The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-03-23
CHAPTER xx11.-(contlnued.>

Thus, in a word, the situation lay. l
staked my life, not upon the honor of
Valentine Imroth, but upon a human
interest I believed powerful enough to
protect me. And this step I took that
| might return to Joan and say: Here
is the truth; here is the story which
you n I will guard while we live"
The danger could be nothing to me IN
the face of that which success must
mean. / was as a miner lifting his
pick for the last time. All, 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 our view. A rough
diagram on the back Of Imroth's let
ter had Indicated to me where ] must
land upon the island. and at what
point his servants would await for me.
Had l been in doubt, a green lantern
swinging by the low wall of a decrepit
farmhouse-the first you see when the
Island comes to our View-wouldh have
called my attention to the place and IN
vited me to so ashore there. I had by
consent passed my word to take none
but Okyada to the meeting. and faith
full to the promise he alone followed
me to the landing stage and prepared
to go up to the house with me. The
launch itself had been lent to me by
Messrs. Yarrow, and was commanded
by one of their engineers. l did not
dare ask ever Captain Larry to be
with me upon such a highland as for
my friend. the ioquacious Timothy, it
would have been madness to bring him.
1mroth had told me in the plainest
terms that my very life depended upon
a faithful Interpretation of the terms
of the compact, n l knew my man
ton tFRll 70 lN,,It ht~ trr UNlir
lonely shore, / said again, would be
watched by a hundred eyes.
An old negro stood on the landing
stage as the aunch came alongside,
and he 1t was who carried, the lantern.
No one else appeared to be about,
though | heard a whistle blown sharply,
and answered by another over toward
the Essex shore. The negro himself
hid his face as much as possible from
me, nor did he utter a single word or
betray the slightest emotion at my
coming. | noticed, however. that he
waited for the launch to cast a little
way off into the river before he moved
from the stage. and when this was done
n the whistle had been sounded a
second time. he. led the way up a mar
row grassy path to the farmhouse, and
quietly left me at it's door. Night had
quite come down by his time, and a
dank white mist began to rise above
the marshes. The farmhouse itself APP
peared to be n structure built by some
honest Dutchman who had helped to
save Canvey Island from the sea when
Essex was still washed by the waters
of the estuary. A single light burned
in one of it's windows, but elsewhere
it was dark as the river which flowed
SO blackly before it's gates.
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-
pecting me. And so she ushered me
into the presence of that master GRIM
inal for whom the police had searched
the cities of the world.
Seated in a low armchair IN a little
room at the front of the house-a poor,
shabby apartment furnished with no
better taste than a Margate lodging
house. 1 perceived that Valentine Inn
roth wore a green shade low over his
eyes, but not so low as to impair his
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 min with the eyes of q
human artist upon whom nothing is
lost. Careless in his attitude, he
smoked an immence cigar with evident
satisfaction, and had by his side q
black bottle, which. as / knew by its
shape, should contain Holland gin. In
mary ways a changed man from the
Imroth I had met upon the heights at
Santa Maria, the ferocious aspect OF
G!:. .as@ bat !!ttis a.sa ted; and ss
though to emphasize it, he had laid a
great stick by the side of his chair
while n of the ugliest BOAR hounds
I a ever seen blinked at his feet. and
lifted a savage head silently at my
coming. These things I observed in
stantly, and drew my own conclusions
from them. H is not armed" I said
"but somewhere near by my friends are
concealed-the dog would hold me il
he gave the word. and half a score OF
the ruffians would do the rest A
place Of peril surely-and yet ! hat
known that II must be SO when I Sc
out to meet him.
/ put my hat upon the floor and drew
the chair q little back from the tabl
to which 1t had been drawn up.
IT am here" I said shortly, sin an,
swer to your letter. The conditions
upon which we meet are faithfully OBJ
served between us. My servant /
waiting for me at your door, and m,
launch is out in the river. Let us ge
to business at once. That, I hope, /
your wish"
He thrust the shade back upon hi
forehead. and showed me a pair OF red
limned eyes, watery and blinking a
the dogs at his feet. The long. thi
hand which. held the cigar seemed t
be silver-backed like q brush, wit
4 iidllS 10 q oo S0oAAys "a
diamond glittered upon his little fin
ger.
1T is my hope he repeated, nc
without dignity-which, however. h
lost instantly in the of a broke
of Houndsditch selling shabby furnl
ture-"to see the great DR.. Fabos (
London, to have him In my house
that is an honor for an humble old ma
What AVE I dorte to deserve tho
has this pleasure come into q poor 81
life?
He Uttered like some old witch nal
Ing peat fire by q roadside. But
was the laughter of a vanity not to |
hushed. and / passed 1t by with a ge'
ture.
1.-THE pleasure came into your houi
at your own invitation" / rejoined. !"
win go again very shortly by the san
road. Please give me your attentio
I am here neither for mutual expire
sion OF self admiration nor the desi
OF your amiable company. In a wor
/ have come to ask you for the sto,
of Joan Fordfbras."
He nodded his head, still ~titterin
conviets ~ Farmers.
From the Survey.