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MYSTERY OF DERDMM8 PLAT
MMSassBSSSSfSSSS-sssisSfSSSSSlllMMMeBBS
A ROMANTIC STORY OF THE FAR
WEST.
By the Auther of "Let or
heritance," Etc.
The next morning Mr. Jehn Smith
made nn earnest attempt te indue Mr.
Snaresbrook te leave the place tie
walked into Deadman's Flat seen after
daybreak, experience having taught him
that that early hour was, In a general
way, the only one that saw Mr. Snares
brook's intellect at all equal te grasping
any situation with a necessary amount
of clearness. The attempt, however, was
a still mere disastrous failure. Mr. Snares
brook had received his arguments, en
treaties and reproaches with a dogged
sullen Bilcncc, only rclieved by an oc
casional nngry gleam in his eyes, as if he
resented the young man's interference in
his affairs, but the daughter received his
entreaties In a manner that sent him from
her dumb with dismay.
He did net see her till noonday, for
she had been keeping out of his way.
He met her at last en the outskirts of
the town, just as she was returning from
a long walk, 'thinking by this time that
he would have geno back te Ids claim at
Red Mactarvish. She had gathered a
spray of azalea somewhere In her wan
derings, and as she came down the read
holding it in one hand ehe was absently
pulling te pieces the delicate pink blos
soms with the ether.
At his unexpected appearance, the warm
bleed rushed te her pale face, and the
steed looking at him ever that rosy cloud
of blossoms, her breath coming fast, her
besom rising and fnlling with the rapid
beating of her heart.
Her evident mental distress put an end
te his self control, and he blurted out the
reason "of his seeking her, without any
regard for elequence or dignity of
6peech. He was only conscious of a
wild, passienate desire te get her out of
that place.
She looked at him first compassion
ately; but, as he went en with his
earnest, if rather incoherent advice, her
compassion slowly gave place te astonish
ment. Then suddenly that silent as
tonishment was turned te such a passion '
of anger, contempt and loathing such n
6cathing, pitiless storm of words, that he
steed aghast.
"Ge awayl" she exclaimed, stretching
out her Blender quivering hand towards
the red, dusty read. "Never speak te
me again! Whatever I thought you I
did net imagine you were a base, con cen con
temptible cewardl Ge away, and never
let me see your face ngainl"
He turned nway without another word,
and walked obediently down the read
pointed out- for him by that trembling
hand. He had no idea where it led te
except that it was out of her sight. As
he turned away, he saw her'sink down,
all her strength exhausted in that out
burst of passion, the beautiful little brown
head bowed ever the pink blossoms. He
caught faintly the sound of a choked
sob, but he did net turn back te help her.
She had told him te go, and he was going.
CHAPTER VIII.
That evening, as Jehn Smith F.itumok F.itumek
ing en the trunk of a trce before the deer
of his cabin, Jack Ncwenliam. arrived in
the camp of Red Mactarvish. He madu
straight for the isolated cabin of Jehn
Smith, guided thereto by bome of the
miners, most of whom were knocking
elf work. This proud man of stainless
honor felt eshamed of litmsclf. The first
glimpse he caught of that lonely motion
less figure reminded liim forcibly that
he had corae te Red Mactarvish net te
6ce the camp, but te beg the pardon of
the man he had se wronged the night
before.
Jehn Smith sat there, smoking hard,
and staring nt a laiulscape he did net
even 6ce, se blinded were his eyes by
that vision of a beautiful, scornful face,
looking at him ever theso pink azaleas.
He did net hear Jack Newenhaiu's np np
preach till the latter touched him en the
tiheuldcr. Then he turned with a start,
flushing a dull, deep red, and rising si
lently te his feet as he paw who his vis
itor waB.
"I've been a brute!" said Newenham,
going te the point nt once, like the stur
dy downright Englishman he was. "I'd
like te shake hands with you, if yeu've
no objection."
The dull flush faded olewly from Jehn
Smith's face, as he steed looking nway
towards the distant sierras that btoed
out clearly against the red evening sky.
"Net even the touch of your clean
hand can niake me an honest man
again," he said.
"Ne," said Newcnhaui simply; "but
the present and future can; and the. past
is geno by" and he held out his hand.
Jehn Smith took it. The action looked
only like au ordinary greeting, but that
silent hand clasp between the two men
was the seal of a friendship which never
faltered se long as life lasted.
