Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-03-30
CHAPTER xx11.-tcontinued.)

Thus, in a word, the situation lay. 1
staked my life, not apo the honor of
Valentine Imroth. but upon a human
interest 1 believed powerful enough to
protect me. And this step I took that
1 might return to Joan and say: Here
is the truth; here is the story which
you and I will guard While we live"
The danger could be nothing to ne in
the face of that which success must
mean. I was as u miner lifting his
pick for the last time. An, my God!
what hopes and fears l carried to that
lonely island, what a burden of doubt
and dread!
We left st. Katherine's wharf late
In the afternoon, and it was almost
dark when the great orb OF the Chap
man Light came to u view. A rough
diagram on the back of Imroth's let
ter had indicated 10 me where l must
land upon the island, and at what
point his servants would await for me.
Had 1 been in doubt, a green lantern
swinging by the low wall of a decrepit
far~lnhouse--the first you see when the
island comes to your view-wouldh have
called my attention to h place and in
vfted me to go ashore there. l had by
consent passed my word to take none
but Okyada to the meeting. and faith
ful to the promise he alone followed
the to the landing stage and prepared
to go up to the house with me. The
aunch itself had been lent to me by
McaSrS. YarrOW. n was
by n of their engineers. l did not
dare ask wen Captain Larry to be
with me upon such a night-and as for
my friend. the ~loquacious Timothy. 1t
would have been madness to bring him.
imroth had old me in the plainest
terms that my very life depended upon
a faithful Interpretation of the terms
Of the compact, and l knew my man
200 we'll to doubt his meaning. This
lonely shore. / said again, would be
watched by a hundred eyes.
An old negro stood on the landing
.tage as the launch came alongside,
and he it was who carried, the lantern.
though L heard a whistle b1wn sharply,
and answered by another yer toward
the Essex shore. The negro himself
hid his face as much as possible from
me. nor did he utter q single word or
oetray the slightest emotion at my
coming. l noticed. however. that he
waited for the launch to cast a little
way off into the river before he moved
rom he stage. and when this was done
and the whistle had been ounde a
second time. he led the way up a mar
-ow grassy path to the farmhouse, and
quietly left me at its door. Night had
quite come dow by this time. and a
lank white mist began to rise above
he marshes. The farmhouse itself APP
peared to be a structure built by some
honest Dutchman who had helped to
rave Canvey Island from the sea when
Essex was still washed by the waters
Of the estuary. A single light burned
In me of it's windows, but elsewhere
lit was dark as the river which flowed
80 blackly before its gates.
I knocked three times upon an an
cient door, and was answered immedi-
ately by a trim maidservant. Yes. she
said, Mr.. ImrOth was at home and ex-
Ipecting me. And SO she ushered me
Into the presence of that master Grim
nal for whom The police had searched
1.-THE cities OF the world.
Seated in q low armchair In a little
coom at the front Of the house-a poor
shabby apartment furnished with ne
Better taste than a Margate lodging
house, / perceived that Valentine I'm.
10th wore a green shade low yer hi.
eyes. but not SO low as to impair hi.
vision: while the chair he had placed
for me and the lamp set upon the table
would permit him to follow every pass
ing thought OF mine with h eye of {
human artist upon whom nothing Il
lost. Careless In his attitude. h
smoked an immence cigar with eviden
satisfaction. and had by his side
black bottle, which, as / knew by It
shape, should contain Holland gin. II
many ways q changed man from tn
Imroth ! had met upon the heights a
Santa Maria, the f%erocious aspect o
MIN was but little abated; and a
though to emphasize 1t, he had laid
great stick by the side of his chat
while n Of the ugliest boar hound
have ever seen blinked at his feet, an
lifted a savage head silently at m
looming. These things / observed in
stantly, n drew my WI conclusion
from them. He is not armed" ! sale
|. but somewhere near by my friends ar
lconcealed-the dog would hold me
\ he rave the word. and half q score q
\ The ruffians would do the rest"
lplace Of peril surely-and vet ] ha
Ekn0wn that II must be 30 when ! ,Se
iout to meet him.
I put my hat upon the floor and DIRE
she chair q little back from the tab
70 which It had been drawn up.
Il ann here ! said shortly. I'm an
swer to you letter. The condition
upon which we meet are faithfully OF
served between Us. My servant
waiting for me at your door, and N
&SlIaunch IL nut In the river. Let us 6,
70 business 1t once. That, I hope.
iYOur wish"
forehead, and showed mesa pair OF rex
Nlmned eyes,; wAtery and blinking !,
n the dogs Ut his feet. The long. tn
hand which held the cigar seemed
N60 silver.backedH like Z brush, vii
nails az black ~ ebony. An immen'
diamond FILTERED upon his little I'll
y III ~ ny hone. he repested. :
without disnify@wh,eh. sowsvsr. j
toet fihs<ahtly Ia the m~nnnera0f.asb rok
of H~oundeditch selling shabby furn
I ltuSe-s't0See 80 the great Dr.. FAbos
tlx0ndon, yO have him 1 n my hous
Ithetsl1sa9 homer for m humble old ms