Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-11-03

, during the previous summer. Neison
had kept sacred the chair she had
used. A handkerchief she had left on
bis working desk he allowed to remain
there undisturbed save when he would
pick 1t up and press II to bis lips.
He was still holding the paper In bis
hands and dreaming Of love and hap
piness and content when the telephone
rang. It was 8 o'clock. he picked up
the receiver eagerly.
"Yes." be said as he recognized her
voice.
"It Is nearing Christmas tme," she
told him, plaintive note in her voice.
II must shop for the mountain chill
dren." he told her. II had almost for.
gotten"
"You are coming into Greenville.
then"
Eyes. I must"
"You will need more than a single
day"
He tried to protest that his work was
pressing.
"You are going to stay with Us for
good part Of the holidays" she told
him decisively. "Father. mother. Jim
ard all insist. and we will not take
refusal. You must start next Wednes-
day morning early. and ! shall meet
you in my motor on Paris mountain"
The thought Of being near her for an
entire day. for two days or more. per-
haps, thrilled him and tempted him to
leave his hiding place
"Then If / must" he told her. II
shall be on Paris mountain next
Wednesday"
In every tone of every word she had
spoken over the telephone there was a
message Of love that he could not mis-
take. Even little sigh had come to
him trembling through the thread Of
wire strung over the mountains. Her
hand was his for the asking. Her heart
was already his. Within his grasp
was the greatest happiness God could
give a man, the right to love and hold
forever q pure and beautiful woman
who loved him.
he paced the floor Of the room. his
mind filed with an exquisite day
dream. She would share this house
With him, be its mistress, bring to II
the subtle fragrance and sweetness
which she alone possessed. In winter,
and in times Of storm, her smile would
fill his home with radiance sweeter
and more blessed than the sunshine OF
spring.
She would come tiptoeing to the door
as he worked with his machinery. She
would look in and he would stop ut his
task long enough to welcome her and
to sip of the sweetness Of her lips and
feel the warmth Of her love as her
arms clasped his neck. he sank into
her chair and picked up the handker-
chief, q flmy bit Of linen. pressing 1t to
his lips.
Ten o'clock passed and II struck as
he sat In silent and happy dreaming.
Suddenly the handkerchief dropped
from his hands and his face showed
white as a sheet Of paper in the light
Of his students lamp.
he had heard some one moving out
side the house. There had been the
crackle of frozen snow.
His three black servants were far of
In their cottage for the night Who
x.yoo q fb{o r,,o ro udor2
Again came the sound. Some one
was surely walking beneath his win
dows.
Nelson dropped to his hands and
knees, crept to the wall and turned an
electric switch, plunging the house In
darkness from cellar to attic.
Against the many windows Of his
castle showed the snow laden boughs
of. the trees In a glow that came from
the reflection of the white pail cover
ing the earth.
He felt for his wallet, which held
the money he was to use In the event
Of flight becoming necessary. 1t was
In his pocket. A step and he was ut
bis desk. He opened drawer softly.
In his right hand showed the dark
outline of blue steeled revolver His
dreams of love had vanished. He was
again the escaped convict making a
fight for the liberty he had stolen.
The snow was not deep enough to
impede his motor. He hurried to the
secret entrance to his garage. opened
the masked door and stood waiting at
the head Of a flight of narrow stairs.
CHAPTER XIII.
Two Potent Aids.
As Nelson stood in the darkness OF
n the room holding his breath he
n felt the weight of the pistol In
his right hand and the thought
came to him that should there be
only that one man-Michael Kearney-
he would be tempted to slay.
On the blue nose Of his weapon was
screwed a Maxim silencer. The voice
of death would be dropped to a whis-
per. The end Of the sleuth would
never be known by the outside world.
Before him loomed the brown horror
Of a cell and sunless. skyless days.
The heart of Molly Bryan would be
broken as the heart Of his mother had
been broken.
II he killed would 1t not be in self
defense and in the highest and fullest
meaning Of the phrase? There are
things worse than death.
There was a slight sound against
the side of the house beneath the win
dow he faced. Whoever this was,
coming as n thief in the night. would
soon show his head over the sill. The
weight of the revolver In his hand
seemed to increase. He was no man
to take human life. he realized 1t
suddenly. Moisture exuded from his
fingers and blurred the steel OF his
weapon in the dark.
He had said to himself that no one
would know of the death Of the relent-
less hound that had pursued him from
a pit Of despond to Already. God and
his conscience would know It'll
He crossed the room on his toes
rapidly and replaced the weapon IN his
desk.
The terrible Injustice that had blast
ed his life at twenty-one. that had
SCARED and branded him forever. that
had sent his sweet. patient little
mother to a sorrowful death and that