Jack Newenhain stayed seme time
with Smith, the latter doing the honors
of the camp. He was invited by several
wen te spend the night there, but he had
his own reasons forgetting back te Dead
man's Flat. The affair of the murder
was growing ery berieusj indeed it grew
luore serious every moment he spent in
Jehn Smith's company, for, if thist Jehn
Smith were the man he imagined bun te
be, then that letter was nterrlble weapon
in the hands of these judge3 in Dead
man's Flat. Net that he for ene moment
believed in the young man's guilt, for, If
Redfcm Churchill and Jehn Smith were
one and the sauie man, he was certain
that he could net have dene se base and
cowardly a thing lis te sheet down in
cold bleed his most deadly enemy.
Others, however, might net 6ee matters
iu the same light; and there was always
that ugly plece of evidence in the eliape
of a letter ngainst him.
They had been walking for eotne tlme
in silence, Jehn Smith accompanying
him a little way en the read back te
Headman's Flat, when buddenly Nowen Newen
hain (.topped, unable te keep silence any
longer under the pressure of his anxie
ties and fears. He glanced about him
and saw that the read was lonely and
silent.
"Are you Redfern Churchill:" he
asked, lowering his voice.
"Yes," said the ether simply.
That ejuiet "Yes" was a whole confes
sion of faith in the ether's honor, and
Newenham felt it te be se,
"Yeu shall never have reason te re
gret having told me this," he said. "I
will tell you something, tee 1 am going
te marry your sister Violet."
A deep drawn breath was the only
outward sign of pain, but this sudden re
calling of relationships and scenes se
long dead te him caused the young man
an ncute paug. He could net speak, and
Newenham went en hurriedly:
"Sheiias never forgotten you It was
for her sake that I came te Deadman's
Flat te get tidings of you. I did net
knew you then new, I would travel
double the distance for your own sake.
nun- i ,1. i. i i - - - '
a-Lie." "Winain Her In
- -j 8 van no iet
you.
If he hoped for seme allusion te that
fatal letter he was disappointed. There
was a brief silence, and then Red fern
Churchill answered rather slewly:
"Yeu have dene mera than any man
would have dene already; you can dene
mere. I am dead te them, fB you and
all the old life. If you have net yet told
her that you have seen roe, I leg of you
net te de se it would only hurt her.
Don't think me ungrateful; I would give
my life te preve te you what I think of
the sacrifice you have ruade for my Bake.
Heaven bless you both!"
He turned abruptly away, and walked
swiftly back in the direction of the
camp. Newenham, after a short pause,
during which he watched the muscular
figure disappearing into the fast gather
ing shadows, turned and walked en hur
riedly tee, with a sudden sense of help
lessness in his hearjL
The read was getting quite dark, and
the silence wai. broken only by the dis
tant rear of the water as it foamed along
its rocky uneven bed at the feet of the
Red Mactarvish camp and the gentle'
soughing of the brecze among the fra
grant pines.
Suddenly there was a faint rustling
sound in the ditch which ran rightneress
the read. Then a figure moving therein
cautiously raised itself up till there ap
peared a pale flabby face, still heavy
with the drunken sleep which had
caused the man te seek suddenly nnd in
voluntarily the bottom of that ditch, en
his way home te Deadman's Flat. The
face was surrounded by tangled yellow
locks, te which adhered clay and twigs
and various ether trifles, gathered in
that unexpected and hasty plunge into
the ditch. After carefully reconueitcring
the dusk en cither side, lie rested his
elbows upon the edge of the bank and
prepped up his still rather unsteady head
with his hands. Poker Dick was cogitat
ing, for even te his hazy and extremely
cxpaneive views of propriety there seemed
a slight doubt as te the fairness of taking
ndvantagoef a private conversation te
tie a lmltcr round another man's neck.
He had net even any grudge against
Redfern Churchill; en the contrary, he
rather liked him.
On the ether hand, however, Poker
Dick's affairs were in rather a despcrate
condition, nnd there was even seme talk
of expelling him from the virtuous com
munity of Deadman's Flat. An energetic
display of virtue in the eliape of captur
ing a "wanted" murderer might soften
the hearts of his fellow townsmen. Then
there was that handsome toward which
it was decided should be given.
