The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1881-12-24 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

CHAPTER 11.  "I always sleep with my bedroom door locked," said Alice, "for fear the horrid thieves should break in and take my riches."  " Ah, locks are not much use against burglars," I replied, "though I do not think any of the interesting fraternity could get into my den unless he could climb a waterspout and creep along a narrow window ledge." "Is your room at the back of the house or the front ? " queried Mr. Brown. "At the back," I replied, laughing," but it's a long way up ; and that's a very good thing," I continued, "because I've a deal of money in at present—three or four hundred pounds in a safe there. But it's quite secure. The safe is thief proof, und I sleep with the key of it under my pillow. Besides, nobody knows its there; and it wouldn't he there now, only I'm such a deuced careless fellow, and havn't profited as I ought to have done by the sharp lesson which I received recently. However, I have learned something, and I never carry large sums of money about with me now."  " I you ought to be more prudent," said Mr. Brown solemnly, "and," continued he, shaking his forefinger, which was horny and seamy at the end, probably from digging for worms or maggots, "you should not tell everybody what you have told us." The above conversation took place some two or three weeks after the events recorded in the last chapter; and just as I was on the point of leaving the cottage for my walk home. I was not so much enchanted as I had been. Disguise it as I would, there was something about the fascinating Alice which jarred on me, and I had not been at all pleased to discover that I was not the only young man whom she continued to receive and treat in the artless way so peculiarly her own. When I was with her she could exercise her influence in the old way, but not quite so powerfully as of yore, but when she was away I almost felt that T should like to break the bonds which sfie had cast around me. At the same time, my love for Edith revived, and as I walked home I bitterly reproached myself for the shameful way in which I had acted.  On reaching home I found Ned, Edith's brother, waiting to see me. We had long been firm frb3nds, and in my peculiar mood it gave me sincere pleasure to meet him, though I did not guess his errand. He had been abroad.  "Now, look here, Tom," he said, in his old frank impulsive way, "what's all this trouble between you and Edith? I know you love each other, and, forgive my candour, I know you are two fools, and as proud as Lucifer. You'd never get together again if you were left to yourselves, so I've determined to make up your quarrel."  "That would be impossible for you to do," I said sadly.  " What I when she's fretting herself into an untimely grate? Come, Tom," he rejoined, "You are not such a brute as that." And I wasn't. After he had talked to me for another gnarter of an hour I surrendered unconditionally and promised to accompany him in the inorning to his home, where .I should see Edith.  There was no time to prepare one of the ordinary bedrooms for him, the servants having retired for the night, but he declared that he was used to "roughing it" and would be more than satisfied with a share of mine.  In the middle of the night I was awakened from an awful dream to see my philanthropic friend, Mr. Brown, lowering over me with a dark lantern. But all traces of benevolence had vanished from him, and his deeply-set eyes and his countenance were at last in harmony, Then it flashed across me, as if by an inspiration, that his was the face of the miscreant who had felled ate to the ground in the road. But he was much disguised, and, if! had not had him in my mind, he having been the central figure of my disquieting dream, I do not think that I should have recognized him. No sooner did my eyes open than he hissed, "Curse you for a wakeful fool," his voice being very, very different from that which I had so often heard at the cottage, and raised his hand, in which I saw something glisten. I remember nothing more.  "It is a case of attempted murder and suicide." Such were the words which greeted my return to consciousness. 'And that garottiug fellow who gave us the slip a week or two ago is on the job again. But he'll scarcely gip through our Angers this time." "It's clear enough," returned another voice. 6. He jilted the gal; the gal's brother  came to kick up a row about it; he enticed the brother up here; then he tried to kill him; and then he tried to murder himself. If the other cove don't get better—and it strikes me very forcibly he ivon't—it's my opinion it'll be a hanging matter; and serve him right if it is—a regular bad lot." •  I opened my eyes and saw my old enemy, the inspector of police, gazing at me with a peculiarly malevolent expression of counten. ance. I fainted, but later on was curtly informed of what had happened. 1t seems that Ned and I had been found, he lying on the floor insensible with a bullet through his chest, and I lying on the bed, also insensible, with a bullet through my chest, and an empty revolver, which I had once taken to the cottage and left there, after exhibiting it, close by my hand. I was given to understand that I was a prisoner, and would be taken to the bridewell as soon as I could be removed without danger to my life. I began to tell a long story inculpating Mr. Brown, but it was not coherent, and it did not seem to create a favourable impression on my auditors, the police, so I involuntarily did what was, perhaps, the best thing which I could have done under the circumstances—l fainted for the third time.