The Washington herald., 1911-01-06
THE DEPUTY AVENGER
By HEDLEY RICHARDS.

gain from which you have reaped great
advantages. Through it you got to know
the girl for whose sake you would break
Your oath and sacritye ne. l have told
you the only terms on which 1 will lib
crate you"
IF agree to do your work still. does
it include murder?' asked Paul. who was
debating if it would be wiser to keep to
his bond and marry Margaret.
Clifford smiled grimly.
You are coming to your senses. l see.
When Mrs Shenstonc Xilled her husband
she saved you from doing it.'>
How dare you say she killed him.
said Paul. Indignantly. In his heart he
condemned Mrs. Shenstone. but he was
not going to hear this man do it,
THE law says she is guilty. and what
the law says must be true and there
was such bitter sarcasm in Clifford's
voice that Paul regarded him with sur
prise
81 have known the law wrong in three
separate cases. Possibly it was wrong
when it pronounced Mrs. Shenstone
guilty: but wrong or right. we accept it's
fiat. and l am glad she was found
guilty"
Paul turned on him in a fury.
You are a fiend. Mortal man could
not rejoice in II miscarriage of Justice
he said.
strange expression fitted across the
elder mans face and for a moment there
was silence. Then he said:
There are two things I require of you;
when those are accomplished YOU can
forget what you characterize as our in
famous bond. The first is. ! absolutely
require you to give up all thought of
Iii,
and to sever all connection with her.
The world will hold you justified The
Other thing | desire-in fact. ! insist
upon its that you must marry HaGar
HerrieS. She is beautiful and good and
will make any man good wife. II you
refuse to fulfill the first condition, ] shall
know the other one will be ignored. and
! shall at once place your confession in
the hands of the police. | shall tell the
superintendent of police that you have
just confessed the truth to me. that I
wrote it down, and your signature will
bc there. The ink does not look faded:
| know process that keeps il fresh and
gives the appearance of having just been
written. | shall apply the process before
see the superintendent.
DO you remember ! opened the hall
door that night? l didn't want the serv-
ants TO see you because if you defied me
! Hdu Il punishment III STORE LOT YOU ~
ii happened. YOU did defy me, but | de-
Cided to let you go scot free. | tell YOU
this that YOU may understand that
only | can swear you Were not at Alling-
ton Hall at the time the tragedy hap
pened. The servants at Castlesteads
know You were out. Don't you see, if I
give your confession in. no matter what
YOU say. you will he adjudged guilty and
Mrs. Shenstone set at liberty? Cannot
you imagine the contempt Margaret
Shenstone will feel for your having let
guilty
"She will not believe in my guilt said
Paul
Man. don't YOU see if she absolves
YOU she condemns her mother? Now
Civ" me your answer.
Paul rose.
You can do your worst. I will never
give up Margaret and | will take no
further part in your schemes" said Paul.
CliffOrd'S face was full of emotion as
he said:
Il don't want to give you over to the
hangman. so I'll give you one reason
why | hate Beatrice Shenstone and her
child. Years ago / knew her. and she
made mischief between me and my wife,
and one night. when | was in sore trou-
BILE and needed all Il wife's sympathy.
found she had gone and taken our boy
with her I found a note in which she
told me that Beatrice ShenStone had told
her certain things and she would not live
with me another day. Moreover. she
never intended me to find her. as she
W ould not let her son grow up in my evil
ways. From that day | have never seen
nv wife or child. l had loved her as you
love. and not one of the things she laid
to my charge was true. Cielland, think
Of what l suffered at the hands of Bea-
trice Shenstone. and in telling you this 7
only tell you portion of the injury she
worked me-
Paul was touched by the emotion of the
other man, who was usually SO undemon-
strative.
why didn't you try to find your wife
and child" he asked.
Because circumstances prevented me,
and I knew, though she misjudged me.
she would be true 70 me as long as she
lived. Look. this is the portrait of the
woman from whom Beatrice ShenstOne's
separated me- he said as
he drew out of his bosom an old-fash-
oned locket attached to d black ribbon
and held it toward his companion.
Paul looked at the pictured face: then
an expression of amaZement ESCAPED him
and he removed a piece of stout black
ribbon from his neck. to which a locket
was attached, and laid it on the table.
Clifford leaned forward and looked
where did you get it, he asked in a
quick imperative tone.
1T was given me by my mother: it is
her portrait said Paul, and his voice
was husky.
Clifford took PauI's locket, which was
exactly like the other, and. touching a
spring, he revealed a small cavity in
which there were papers. Unfolding
hem. he read them quickly; then replac-
ing them. he closed the locket and gave
Il to Clelland.
You are my son. Co.. he said, point
ng to the door.
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.
Copyright l9le by The North American Company
-.o~~~o~,c Ann mans