"I guess I'll sleep en it!" muttered the
perplexed man te himself nt last, letting
himself drop ence mere into the moist
clay qt the lottem of the ditch. "I'm in
a bit of a buzz!"
In the early morning of the next day n
small band of men' came down the read
leading from Red Mactarvish. The trump
of their feet was steady and regular, in
dicating that they were en seme grave
business. A few persons lingering about
the doers of the "Red Unicorn" before
beginning the serious duties of the day
caught sight of that small Kind as it
turned round a bend in the read.
Jack Kewcnham, talking te Quaker
Jee nbeut a sheeting expedition that
would take up two or tlnee days, turned
with the ethers te leek. at the advancing
freup. Miss Snaresbrook also looked,
2.ning with n soft laugh from seme ex
travagant compliment just paid her by
the gentleman nt her side, the proprietor
of the grocery establishment of Dead
man's Flat, who, attracted by her ap
pearance as she steed inside the small
inclosure befere the hotel, had run ever
from his stere nt the opposite side of the
square te exchange "geed day" with
her. Mr. Snaresbrook turned from his
ferocious contemplation of the adoring
grocer te gaze tee at that rapidly ap
proaching band. It began te attract the
attention of ethers tee children ran
down the read te find out what was
"up," for that solemn, steady precession
evidently meant something. Men. lan
guidly strolling forward, caught the
meaning of their words as they shrilly
called out the discovery they had made.
Voices caught up the burden here and
there along the read, until quite a great
wave of sound reached the ears of these
standing nbeut the "Red Unicorn," from
which they could distinguish the words,
"Murderer" "Ge-for-him Tem" "Red
Mactarvish" "nabbed."
There was a variety of cxprcsblens en
tjie eager faces of theso assembled in the
square us the words reached them ex
citement. Interest, curiosity and satisfac
tion. Even the grocer hastened forward,
though in doing se he had te leave Miss
Snaresbrook bc-ind. Quaker Jee was
already hal. way across the square, 80
was Jack Newenham, a heavy sinking
feeling at Ills' heart.
' The precession, which was new n silent
one, as if the stern resolution nnd gravity
of theso men in its center had checked
even the excited curiosity nnd eager
gratification of the townspeople who had
gathered about them, was mere than
half way across the square befere it
parted stiflicieutly te allow of the chief
actors in it being seen.
There were about twenty of them
the committeemen appointed te sce into
the matter of the murder, n few miners
fiem Red Mactarvish who had come
along te see the end, nnd in the midst of
them Jehn Smith, or, ns he was new
known te be, Redfern Churchill.
He was very pale, hut etherwise quite
cool. When arrested at the camp, just
as he was proceeding te his day's work,
he hnd conie away quietly, without say
ing n word. Newenham, forcing his
way through the crowd surrounding
him, reached his bide.
"It's a lie," he cried, facing the lead
ing man of the arresting party "an in
famous lie! If you de him any harm,
you shall swing for it!"
"He'll have a fair trial," answered the
man, with sullen civility. "Clear out,
boys, and let us pass!"
"Leave me alone," said Redfern
Churchill te Newenham, in n low, hur
ried tene, though his eyes expressed his
gratitude for the generous champion
ship. "I'm all right."
"Besides," he ndded, in a still lower
tone, ns tlin young Englishman, with
ominously gleaming eyes nnd pale set
lips, still kept by his side, "I would
rather you kept out of the row, for nn nn
ether's sake. I'll tell you when it is all
finished."
They had no further opjtertunity for
shaking, as at that moment they reached
the inclosure where Mrs. Quaker Joe
was standing just inside.
Her cheeks were crimson with excite
ment; she was furious at Churchill's ar
rest, being convinced of his innocence,
theughj.afterJhe fashion ei w eineu. flie
had he logical tcmeb te give for her con
viction. "If you go for te harm n hair of that
young man's head, may you all swing
for a set of blundering idiots!" she cried,
barring the cntrance te the inclosure
with her nmple figure.
The foremost committeeman made it
dignified though hurried reply. Nene
of them wished te discuss the matter
with Mrs. Quaker Jee; nnd her husband,
emboldened by the majesty of the law,
ns represented in the persons of the com
mitteemen, caught her arm and pulled
her aside
I This sudden exhibition of marital
authority had such an astounding effect
upon Mrs. Kezah that she actually re
created a few paces. The committee
men took advantage of her momentary
discomfiture te pass, with ns much dig
nity as decidedly hastened movements
,would permit, into the inclosure.
