The Northern Guardian. — 1897-09-02 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

SON. , through bein' passed over, and pretends to turn up Beresford. Thomas, arrived 'at Genoa, let their 'woes, as though wills was made every day and Nebile, Wilson, arrived at Manchester, Ist , witnesses growed on every 'edge. I must say,though as I should have liked to know what I were a-pledging myeelf to, as I 'ave 'card o' people signin' away fortunes unbeknown. Bat there, I always were that ustin' and confidential, ever since I lent my best brooch to a feller servant to get married in, as wanted to do 'erself credit, so shesaid, and nivver se heyee on neither of 'em agin. Not that I'm at all misdoubtiul of what I've bin and done; and I'm sure that lawyer were a most pleasant spoken and ineffable gentleman, though I deesay 'e'll charge hextry for 'is politeness. But there, you can't eggspect anythink for nothink nowadays.' "This was a piece of news worth having. Mqty has he suddenly taken this step ? What does he anticipate? Is it merely an ordinary act of precaution, or does it indicate some more than common anxiety—some fear of what the future may have in tore for him? " Arid if the latter be the ease, what is the origin of the fear, and what is its nature? Does he begin te fear man's vengeance or God's' Is he menaced by some mortal illness, the chances of which I have before contemplated, or does he mean to commit suicide and thus elude the just punishment whiok might await the discovery of his crime? "I have considered the matter from every point of view, without being able to arrive at a clear or satisfactory answer to either of these questions ; but have come to the conclusion that the only way of satisfying myself and getting at the heart of the mystery is by the means of that key which I have taken so much trouble to produce, but which I have not yet brought myself to make use of. "It is strange that now I hold possession of that which I took so many pains to secure, I am conscious of is vague and childish -,r with regard to this long contemplated step T because I know it will bring about the climax . do I now desire postpone this indefinitely? "If this be so, I must take stringent precautioni against the results of my own folly and weakness. "To-day is Tuesday. There is a little shabby prayer-book somewhere among my belongings. I will put it once and for all out of my Dower to ruecrastinate further by fixing upon a certain date and swearing to carry out on that, and no other, the purpose which has been in my mind so long. "To-day, as I have said, is Tuesday—on Friday, then, without further delay, I will insert my duplicate key in the lock of that door—first of all ascertaining that it will fit—and make, what Dr. Jeremiah would describe as a felonious entry. "I hardly know what it is that prompts me tc appoint this one day in particular in the place of any other. I do not know, I say, why I do this, unless it is because Friday was the day on which the 4.30 train from Dover met with that hideous catastrophe, by which so many live, were sacrified— becaume Friday, in the estimation of many, is a day of ill-omen—and because Friday was the day on , which my father was murdered j "So Friday, or rather Friday niglit, let it be. " Meanwhile, I have to eoas:tler Perkins. "She has not shown Inc so much open animwit since my return; but it will not do to count upon this. She may be only—as she would, no doubt, herself express it, biding her time." You don't , deceive me, ' she said, when I crept downstairs like , a thief in the night, and was nearly eiscovered through ; her instrumentality, and should inevitably have been, I but for her young mistress, who, by some remarkable 'intervention of Providence, stood between me and discovery, r.-id thereby became an unconscious age itt in her own father's betrayal. "But for her buddcn appearance upon the scent., which put a check upon the other woman's proceedings, I might have been ignominiously expelled from the house the next morning, unless I had been able to explain away my most equivocal conduct by the means of more lies. Strange, indeed, that she, the daughter, should have acted as my guardian angel in emergency, and thus have hastened the hour of I.•r parent's ruin! "It in well that I made that vow but just now. That old, worn prayer-book, given me years ago by my father, and which contains my name in his own handwriting, reminds use that there is no drawing back, unless I would foreswear myself. Pro BE