The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-01
(To De Contin 0ed.l


 David Cable, yet now in this hour
 his hour of travail and temptation-he piteously succumbed. Cowardice, the
 most despfcable of all emotions, held
 him in her grasp.
 He sank exhausted against the wall, his eyes fixed upon the black hole through which his wife had disappear ed; then the stony glare changed suG-
 denly to look of realization-horrl
 ble, stupefying He crept to the edge and peered intently into the water, net
 six feet below, his eyes starting frora
 his head.
 1 Black, sobbing water, darkness in- | penetra ble! The inst1nctive fear of
 apprehension caused him to look h
 every direction for possible eyewit- nesses. Every drop of blood in his
 body seemed turned to ice with hor-
 TOT. Down there in that black, chill
 water lay the body of his wife. the
 woman he had loved through all these trying years, and he her murderer! i Terrified, trembling, panting, hs
 tried to force himself into the water
 with the vague hope of saving her, after all. but even as he looked wildly
 about for help, shout ready to spring 1 from his dry throat, the natural dread of the accused facing his accuser took possession of him. Fear, abject fear, held him in grasp; he could not shout 1 A man was running across the Drive toward him-a long. loping figure that i covered the ground rapidly. With a or,k L R~I <~1v ;x, nnv vv3H H Cable, craven for the moment, turned and fled through the night along the broken sea wall-fed aimlessly, his eyes unseeing his feet possessed of wings. He knew not whither he ran, only that he was an assassin fleeing from the horrors behind.
 Over the narrow strip of ground sped the long, eager figure that had darted from the shadow of the homes tones he shouted after the fleeing man:
 "Stop! Wait! Halt!'
 He dashed up to the spot where he bad seen two figures but moment before, the full horror of what had happened striking him for the first time. The man was Elias broom, and he had been an eyewitness to the dim, indistinct tragedy at the sea wall.
 His presence is easily explained. He knew of Bansemer's telephone mes sage to Mrs. Gable, together with his threat to expose her on the following morning. It was only natural that she should make final plea-that night. of course. The old clerk realized the danger of an encounter between his employer and his victim at time so intense as this. He could not know that Bansemer would visit the Cable home that evening". but he suspected that such would be the case. It was his duty to prevent the meeting, if possible.
 Bansemer would go too far, argued the old man; he must be stopped. That is why he lurked in the neighborhood to turn Banseuer back before he could enter the home of David Cable.
 He saw Mrs. Cable leave the house and go toward the lake. Following some distance behind. he saw her the sea wall. Sinking along in the shadow of the buildings. cursing his luck and Bansemer jointly, he saw the two forms come together out there by the lake.
 .'Too late, curse him for fool" broom had muttered to himself "He ought to know this is bad business just now. She's come out to meet him too. Worse. It's my duty to look out for him as long as he employs me. I'm doing my best, and I can't help 1t if he betrays himself. I'd like to see him but l can't go back on him while Pm taking money from him. Look a. that!"
 He chuckled softly as he saw tine two figures approach each other. For all that he knew they might be con- : templating fond and loving embrace. and he was not undeceived until lie saw one of the figures separate itself, ! run from the other and go piunging to l the earth. As he started up in sur prise the other figure leaned forward l and then strengthened itself quickly. l broom did not hesitate. He dashed 1 across the street, conscious that some thing dreadful had happened. His in- 1 stant thought was that Bansemer had | lost his temper and had struck the wo- man down.
 The flight of the man was proof pos 1 Itive. He called him to stop, certain 1 that 1t was Bansemer. The runner 1 turned his face toward him for a mo- 1 ment. The light from the street may have deceived Elias Droom's eyes, but l the face of the assaiIant was not that l of James Bansemer. broom stopped . short and looked after the man, para ! lyzed with amazement Then he gave | q snorting laugh at his own stupidity. l Of course it was Bansemer Who else l could 1t be7
 Arriving at the spot where he had ! last seen the couple, he was amazed l to find no one there. He realized, with 1 horror. that the woman must have 1 been struck down. had fallen or had 1 been thrown into the lake.
 The gaunt old clerk groaned bitterly IS he threw himself upon the wall and peered over into the water. He listen ed for the cries and struggles of the Gradually his eyes solved | the situation. He saw the row of | spiles beyond the break in the sea wall 0p6 fho cyUfShfro pooJ r1ida