Redfern Churchill caught sight of peer
Mrs. Kczah's face. Its utter consterna
tion struck his sense of the ludicrous and
he laughed outright, nodding at her with
the bright winning grace which still oc
casionally mnde its way through tho6c the6c tho6c
!v?re repression of his manner, nnd which,
when it did, had as great an effect en
the lady population of Deadman's Flat
ns it used ence te have en the women in
the drawing rooms of New Yerk nnd
Brooklyn.
The crowd eutside prepared te await
the verdict with patience. Mr. Snares
brook wandered about rather aimlcsely
for n little while. He inquired for his
daughter; butfhe had disappeared and
was net te be found. After 11 time he
proceeded thoughtfully te the tumble
down cabin nt the end of the corral which
Quaker Joe had kindly handed ever for
his occupation.
I It was there, half nn hour later, that
his daughter found him.
I CHAPTER IX.
Mr. Snaresbrook was sitting, white,
faint and trembling, as- if smitten with
ague, en the inverted barrel which serv
ed him as a chair.
He hnd touched no Ettmulants that
morning, nnd the less of their intoxica
ting strength left him ns palsied ns an
old man in his dotage a pitiful wreck!
The girl's eyes, gleaming with n hard ex
pression of ficrce despair, suddenly 60ft 60ft
ened ns she burst into tears.
He looked nt her, a father's leve giv
ing back te the bleared dull eyes seme of
their old manliness nnd beauty. Then
he gently stroked her hair with the trem
bling hand which had se long lest its
cunning. She sobbed en convulsively, '"
that tender touch, half fearful, as if he
felt his own unwerthincss, grieving her
mere than nil else.
"What is it?" he asked at last.
"Oh, father," she cried between her
Bobs, "can't we Bave him? Is there no
way? Can't we de anything?'
A strange leek came into her father's
eyes as thnt sobbing cry the wnil of n
woman's broken Itcart burst from her
lips. The leek was almost pitiful in its
amazement nnd horror that cry wua
such a terrible rovelntien te him.
He raised her face that he might leek
down into her tear dimmed eyes, which
betrayed the sacred secret of the girl's
stricken heart. They did net flinch be
fore his gaze, neither did the white
checks flush. It was tee supreme n mo
ment for nny display of inuidenly shy
ness. "Oh, father!' oho cried again, hiding
her face against his shoulder.
' There was a moment's silence, and
then she sprang te her feet.
"Oh, something must be done! Per
haps they have condemned him! Oh,
ceme come. He must be saved, whether
he is guilty or net!"
"Why de you think he is guilty?" he
asked, rising slowly.
It was dreadful for her te hear her
thought put into words. She started,
gasping for breath, and for a moment
her father thought she was going te
faint. But the knowlcdge of Redfern
Churchill's awful peril steadied her wav
ering senses.
1 "Cenie and save him, father!- Yeu
must speak for him."
"Hew can I de anything in this con
dition?" I10 exclaimed in n sudden out
burst of queruleusness. "I must have
something te keep myself up; I might as
well be dead already for any geed I
nm."
She turned away desperately, hope
lessly. What help could such a father
be te her in this her hour of agony
surely the most terrible that n woman
who loved could pass through?
The father noticed his daughter's
heavy sigh, and it seemed te disturb
him.
"Why are you se afraid?" he asked
fretfully. "I will help you lietli I pro pre pro
miee you."
"Oh, father," bIie cried, in a tene of
impatient bitter contempt, "hew can you
help me or any one?"
It was the llrbt time she had ever used'
such n tene towards him. She turned
nwny, a sudden wild reselve seizing her.
She would go befere theso stern faced
judges herself nnd plead the prisoner's
rausc.
"Come ami save him, father!
I'cm mu si
tpcan jer in in."
As bhe moved swiftly away from the
cabin, Mr. Snaresbrook sat down again.
He was trembling from head te feet, and
new it was net only from the weakness
of ever drinking.
"She's quite right," he muttered te
himself, "but it'H hard. I knew bhe has
thought it nil nleng, but she has never
baid it liefere net even when I've liecn
the greatest brute. She has grown tired
of me at last! Ner is it any wonder. Oh,
my darling, what days of happiness I
have deprived you of! All eternity will
net be long enough te nteue."
