The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-10-22
CHAPTER xLlI-continued.

with sudden jerk out of his stony
lethargy. He crossed over to bureau
and opened drawer. In his feverish
impotence to find what he was search
ing for, he flung out OH 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 floor-reds and blacks-like
new garish carpet. And for a 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 lin the drawer
what he had kept there-a little dark
green bottle with fluted 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 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 a 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 if the footsteps
would pause at the gate-pause and
enter-like the coming of messenger
of fate.
He had been desperate for money
at the time, this ruined spendthrift
and he had known it was useless tc
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 Bcnholt cheat.
ing; the cards were marked. He had
felt the tiny pin-pricl1s 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 loosed. He had
crept out after Philip down the desc
late, deserted road through the storm
revolver in hand, only waiting his CD
portunity, with murder in his heart
Scarcely had the shot been fired
than the murderer saw Olive Vanstone
approaching, and he had hidden in 8
panic terror; from his hiding-place he
had watched Stephen Ruthen come up
He had seen Philip take the revolve,
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 thai
was in his ears now: the tapping o.
the blind man.
He had not dared to move from hi:
hiding place, even when he saw
Stephen Ruthen drag the dead maj
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 a,
the gate? Somehow an Overwhelming
superstitious terror was in his mini
that that measured tapping would turn
in at the gate: what he feared h.
could not have said; his mind was be
You'd the rover of reasoning clearly
He only felt that. II the sound turned
in at the gate. it would be the footfal
| OF fate coming to him-presage of tn,
| end.
| Unable, to endure the suspense. thi
| white-taced man suddenly crept fro1.
the window across the lawn to tn,
hedge that divided the grounds iron
the road, and stood there listening.
The tapping Of the blind mans sticl
| went onpast the gate. And Bon
holt caught his breath as with sol
of relief; then he heard voice in th
| road:
Good night, Mr.. Grale.'
It was the voice Of the police-supel