The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-10-22
CnAPTea KIN Go ,t.nu.o.

CHAPTER XIII Go 'tnusu.
The white-haired man pulled himself
whh . sudden jerk out Of his stony
lethargy. He crossed over to bureau
and opened drawer. u his feverish
impotence to find what he was search
Ing for. he flung out ON to the door
anything there that impeded his
search. There was . pack Of cards
in the drawer: - the desperate man
tossed them aside the cards scattered
over the aoor-reds and blacks-like
= new garish carpet And for . mo-
ment In the falling dusk his eyes were
arrested and held by one Of the up
turned bits OF pasteboard with An In
voluntary shudder. It was : similar
card TO that found clltched In the
dead mans hand-an ate Of hearts!
Now he had found n the drawer
what he had kept there-a little dark
! green bottle with nuted sides. II the
worst came to the worsr-
Holding the little bottle In his hand.
the white-faced. trembling man crept
across the room again. as though
frightened BY his own footsteps.
Beyond the lawn and the trees out
side the open French window ran the
high road. From the road . sound
suddenly broke the stiffness. cutting
across the thread Of his thoughts with
= thrill Of almost superstitious fear
! the measured tapping OF q stick. grow.
ing out Of the distance along the high
way. coming nearer.
He had heard that same tap-tap-tap
coming down the road on the night he
had murdered Philip. The sound
seemed to bring that night uncannily
back to him.
He had always hated Philip-al-
ways; had hated him because of his
money. because OF his sneering taunts
when his poor relation had approached
with the request for loan.
Bonholt's mind seemed to reconsti-
tute the tragic events Of that night
with lightning rapidity as he stood
listening to the tap-tap-tap coming
nearer-wondering II the footsteps
would pause at the gate-pause and
enter-like the coming of q messenger
Of fate.
He had been desperate for money
at the time. this ruined 'spendthrift,
. and he had known II was useless to
ask Philip: ami another plan had sug.
gested itself. He had proposed cards;
and he had won-won heavily-as
they played In the small house. not
far from the Hall. where Bonholt had
lived then with one servant-Matthew
Bland.
Halfway through a game Philip. al
ready In a sullen mood after his en-
counter with Jack Lathom, had dis
covered why his run Of bad luck was
SO ersistent-caught Bonholt cheat
ing: the cards were marked. He had
felt the tiny pin-pricks on the back Of
one card-an ace OF hearts.
And then Philips fury had blazed
out.
you thief and cheat" he had cried:
and with the words had struck Bon
holt across the face. i've done with
you now. Everyone shall know you
for the swindler you are-that you
play with marked cards! I'll not spare
you!"
And with the card In his hand Philip
had strobe from the house.
And then the chained devil In Bon
holt Hume had been ioosed He had
crept out after Philip down the desc.
late. deserted road through the storm.
revolver in hand. only waiting his OPP
portunity. with murder In his heart.
Scarcely had the shot been fired
than the murderer saw Olive vanstone
approaching. and he had hidden In .
panic terror: from his hiding. place he
had watched Stephen Ruthen come up.
He had seen Philip take the revolver
Tho revolver Bonholt had determined
at any risk to recover from the rec
tors possession: and then. - he wait
cd in terror. hiding behind the great
stone. he had heard this sound that
was in his ears now: the tapping Of
the blind man.
He had not dared to move from his
hiding place. even when he saw
Stephen Ruthen drag the dead man
to the base Of the stone: but the great
monolith had shielded him. And tho
footsteps Of the blind man had passed.
Would they pass now or turn In ct
the gate? Somehow an overwhelming
superstitious terror was In his mind
that that measured tapping would turn
In at the gate: what he feared he
could not have said: his mind was be-
yond the power Of reasoning clearly.
He only felt that. II the sound turned
In at the gate. It would be the football
Of fate coming to him-presage Of the
end.
Unable to endure the suspense. the
white-faced man suddenly crept from
the window across the lawn to the
hedge that divided the grounds from
the road. and stood there listening.
The tapping Of the blind mans stick
went on-past the gate. And Bon
hot caught his breath ~ with . sob
nj oliaf. than hA hAarN n xs~i~M In thA