The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-12-03

control Of myself, and pulling out my
revolver, I challenged him to fight
there on the spot. Just then boy
oh, of about nineteen or twenty,
factotum of Jeafferson's-came up.
We both asked him to see fair play.
Oh, God, it was soon over! He fell
at my first fire. Vexed with myself, l
threw away my revolver, and knelt
down beside him, calling to the boy
to help; but a confused sound OF
shouting and a loud hum came from
the village or camp, and the boy said:
They are up to mischief there and
away he ran. Deering seemed to
hear it; he opened his eyes and NUT
tered something-I could only make
out the word destroy Then he
caught my hand, and with a despair
ing, imploring look in his eyes-1
see it still-groaned: My child
save her. And holding his hand, ]
swore I'd take care of her so long as
l had breath. He pointed to a ring
on his little finger, and muttered:
Take then he said: My child,
turned sharp, as if in pain, and was
gone. I took the ring Gil show 1t
to you presently, then 1 made away
to his shanty. The devils Of miners,
and nayvies, and half-breeds had
risen to revenge themselves, and were
wrecking his place. One fellow called
out that there was pile of money
in the house, that Deering had got
down in the town yesterday. The
lot of them were raging. like furies
and had just set fire to the hut, when
I got up. There wasn't sign of the
child. I hunted through the place.
The men all thinking I was dead
against Deering, didn't interfere with
me. At last, crouching in a corner
behind a door, quite stupefed with
fear, I found a little golden haired
darling of three or four years old
all alone"
Had she no nurse-or did the
nurse forsake herr" asked Lady
Gethin, as he paused. How did he
come to keep her in such a place."
THAT 1 cannot answer. 1 think
Deering must have been desperately
poor, or he would not have taken
service with Jeafferson. Anyway, /
took the child, who screamed at me
in an agony of terror. l told her /
would take her to her father. 1
wrapped a cloak that hung on the
wall round her, and got out. Shewa
quite still-so still that l feared she
was dead. So I managed to saddle
Deering's horse, which was fresh, and
as night was falling 1 rode away,
while those mad devils were shout
ing and dancing round the burning
wreck" He stopped, quite exhausted.
''You had better not go on now"
said Glynn. 81 begin to understand
your position. Lady Gethin will,
am sure, return TO-
Il must go on" interrupted Lam
bert. 'I can't rest till 1 have fin
ished; and there's lot more to tell. :"
He had better get through it, !"
said Lady Gethin.
when 1 got down to Lima, went
The woman that kept it was a good
soul when sober. 1 got her to take
care of the child for day and a
night. Then 1 thought what to do,
for 1 was at the end Of my cash. 1t
struck me as a grand play if 1 could
get the price Of poor Deerlng's life
out of the long fellow at the hotel,
and build up a fortune for the child.
So 1 went to him, and told him what
had happened, and a good deal more
/ said l found the child
suffocated with the smoke, and just
squeezed my hand round it's throat to
make sure. You are a handy scoun-
drel,' he said; and I answered, You
are an unhandy one. Now, are you
going to keep your word, and give
me over what you wouldn't give poor
Deering?'
What he wouldn't take says he.
How do know you are speaking the
truth?'
Send and see,' said I. IF you
cheat me, I'll raise the hue and cry
against you
Who will believe you against
me?' said he, with sneer. Come
here Tomorrow
ITO make a long story short, the
woman who had had the care of the
child came roaring and crying to this
man, who was another Deering-lle
never disguised his name-and said
the child had been killed, or at any
rate burned to death, and Deering
was killed, too, while she was away
taking some food to her husband.
Anyhow that long devil was satisfied
and gave me the money.
Il had agreed to quit South Amer
lea, and so l took a passage to Mel
tourne. I never thought the child
you'd live; she pined and seened
silly. There was q good woman on
board the vessel we sailed in who
took to my little darling. She had
lost neY baby and her husband. She
was Wonderful fond of Elsie. 1 called
her Elsie after a little sister Of my
c-wn; I never knew what name sne
hau been christened. This good
woman . Mrs. Kellett.
"WeIl, tte upshot was, that she
agreed to take charge of Elsie. I
paid we'll; and then 1 took to break
ing horses, and saved-Lord, how I
saved. l left Off drink. II l could
only make up to that child fGr all |
had robbed her of,-and she begin
to know lie. The day She first put
her little arms round my neck, and
stroked my face, and cried. 1t was
then l went over to California. 1t
was there l fell in with you, Glynn.
1 seemed a penniless adventurer,
didn't I? Aha, my boy,-I had nigh
a thousand pounds worth stitched into
my belt. | kept out a little just to
throw away and keep up with the
others. but did you ever see me for
get myself in drink"
L was always struck by your ei-
treme temperance. returned Glynn-