The Washington herald., 1910-12-26


10 you.
Paul leaned forward.
Does murder come in the programmed"
he asked in a jerky tone.
Il refuse to answer your question. The
programme is a sealed one. You know
all I intend 10 tell YOU Now, will you
make the bargain or go? ] promised yon
a cap and overcoat; yOu'H find them IN
the other room, said Clifford, in a quiet.
Unconditional tone.
you are a devil, but ! cannot face the
life ! have left You knew what you
were doing when you brought me mere;
the warmth and comfort have demOrcl-
lied me- If you had made your offer
when / stood cold and despairng on the
bridge, ! should have secuted it AMI gone
TO my doom, but you knew better than
speak then, and / should say it's quite
probable that when / again face death
/ shall wish j had gone under tonight.
'All the same, the bargain Is 10 be cJH-
pleted?' said Clifford.
Yes; but how do you know I shall
stick 20 it?'' he added, looking keenly 81
the other man. who, however, did not
reply, but, crossing the room, entered
chamber. and In a few minutes returned
with a sheet of foOlscap. UnTollng tic
bottom portion he said:
Il wish you 10 sign your name 10 that
document"
''I must read it first" replied Paul.
II thought YOU understood that the
bargain was 10 be a blindfold one on your
part. This is The first step in your seven
years of servitude'
Paul hesitated half inclined TO go out
into the night and make another desper-
ate struggle for life; but al that moment
ne heard the rain beating heavily against
the window and his heart sank. Then,
without a word, he took up the pen.
stay a moment You must write Paul
Clelland--that is your name henceforth."
The name was written and Mr.. Clifford
carefully blotted it, then wrote below it,
Witnessed by John Clifford after
which he took il into the other room.
and I'm a few minutes returned.
SIS it your intention % let me know
the nature Of that document Paul in
quired.
Certainly. now that II is in a place
OF safety. 1t was necessary that j should
have some hold over you, or you might
have refused 20 carry out my instTuc-
tions, but that paper places your very
life In nay power That part that you did
not read is q confession that you muir
dercd a man on a certain date. which
Will be inserted later l hope Il viii
never be needful for me 10 place II In
the hands of the police. When 1 DO. the
man named lu the document viii have
died by violence"
You hend Then I'm 70 wreak your
vengeance on some one and die By the
hangmanW exclaimed Paul
$50 such thing I should only use this
paper If you became unmanaseable, and
as for the murder, We won't even men
ton IL as part 0f the programme
Paul breathed more freely. He began
10 realize that the document was 70 be
held as a surety for his obedience. His
companion watched him closely,
you have not been very compliment
arg but that was 10 be expected. Now
we viii pass 10 more agreeable subj cts,
and, 10 begin with. I'll give you short
sketch OF your own history, or rather
the history OF Paul Clelland. Your father
went out tc Australia when he was a
young man. and made his pile 1 knew
him out there, and accomplishing near
his end-he wrote 70 me saying that ne
wished me 10 invest some OF his fortune
in an estate In England. The rest l was
20 invest on your behalf. as / was a
good hand az finance. and when he was
dead you would come 20 England. and
he hoped ] would do my best for you
in every way. Your father died. but
instead OF coming direct 10 England you
have spent some time ON the continent.
and only just Joined me- In London.
That's the story YOU have to tell every
one; DE careful not 10 vary"
a very nice little history; but as /
have never been 10 Australia, and the
continent is q sealed book 20 me, / should
soon be discovered 90 be a fraud"
''My dear Clelland, I shall coach you.
The next few weeks you viii be getting
a rig out and all the spare time / shall
sDeud in giving you lucid descriptions
of various places, and as you are not a
fool, it viii take a clever person TO find
YOU out. The next item is to give YOU
a list Of securities and other investments
have made on behalf OF Paul Clellaud
You viii see that YOU have also ten
thousand pounds sterling standing 10
your credit at Messrs- Coutts' Bank"
said Clifford, handing him a bank book
Altogether, your income-apart from
that sum In the bank and what your
farms on the Castlesteads estate bring
in-is ten thousand a year
Ten thousand a year." exclaimed
Paul
Yes. You see you have not made
y
like to see this photograph of your coun-
try house, Castlesteads. II was the resi-
dence Of the De Verneys, but il was so
heavily mortgaged that the last man
put it in the market when his father
died. / bought ii in the name Of Paul
Clelland two months ago, furnishings and
everything, just as it stood "
The photograph showed a lovely old
mansion standing in a beautiful park
The young man gazed at it for a minute
or two-then his eyes sought his com
panion's
Whatever your scheme is. you seem
have matITed II pretty well before
nndlng the man 70 Fl in, unless you have
tried others. and they have been brave
enough 10 refuse the wealth you offered
Clifford looked at him steadily as he
said
You are the first man who has had
the chance Of refusing. I have been on
the lookout, here and there and every
where, for the last three months: but
until l met you never saw a man who
appeared suitable for my requirements"
Not villain enough"
i didn't want a villain, or I should
have been suited long ago"
one thing I should like to know. How
does 1t happen that the securities and the
money in bank are invested in the name
OF Paul? You didn't know meg'
1 chose that name because 1 wished
The man who was to be the instrument
OF my vengeance to bear it, and I hope
the life before you viii be more to your
taste than the past has been. You
have wealth and position"
I've sold my soul for them. The Bible
says, What shall man give in ex-
change for his soulg"
CHAPTER III.