Hobreko out into bobs weak, child
ish, for even the dignity of manhood's
grief had geno from him.
As he sat theus miserably crying te
himself, the trial in the tpare parlor of
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lliu ueu l. llieern luijiu m tin c-iiu, tui'i.
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"But it is horrible this!" cried New
enhum as he steed facing the condemned
man in the corner of the room, te which
they had been icrmittcd te rctire for a
short interview nt the end of the trial.
The jury and ene or two witnesses '
steed talking in undertone tit the ether ,
end of the room.
Newenham felt that he could net be
lieve It; he had pleaded, he had even
threatened, until he saw that his inter
ference only made matter werse for the
prisoner. Besides, even he could jipt but
mimm
aumtt tnat the trial, rough and ready
though it was, hnd been, conducted with
a fairness that gave the prisoner every
opportunity of justifying himself. Un
fortunately his manner told against him.
Ills answers were hesitating nnd some
times confused; nnd aslittle by little links
of evidence, se trifling that nt first they
scarcely seemed te bear upon the case,
joined themselves together till their
united strength formed n chain strong
enough te hang a man, he seemed te give
up, with but little show of surprise, nil
hepe of setting himself free.' He had
scarcely expected te be convicted, though
lie knew that his peril was great; but, in
his Jgnorance of what trifles can de in
building up circumstantial evidence, he
had imagined that they could hardly find
proof enough against him te hang him.
The things that told most against him
were that letter and a revolver which
was found lying hidden iu the under
growth near the body. It was proved te
1k his by seme men who had often Been 1
him with It. It happened that he had
given his revolver te Tem Cnimcs ns
part payment of a debt, nnd unfortun
ately the matter had been kept quite
privnte. Redfcm Churchill had been tee
much disturbed nt finding that woman's
handkcrchIcf,te mnke search for any
thing else, nnd he had net seen the re
volver ns it lay under a tuft of fern.
There was no one te preve that he hnd
given it te Tem Cnlrncs, nnd he knew
that his word was net believed. As he
saw hew small were the things that told
against him, nnd thought hew easily
they might be gathered up ngainct an
other, he became nltogether silent, nnd
finally declined te give anymore reasons
why he should net be hanged by the
neck till he was dead.
Outwardly, though very pale, he pre
served n stoical indifference. Nowen Newen
ham, watching him with keen, anxious
eyes, caught every new nnd then a
glimpse of a quivering muscle, of a sud
ilcn glow of het life bleed in the still, pale
face, which betrayed inward trouble. He
could net guess that it wassome thought
of" Elatne which stung his friend, that
every new nnd then he could net help n
bitter longing that ehe should have given
him ene sign of understanding befere nil
came te nn end. But she had hidden
herself nwny nnd left him te his fate,
without 0110 leek. When the trial was
ever, however, he seemed te have beceme
really quiet.
"It can't be helped!" he said. "After
all" with a faint emlle parting his lips
"I should have been nn awkward rela
tion." "Don't talk such confounded rubbish!"
cried Jack Newenham, savagely, the un
dertone of pain excubing Ids apparent
roughness. Hew often he had thought
that himself, when contemplating the
circumstances of his future biether-in-law's
life as connected with his own!
"But never mind about me," Churchill
went en with a touch of luip.itlrnge. "I
want te speak te you about Violet." His
voice faltered, but only for n moment.
"There fs no ene who can help her likd
you. Tell her what you like only net
the truth. That would half kill her.
nut if she knows nothing she will learn
nt last net te leek out for or expect te see
me again. After nil I Blinll 1k only ene
of many who disappear without word or
bigu; and bhe will learn te be happy with
you and forget."
Violet's lever premised, feeling that
lifter nil it wns host. Why should her
innocent, loving lite be tortured by such
knowledge as this?
It wua slrauge that neither of them
thought of the ether Bister, who wns a
brilliant woman of fashion. Shu had felt
her brother's disgrace bitterly, nnd had
shown it, having grown almost te lmte
him in the selfish nnd hard pride of her
heart, which valued honor only be far
as it gave her rank and position in the
world of fashion.
