Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-10-14
CHAPTER xLIl-Continued.

with a sudden jerk out or MS STONY
lethargy. He crossed over to bureau
and opened a drawer. In his feverlsh
impatience to find what he was search
ing for, he flung out on to the floor
ANYTHING there that impeded his
search. There was a pack of cards
in the drawer; as the desperate man
tossed them aside the cards scattered
over the fioor-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. 1t was similar
card to that found clutched in the
dead mans hand-an ace of hearts!
Now he had found in the drawer
what he had kept there-a little dark
green bottle with futed sides. If the
worst came to the worst
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 a sound
suddenly broke the stiffness, cutting
across the thread of his thoughts with
thrill of almost superstitious fear
the measured tapping of a 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 a lightning rapidity as he stood
listening to the tap-tap-tap coming
nearer-wondering if the footsteps
would pause at the gate-pause and
enter-like the coming of a messenger
of fate.
He had been desperate for money
at the time, this ruined spendthrift,
and he had known it was useless to
ask Philip; and 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 sullen mood after his en-
counter with Jack Lathom, had dis
covered why his run of bad luck was
so persistent-caught Bonholt cheat
ing; the cards were marked. He had
felt the tiny pin-priclGs 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. Tive 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 loosed. He had
crept out after Philip down the desc
late, deserted road through the storm,
revolver in hand, only waiting his op-
portunity, with murder in his heart
Scarcely had the shot been fired
than the murderer saw Olive Vanstone
approaching, and he had hidden in a
panic terror; from his hiding-place he
had watched Stephen Ruthen come up
He had seen Philip take the revolver
the revolver Bonholt had determined
at any risk to recover from the rec
tors possession and then, as he wait
| ed 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 the
| footsteps of the blind man had passed
Would they pass now or turn in al
| 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, if the sound turned
/ In at the gate, it would be the fectfal
| 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
holt caught his breath as with sob
of relief; then he heard voice in the
road:
Good night, Mr.. Grale.'
It was the voice of the police-super
intendent from Fellsgarth just outside
the gate! Panic fell on him.
Across the dim lawn, through the
French windows, into the darlzening
room, to pause there in an ague OF
terror, waiting, listening with strain
ing ears for the heavy footsteps that
he knew now would come sooner OF
later up the drive.
Presently the servant, all uncon
scious of tragedy in the air, was hold
ing the front door open, speaking tc