The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-05-16
The Evil Shepherd
E. OPPENE1EIr1


the little room which communicates
with the library by folding doors.
There was a chink already between
the two. I got knife from the pantry
and widened it until 1 could sec
through. heard very little of the
conversation but there was no quar-
rel. Mr.. Hilditch took up the weapon
which you know about, sat in chair
and held it to his heart. l heard him
say something like this: This ought
to appeal to you, Sir Timothy. You're
a specialist in this sort of thing. One
little touch, and there you are Mr.
Hilditch said something about putting
it away. My master turned to Sir
Timothy and said something in low
tone. Suddenly Sir Timothy leaned
over. He caught hold of Mr. Hill
ditch's hand which held, the hilt of the
dagger, and-and-well, he just drove
1t in, sir. Then he stood away. Mrs.
Hilditch sprang up and would have
screamed, but Sir Timothy placed his
hand over her mouth. In moment l
heard her say, What have you doneY
Sir Timothy looked at Mr.. Hilditch
quite calmly. I have ridded the
world of a verminous creature he
said. My knees began to shake. My
nerves were always bad. 1 crept back
into my room, took off my clothes and
got into bed. / had just put the light
out when they called for me-"
Francis was himself again. There
was an immense relief, joy in his
heart. He had never for single mo-
ment blamed Margaret, but he had
never for single moment forgotten.
It was closed chapter, but the stain
was on its pages. 1t was wonderful to
tear it out and scatter the fragments.
II remember you at the inquest" he
said. "Your name is John Walter"
eyes, sir As
"Your evidence was very different"
"Yes. SIR"
"You kept all this to yourself"
II did, sir. 1 thought it best"
"Tell me what has happened since"
The man looked down at the table.
Il have always been a poor man,
SIR" he said. 81 have had bad luck
whenever l made a try to start any
thing. thought there seemed a
chance for me here. / went to Sir
Timothy and / told him everything"
'Well?" ~
"Sir Timothy never turned hair,
sir. When had finished he was very
short with me, almost curt. You have
behaved like a man of sense, Walter
he said. How much? 1 hesitated for
some time. Then I could see he was
getting impatient. I doubled what
had thought of first. "A thousand
pounds, sir 1 said. Sir Timothy he
went to safe in the wall and he
counted out thousand pounds in
notes, there and then. He brought
them over to me. Walter he said,
there Is your thousand pounds. For
that sum I understand you promise
to keep what you saw to yourself?
Yes, SIR I agreed. Take it, Them
he said. but I want sou to understand
this: There have been many attempts,
but no one yet has ever succeeded in
matchmaking me. No one ever will. l
give you this thousand pounds will
ingly. 1t is what you have asked for.
Never let me see your face again. If
you come to me starving, 1t will be
useless. 1 shall not part with another
penny"
The mans simple way of telling his
story, his speech, seemed all to add
to the dramatic nature of his dis
closure. Francis found himself sitting
like a child who listens to a fairy
story.
"And then?" he asked simply.
II went off with the money" Walter
continued, "and had cruel bad luck
I put 1t into pub. was robbed a
little, drank little, my wife wasn't
any good. lost 1t all, sir. I found
myself destitute. 4 went back to Sir
Timothy"
"Well?"
The man shifted his feet nervously.
AAC oCCiACu " navy SOlhC " tAC
cult part of his story.
"Sir Timothy was as hard as nails"
he said slowly. "He saw me. The
had finished, he rang the
bell. Hedges he said to the man.
servant who came in, this man has
come here to try and blackmail me.
Throw him out. If he gives any
trouble, send for the police. If he
shows himself here again. send for the
police"
"What happened them"
"Well, 1 nearly blurted out the
whole story" the man confessed, "and
then 1 remembered that wouldn't do
me any good, so I went away. 1 got a
job at the Ritz, but was took i'll a
few days afterward. 1 went to see a
doctor. From him I got my death
warrant, sir"
as it hearth
"It's heart. SIR" the man acknowl-
edged. "The doctor told me / might
snuff out at any moment. can't live,
anyway, for more than a year. I've