Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, etc. — 1909-03-27 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

XXIII. ILACJIGULIID.B DZITII-1111).  The hansom drove into • slum neighbour hood, and again and again the driver had to mak his way before he arrived at the address that was given him. At last he got there, wee paid and dismissed, and one of his fares accosted a ragged boy who WU playing pitcharid-toss on the pavement with • 'couple of others.  The boy was "Brushes," the es-arab, who replied "All right, sir, both in there. The old 'un's pretty bad. They expected 'im turnin' up 'is toes this mornin', but 'es still 'oldin' on."  "I'm afraid we haven't much time to waste," said Strange to tlse clergyman, leading the say upstairs. The Biel: man's room was on the third door. Strange turned the handle and walked in without ince king. Walsh. who was inside on a chair, got up and faced him furiously. ' So you've come at last, you prying villain; and, oh! who's this? You've brought the parson in your train. Well, you can just go, the pair of you, and spread abroad what you've eeen, and ruin the lives of two people who never , did either of you • stroke of harm. Only one favour I ask of you," he concluded bitterly. "Don't bring the police here just yet. Let my poor, wretched uncle die in peace. Ile'. unconscious now. Ile will have passed away soon, and then the autho-ities can have his body to do what they like with." Strange held his tongue. The clergyman bigan: "You mistake our motives, Ur. Walsh  • But a thin, tremulous voice from the bed broke In :  --- • "[Told on all. Connolly, you're a good fellow, and l know you mean for the brat. The _ . .  other man I don't know; but I have heard of  him, and I don't think he's the sort, to cause unnecessary m inch i..r." . . . .  • The two new-comers looted and saw a man lying dressed on • bed, with shrunken, cleanshaven face, and head wrapped in _bandages.  Hisointhes 'hung on him in louse folds ; his  0 bands weie nothing but skin and bone and stringy ten nos. tie was a very wreck of a man, and death was printed upon his face in henry unmistakable letters. "Yes, I'm Andrew Petton, or all tint's left  of him. Ye didn't recognise me. Connolly, did ye? I don't come up to description. do I? You're oilier man, Strange. I suppose his nano,  ii? Well. I've gone through a deal, and .Urn  about at the end of my tether now. No, hold  your tongue, Sidney. If talking does weaken me it'll only ii ake a difference of a few minutes, and I'd rather they had the yarn firsthand. Then they'll hold their tongues, and  you and Mary will go on without any slur on  yonr name. "Now, listen. ele a dying man I swear to you that I did nut kill that man in Callao who  2-.. ...found the anti-fouling recipe.  I behaved  badly to him, I'll admit, but Lean shot him over a private quarrel. Again, I behoved badly to taffan in trying to keep the profits of the  concern to myself, and when he turned up in  Liverpool I tried to bluster him out of his due _ • .. .  share of them. I'd put money and time into the business, and was fully entitled to the larger share of the spoils. He wanted half. I offered a tenth, and we lust our tempers.  "Sidney had listened till be was sickened,  and cleared out, and afterwards the row grew worse. It ended by Laffah knocking me over with a chair, and going to rifle the safe when he thought I was on the floor senseless. However, I got up, and we fought. and I laid him out with the poker. Don't shudder, Connolly. I didn't mean to kill the man. And when I saw him there on the ground with his skull ' smashed like an egg-shell I was as horrified as you would have been if you had done the thing yourself. "But I didn't lose my head. It was clear homicide, of