The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-25
tCentshued From Our Last Issue)

(C0utshued From Our Last Issue)
ct could not stop Mark drinking"
Cayley's letter went on, 'hut !
kept him within certain bounds.
Yes. I kept him outwardly decent;
and perhaps now I was becoming
like the cannibal who keeps his vic
tim In good condition for his own
ends. I used to gloat over Mark,
thinking how utterly he was mine
to ruin as I pleased. financially,
morally, whatever way would give
me most satisfaction. / had but to
take my hand away from him and he
sank. But again I was in no hurry.
Then he killed himself. That flu
tile little drunkard, eaten UP with
his own selhshness and vanity.
offered his beastliness to the truest
and purest woman on this earth. You
have seen her, Mr.. Gillingham, but
you never knew Mark Albeit. Even
If he had not been a drunkard, there
was no chance for her of happiness
with him.
'I had known him for many years,
but never once had I seen him
moved by any generous emotion. To
have lived with that shriveled little
soul would have been hell for her;
and thousand times worse hell
when he began to drink.
$50 he hac to be killed. ! was the
only one left to protect her. for her
mother was in league with Mark to
bring about her ruin. I would have
shot him openly for her sake. and
with what gladness, but I had no
mind to sacrifice myself needlessly.
He was in my power; / could per-
suade him to almost anything by
f1attery; surely it would not be diff
cult to give his death the appearance
of an accident.
ST need not take up your time by
telling you of the many plans l made
and rejected. For some days l in
clined toward an unfortunate boat
ing accident in the pond-Mark,
very indifferent swimmer. myself al
most exhausted in a gallant attempt
to hold him up.
And then he himself gave me the
idea, he and Miss Norris between
them, and so put himself In my
hands,. without risk of discovery,
should have said. had you not dis
covered me.
I'VE were talking about ghosts.
Mark had been even more vain.
pompous and absurd than usual, and
could see that Miss Norris was ir-
ritated by it. After dinner she sug-
gested dressing up as ghost and
frightening him. I thought it my
duty to warn her that Mark took
any joke against himself badly, but
she was determined to do it. i gave
way reluctantly. Reluctantly. also,
told her the secret of the passage.
There is an underground passage
from the library to the bowling
green. You should exercise your in
genuity, Mr.. Gillingham. In trying to
discover it. Mark came upon II by
accident a year ago. 1t was god
send to him; he could drink there in
greater secrecy. But he had to tell
me about 1t. He wanted an audi
ence, even for his vicea.
II told Miss Norris, then, because
II was necessary for my plan that
Mark should be thoroughly fright
ened. Without the passage she could
never have got close enough to the
bowk2 g-green to alarm him proper
ly, but as 1 arranged it with her
she made the most effective appear
ance, and Mark was in just the state
OF rage and yindictiveness which !
required. Miss Norris, you under
stand, IS a professional actress. i
need not say that to her I appeared
to be animated by no other feeling
than boyish desire to bring off a
good joke-a joke directed as much
against the others as against Mark.
He came to me that night, as i
expected. still quivering with indig-
nation. Miss Norris must never be
asked to the house again; I was to
make special note OF it: never
again. 1t was outrageous. Had he
not a reputation as a host to keep
up, he would pack her off next morn
ing.