"There's another," began Churchill
again, Hushing a dull deep red. "She"
The word had scarcely kjft his lips
when the deer was suddenly thing open
and "she" appeared en the threshold.
Fer 11 few moments she btoed, looking
blindly nbeut her. Then suddenly the
confusion of objects, waving dimly te
and fro iu what becmed n bleed btaiucd
mibt, cleared, uud the undefined forms
grouped themselves into distinct shapes.
At the farther end of the roeiu, discuss
ing the matter with Quaker Jee, who
had managed te elude the vigilance of
his better half and slip into the room,
were the jury. A few yards nearer te
her were thu ether two men, gazing nt
her with startled eyes.
There wns something nliettt the whole
sccne that told her it was nil ever. Te
the end of her life she could have de
scribed the utrange pale faces of the two
near her every pese of the judges
every detail of the room, disordered by
hats and coats lying nbeut it, nnd'scnts
disarranged even the ludicrous appear appear
ance of Quaker Joe, who iu his excite
ment had rubbed up his btubby hair till
it steed en end like u hedgehog's bristles.
She took n step forward into the room,
nil turning te leek at her. Shu opened
her lip3, hut she could only utter iihharp,
low cry, that seemed te freeze the bleed
of every man in the room. They were
men who had faced death in many
bhapes; but there wa3 net ene present
who would net rather have faced it ence
mero in its meat dread form than have
heard euch 11 cry again.
"Let me speak te him!" bhe whispered
nt last, in n husky voice; but in the hush
that had followed that cry the whisper
reached every man in the room.
With ene accord they moved towards
the deer, treading beftly pabt her, net
ence glancing aside nt her, as she bleed
there, like bome white ghost, in their
midst. The deer closed gently behind
them, ami she was nlone with Redfern
Churchill.
He though still fctirred te his beid'n
depths by that cry, the meaning of
which he vaguely understood recovered
hiuibclf first, nnd btepped slowly towards
her.
"This is net a fit place for you," he
Baid gently. "Why did you comer'
"Why did I come?" she echoed, her
white face crimsoning with passion.
"That is 11 hard question te nsk 11 woman.
Yet why should I net tell you? What
does it matter what uny woman says at
such a moment as this? Yeu may de de
bpise me jierhapi te-morrow I shall do de
hpise, leathe myself but I can't help it!
Aie you net going te die, nnd did I net
drlve you nway from 1110 only yesterday
with buch unkind, wicked words? Oh,
w ill you ever fergive me?"
A moment later and Churchill's arms
weie nbeut her neck.
"Yeu leve me," he exclaimed "me?
I can't hcliove It! I thought you hated
me; and all the time I loved you with
every breath 1 drew!"
Then he raised her pale fnce with
gentie but iuqierieus force, and kissed it
until it wai crimson. Only for 0110 mo
ment did bhe yield te the buprciue passion
of their love.
She withdrew herself hastily from his
arms; the shadow of his terrible fate
closed down upon theTglery of their sud
denly acquired happiness.
"Oh, why did you de it?" ehe cried
sharply. "Oh, could any enemy Ins
worth such a bin? Oh, Mirely you should
have pardoned him twenty times rather
than have dene se base a thing!"
"I have dene be base a thing?" He
tee had stepped back n few paces, and
he looked nt her, pain, bjev,-ildermcnt
ana uouec expressccT m' his eyes. '"'I?
Why"
He could Bay no mere, nnd she came a
etep forward.
"What did you mean?" she asked,
slowly, In n volce that was strangely
calm after the passion of the moment be
fore. "Did you mean that you did net
de that?"
"I de it?" His voice trembled with in
dignation, in spitoef his effort nt self
control. "Why" lie was going te say,
"you knew I did net!" but changed
his mind. "Hush, darlingl Don't let us
b)eak of that !" he began. But she check
ed him, comlng'cleso le him and laying
her hand, upon his nrm.
"Yeu did net de it? Se you knew"
"Elaine, what is the use of spenklng
of it?" he exclaimed, feeling nil the
sharpness of his pain. "Is it net enough
that I nm willing"
"Don't don't tell me nn untruth! Yeu
knew who it 1st Tell met"
He did net nnswer. She looked up into
his fnce for n few moments, but his eyes
did net meet hers. Presently her hand
fell from his arm, nnd she moved nwny,
then Btoed still, her fnce turned towards
the window.
