The Dermott news., 1916-10-05

1aasSA-Ssec 4
Gentleman ice" Tells Gertrude f,s Is
Now Gong Straight.
The country estate. Drake was zach
Iag him, and, in a fever OF agonized
- =, vas on the point of confess
HE everything, but the telephone bell
rang and Burton was summoned
He left Gertrudes letter on the ia
BILE. Drake, hardly knowing what he
WAS doing. glanced at the S1andwrit-
ing, which. somehow. seemed famil-
taf Then he read, and HIS better in
stincts were forthwith submerged
II Gertrude WAS minded TO be that
sort Why should he worry because her
favored sweetheart was robbed of a
few thousand dollars Eut he could
not bear to meet Burton again, and
left some excuse with servant as to
pressing engagement
Hence, he did not Enow that the
real estate agent. through whom his
employer Was acquiring The country
property, had asked that the money
should be hr Ight to his Office that
night To close the deal ard thus fore
stall other negotiations. Blu, ION re-
turned. took out the roll of bills. put
them IN his pocket, osed tie safe.
and went away in his car After call
5as at the agents Office he went on
La tae Apfhorp which rs really
Horetas residence.
The girl was very plle and e.ceed-
iuEly nervous Her talk was ram
bling and she seemed ready to drop
III a faint. Indeed, Burton was SO
alarmed al her condition that he
turned to search for sone wateS.
At that instant. Gertrude br.ced
herself for supreme effort. She tore
her blouse Off one shoulder. let down
her hair, and screamed loudly Her
astounded visitor had just turned on
ms heel when a door opened and Nor
ettI ran in The Italian held re-
yolyer, and his feroeious expression
seemed to show that he would not
seruple TO use the weapon if neces-
sary.
50 I've caught you. you woman
stealer. you" ne shouted. "8ut you
can't get away with this sort of thing
here Your nights work will cost
you dear
John stared coolly both at him and
at the wild-eyed. distracted
girl Then he dropped his handker-
chief TO the floor
He had noticed that Moretti was
standing on narrow rug, which
stretched to his own feet. STOPPING
as though TO pick up the handker-
chief, John caught the corners of the
rug and tugged violently. As h fore
saw it slipped easily over the pol
ished floor and Moretti was thrown
SO violently that his skull hit the floor
with force which disposed of him
for the rest OF the night.
Without a word to the cringing gil
Burton went out. lie drove home and
entered the house quietly He was
thinking OF going straight to his room,
when the sound of pistol SHOT
brought him quickly to the library.
Arriving there. he found Drake with
a revolver in his hand and man
lying dead in front Of the open safe.
Burton faced Drake. and then the
whole truth came out. Drake made a
full confession. He tC ! how he had
been tempted. and had fallen, how a
| furious squabble had taken place
when Walleyed Bill discovered that
the safe was empty, and had accused
him OF having 'double-crossed" him In
the struggle that followed Drake had
/ shot Bill with the latter's gum
He moved to the telephone and
called for the police. AS Drake heard
the fatal number, he shuddered and
burst out sobbing, knowing full well
how his record would go against him
when brought to trial
But he could hardly believe his
own ears when he heard Burton say at
the phone:
You had better send man around
! to my house. I've shot burglar"
Drake would have broken out into
a protestation of gratitude. but Burton
repulsed him.
Get out OF my sight" he growled
scornfully. Il never want to see or
hear OF you again"
The unhappy wretch skunk out OF
the room. and the unhappy man OF
great wealth was left alone with
corpse.
| Truly, he might well ask himself:
| rs humanity In the grip of evil?"
END OF SECOND EPISODRl