South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-30

their face. and now. hanging by his fingers
and toes he commenced to descend. AT times
he was compelled to swerve far away from'the
direct plumb-ne OF q body's descent but at
every vantage point he stopped and searched
the implacabe front No sign OF Carmines
body there; he must have fallen out there in
the vast greenness. the sport of every wave.
and he Lancaster. was a murderer
For more than an hour he prosecuted his
search without avail; then. recognizing its
futilty he commenced to think OF the future
I'll go back: I'll make clean breast of II
all This is the end of everything for me. He
wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than
my life" he muttered his eyes still persisting
in that hopeless search Eyes. I'll go back
and He stopped as II he had received an
actual blow. Could he go back? The thought
smote him strangely. What would his going
back mean? Beatrice would be hailed forth
into the limelight OF a sordid publicity he
would be called TO explain the motive of the
struggle; the woman he loved would writhe and
cringe beneath the critical stare of thousands
of eyes Such a case as this would arouse
public interest to an unprecedented degree, and
he must consider others beyond himself
Beatrice was first; she always had been first.
to him. No, he could not go back.
No one had seen the struggle; no one could
know that he was responsible for Carmine's
death. The man had wronged him in a score
of ways He had crept into the favor OF that
old man now dead-nsidiously, like treacher-
Gus snake. and had Slapped away his belief in
Lancaster He had trumped up stories. he
had produced evidence and the result was the
man who worked patiently out of sheer love OF
Sir Christopher. the man who had spent him
self in loyal service. was disowned and cast
portioness, whilst this other. this evil snake
in the grass, had inherited all-money, lands a
high position And then, not content with this
-Launcester's blood boiled as the thought
surged through him-Carmine had alienated
Beatrice Dexter's love from him.
He had been a fool to be so moved by Elsie
Maynard's story OF loneliness and helplessness
as to take her in his arms and attempt to com
fort her; but then she had seemed to him as
nothing but child, a little, grieved child, and
Beatrice must certainly know that his love for
her was too great to permit even shadow OF
disloyalty But Beatrice had come upon them
as they stood there, the girl sobbing on his
shoulder and she had jumped to the conclusion
that he was faithess. Car1nine was responsible
for il all. Lancaster was possessed Of a sus-
picion that Carmine had been the instigator
of the entire scene. Elsie Maynard was-had
been-there hsd been love passages between
her and Carmine; she would lend herself to any
plan OF his formulation. Events that had be-
fore been shrouded stood out with startling
clarity now that the reaction had come upon
him. He owed nothing to the memory Of the
dead man who had studiously worked to ruin
him body and soul
II can't go to her" he moaned. 7 can't
must give myself up, and
No, that would not do. either Make Beatrice
the cynosure Of thousand hooking eyes! The
thought was unbearable.
There's one other way he thought pacing
to and fro on a shelf OF rock that the receding
sea had left damp and clammy. "One other
way-to disappear" He thought curiousy OF
the idea, and the more he thought the more
tangible II grew in his mind. Beatrice would
live untroubed by public curiosity. and after
while-after a long whie-he could tell her
the truth. She would understand then that It
was an accident; she would forgive him his
share in the quarrel; many years would purge
her sorrow.
He knew OF path some distance away that
leu MIN 10 the summit OF the CHHss anu pom
dering deeply, he ascended It. His brain was
busy with many plans; they concerned his
future movements in the main. He knew that
morally he was not guilty Of Carmine's murder,
although, in actual deed, he had killed him;
and the man was so loathsome, such wolhsh
sneah. attacking in the dark that his loss
a thing to be acclaimed rather than deplored
Sooner or later he would have broken Beatrice's
heart Lancaster was convinced Of that
as he was that he had killed the man: and his
death was well deserved
'Tll not wait on Fortune" he cried reck
lessly. I'll book passage the first ship
I come across and leave the rest to God" With
this determination in his mind he walked
briskly to the little cottage that was his home
and there arranged his disordered dress. An
aching desire to set eyes on Beatrice again
came TO him, but he fought II down She
might see something in his manner; she might
reac beneath the mask OF his face; she
might No. he must hold aloof
Il find I must go away on sudden business"
he told the old woman who cared for his needs
in that quiet cottage. Il don't know when
shall be back; II may not be for a year. Look
after the cottage for me-" And then ne packed