, and win
back the cash just given out, and
have it ready for the next payday. I
was one of these fine gentlemen"
bitterly. 1--WE had percentage on
our winnings, and lots of food and
drink at the bars, kept by the COM
pany-that is, Jeafferson. Among
the employees there was a certain
Deering, cold, stern Englishman, an
engineer. He was silent, self-pos-
sessed fellow, proud and plucly as
the devil. He had had wife with
him, but she was dead. 1 never saw
her" He paused. Both Lady Gethin
and Glynn drew a little nearer with
breathless interest.
''Well," resumed Lambert, "one
night l met Deering in a hotel in
Lima with tall Englishman not un-
like himself, only fair, with whom
be was talking over bottle of wine;
and they had papers and money lying
on the cable between them. They
seemed greatly occupied with their
conversation. l had had a hard ride
and hard drink, and l couldn't re-
slst trying TO get up a quarrel with
Deering, so l broke in on him and his
friend and offered to stake as much
as lay there and play him for the
whole at poker, euchre, anything he
liked. He answered me contemptu-
Ously, and rising, left the room. |
was in an awful fury, and swore that
Id have his life, and deal more.
The tall friend who remained laughed
and taunted me, and gave me more
drink, so We grew bit familiar. The
upshot was, Went to see him in his
private room; there We got abusing
Deering to dirt, and l swore I'd have
his life. When this man had listened
awhile, says he: If YOU are in
earnest, know party as would give
a bigger pile than that (meaning
the money that had been on the
table, to know that he was safe un-
der the sod, and not only the serpent
but the spawn, too, for says he, he
has a child who may prove worse
than the father This sobereJ me-
Ay. you may look hard; it had an
ugly sound, and blackguard as I had
been, l was no cowardly assassin.
Il parleyed with him a bit How
ever, could get little out of him, ex-
cept that there was good sum to be
mine if l would shoot my enemy.
Next day l mounted my horse, and
rode away to find Deering to warn
him against the treacherous devil
that was thirsting for his life. It's
truth l am telling you. Do you be-
lieve me?" interrupting himself fever
ishly-
81 do" said Glynn, earnestly.
''Pray, go on" urged Lady Gethin.
"Deering lived away at one o. the
stations in the mountains with a lot
of Indians and half-breeds around
him. The railway was pushed SO
far, and the next payments were to
be made there. So men were busy
rigging up bar and gambling sa-
loon, with logs and what not, when
l rode in and found Deering kicking
up no end Of row, wanting to pre-
vent ths saloon being finished and
opaned I spoke to him. as hope,
full Of the bsst intentions. asked