"Yeu thought that I did it," she said
Blewly, in a fntut tone.
"Elaine, dear," he said, striding swiftly
te her blde "eh, my lovel" lie wns
dazed by the joy of the revelation thnt
had ceme from her lips. Remorse for
his shameful doubts had as yet 110 place
In his henrt. He could feel only the wild
delight of knowing that she wns Inno
cent. "Elaine!" he repeated.
But fihe was stunned by the new shock,
nnd felt powerless te meve or speak.
Thore wns a soft knocking nt the deer,
nnd Churchill understood the signal. He
looked nt her, and nw hew the bleed
was fndlng from her fnce nnd lips. She
had believed In his gujlt. .Te have found
hint Innocent would have filled her henrt
with joy; hut te find him Innocent, hut
)elinving in her guilt, was the last stroke
she could lear. As his arms closed round
hcr,-she sank senseless upon his breast.
He kissed her ouce twice with lips
irt gray ns her own, then laid her gently
down and hurried te the deer.
He found Ncwcnhnm standing outside,
having ceme te call him. The commit
teemen felt that it wns tlme le relnstnte
justice in its rightful position, yet from
11 certain delicacy the' sent the message
which was te end that lntcrview by his
friend. They felt it would be easier for
him nnd her te bear.
"I knew," Bald Churchill, net waiting
for Newcnhnm te scak. "Ge in nnd bee
after her. I would rnthcr Fer her
sake, nnd mine, tee. Don't you sec? I
couldn't bear that yen" Ills volce fal
tered, and a tremor shook him. It was
the first blgn hu had shown of shrinking
from the fate thnt awaited him. He
would meet it bravely enough, hut he
could net bear thnt Newcnham should be
n witness of his ignominious cud.
Newcutmm understood. Neither of the
men cared te speak nnelhcr word; there
was a clinging hand shnke, nnd then Red
fern Churchill stepped out te join the
men who nwnltcd liim.
CHAPTER X.
The understanding which hnd ceme
nbeut between Elaine nnd Redfern bad
considerably nltcrcd the young man's
views regarding his fate. He would
have died willingly in her place, keenly
ns hu had felt her Btrnnge conduct In nl nl
lewing him te de se. He had net ex
peeled her for one moment te ceme for
ward nnd confess what he had believed
her te be guilty of; but he had hoped
that bhe would give ene Bigu te him
alone that bhe understood nnd appreci
ated the sacrlllce he wns making. Hu
did net wnut gratitude only recogni
tion, te show that bIie was what he be
lieved her te be. New he hnd discovered
her innocence, he was overwhelmed nt
his own mad and even shameful suspi
cions. Hew he could thus have suspect
ed her becmed incrcdlble te his under
standing. Every word, every leek, every
sign of fear uud confusion he could In
terpret new iu the light of her own bus.
piciens of himself. His feetll was filled
with remorse nt his Infamous doubts of
her, ami he felt no bitterness against her
fur her doubts of him. If he, like the
base, unchivalreiiH madman he had been,
could have suspected her, wns it even
surprising that hIie kIieiiM have (suspect
ed liim?
He glanced up, for he had been walk
ing silently and mechanically along by
the Blde of the two cltizcnsef Deadman's
Flat who had been elected his wurders;
thu rest of the men had dropped u little
behind. There was something iu his
face that they respected. And, after nil,
it would net he easy for him te escape.
The first attempt ut flight would bring a
dozen bullets ulteut him. It would only
be hastening the bcutonce by a few mo
ments. Redfern Churchill, however,
had been tee much absorbed in hit
thoughts te think of trying te escape,
even if he had imagined it Ksiblc. II
was only new that, raising his eyes from
that troubled meditation, he r.aw hew
near they had ceme te the fatal rendez
vous. Then Btiddcnly 11 great nnd terri
beo revulsion of feeling btt in. In en
swift thought he tasted te the full all tin
delights and triumphs of life, nil the bit
terness of death. He was innocent,
Why should he suffer for rm unknown
murderer's crime?
He btepped abruptly, turning sharply
round in the dusty read, his face Hush,
ing with wrath fulness ngainst the men
who had condemned him be unjustly.
