The Detroit times., 1910-05-11
CHAPTER xLv.-tcou,lhusd).


Meaning that you would have kept
them for yourself" Lady Altamont
said, with a sneering laugh. That Is
candid confession. at any rate,
Il shouldn't" O'Brien went on quiet
| ly. II meant TO return them 10 thei,
owner. | don't say that such was my
intention at first For > long time
have been utterly sick of this life
am leading. What fools clever men
like myself are 10 be criminals whilst
they could do so well as honest men.
There are no honest men," Lady
Altamont sneered There are some
people who don't do wrong because II
pays them TO keep straight. and there
are others who have more than sum
cient for their needs. These are only
negatively honest men. But you don
mean TO say that you are going 90
Join the respectable classes?
Indeed / am" o'Brien went on IN
the same quiet way II may say that
| have already done SO. came here
on purpose TO give you this informa.
ton"
And l had a little scheme in my
mind by which we could have made
thousands" Lady Altamont cried. i
looked upon you as the one man 10
help me in the transaction. Do you
mean to tell me deliberately that you
mean what you say"
FAY, indeed | do. What has all my
cleverness done for me for the pres
ent? No more than keep me out OF
Jail AT times have had money,
which | have squandered: at times
have come near TO starvation, AT
times | have had TO herd with men
who were utterly loathsome to me
! take my late residence in the Water
| loo-rd, for instance For a long time
1t has been coming to me that might
| do better, but / did not make a flnal
decision till after the night when you
came from here in all your silks and
diamonds to see me in that squallid
! Waterford. den. was in the balance
then, but | did not tell you so. And
after you had gone. John Stern came.
Lady Altamont started perceptibly
and her face grew little paler.
$50 you know him." she asked. A
poor creature at the best"
No, l do not quite agree with you.
A foolish fellow, who was deliberately
led towards his ruin TO crafty the NAL
ice OF old Colville. In happier circum-
stances, John Stern would have turned
out good man. But, Of course, you
know all that"
Indeed / don't" Lady Altamont pro-
tested. Il found the fellow useful,
and that is ALL
why palter with me in this way"
O'Brien cried, CONTEMPORARY. AS
II did not know quite well who John
Stern really is. Do you want me 10
believe that you are living here next
door to Archibald Colville quite by
accident? As II you did not know
John Stern Is Ronald Braybrooke In
disguise. He was on your yacht IN
the North Sea when those jewels were
stolen; he was a useful creature OF
yours at one time. And now you pro-
fess not to know him. You knew that
he had come into fortune: you knew
that Archibald Colville was his guar
dian. You knew of Co!yille's feelings
In regard to his ward, and how he
acted towards him"
And how should know all this?"
Lady Altamont protested.
Because Colville's wife was your
sister. Mrs. Colville, La Belle Atalan-
Ia call her what you like. There was
time when you and your sister were
friendly enough time when you used
to work together. Then your sister
quarreled with Colville, and in a At
OF passion he turned her out OF the
house. That put an end to the
scheme you had In hand for getting