Sudden 0.1 the movement was, thu clos
ing up of the men loitering behind hint
was quite as swift. Careless ns it appa
rently was, their guard was ns stern m
their faces were pitiless. He saw that,
nnd saw hew hopeless ft was te attempt
te escaie nevertheless, he resolved te
try. It would be death, he knew; but it
(should net le the ignominious death of a
deg!
He drew in his bicath hard between
his clenched teeth nnd turned te walk en
again, mid the men dropped into theii
previous jiositiens. They had net bald 0
word; but their watch was mero vigilant
than before. He knew the place they
wee going te, and he thought ever a
plan an they marched along.
The trce which had been set apart fei
the use of nn avenging justice bleed, soli
tary, 011 a mound, which, sloping down
gently en threo Hides into the great pina
weeds, en the feuilli dipped abruptly
into a nivluu bome two hundred feet
deep, the sides of which were rocky,
covered with 11 short furze nnd thorn
undergrowth, with here nnd there a pine.
There was no foothold at least nenu te
be found for a man who would net wail
te search for one, nnd he knew that no
time would be given him te cheese hit
t-teps. I le would go ever It headlong
te certain death; hut he would go. 'Jh,
only difficulty would le le reach the edgt
of that precipice, ns thore would Iwbe
many willing hands te pi-event him.
New, for the first lime, he noticed hew
limited the wituessea of the approaching
tragedy were te be. Generally, such an
event attracted nearly nil the town and
outlying settlements. IIe wondered what
had hnpiKmcd te usMiage be btiddcnly
that grewMime curiosity. IIe could net
guess that, out of spujiathy with that
gill, with that cry of hers still ringing
in their care, the committeemen had
quietly, but dKi.ively, dismissed the
crewil awaiting te t-&cert the prisoner.
They had told the people that they had
letter depart quickly that, jf th
cnese, they might hasten en te tlTc
mound, and there awnit the fulfillment
of the sentence.
As the l.rty turned off fretn the read
nnd began te nscend the mound, they
caught sight of various members of the
population of Deadman's Hat nlse mak
ing their nwent. When the precession
emerged from nmeng the trees there was
Assembled en the bare eminence a goodly
concourse of spectators. They were con
templating the tree, which Btoed out
lined clearly ngainst the brilliant bltie
sky, at the summit of the mound. Many
were discussing with much gravity vari
ous matters which te less interested spew
tnters might have seemed ghastly nnd re
volting. Churchill glanced from the trce te the
grave, earnest crowd; then he set his
teeth mure closely, for there were but a
few paces between hint nnd death. With
n swift, leek round his eyes took In the
rldge Bome yards beyond the tree, lc
hind which the mound dropped sharply
down into the aliy te.
The sun shone, nnd the nlr wns full of
the sweet breath of the pines. There was
n twitter of bints in bush and trees, the
flash of their wings through the het,
fragrant nlr. Fnr off hi the dlstnuce
was the purplu outline of the everlasting
Ijllls, illtove was the dazzling bltie of a
cloudless sky, and before him that ghastly
tree, where his life, with its grand possi
bilities nnd its newly found love, wns
Btiddcnly te end.
1'er a moment his heart and brain
Bcemcd te burn In fierce, mad revolt
ngainst Ills unmerited deem; then Btid
dcnly passion, tumult, rebellion died
nwny, nnd perfect calmness remained.
He reached the summit a ynrd or two
In front of his guards. The crowd fall
ing back a little nhe approached, for
there wns net sufficient space en the
highest Kilnt for nil te stand there, it
happened that fur a moment he steed
raised nboveHpcclntors nnd executioners,
his graceful athletic figure ns clearly
outlined ngainst that distant hhie sky ns
the tree itself.
"Ixxik here," he Bald, Blewly nnd dis
tinctly, raising his hand te Insure a
hearing "I did net commit that mur
der." There was a dead silence. Theu ene
of the jury, iu a time or contempt, asked
why he took the trouble te mnke ouch a
btntcment new.
"Notbcenusel nm-nf raid Iedic. While
I wns being tried I hail a reason for. id
lencc. New I knew it was a fnlse one,
nnd see no cnuse why I should die in the
place of nn unknown hlackgunrdl"
"It is reythcr Inte In the day te try te
gull w. If you thought bleb foolery
wouldn't tnke us In before, it ain't much
use bringiu' it ferrnrd new."
"Very well," said Churchill, "I'll die,
because I must; but net nsn murderer,
for I nm innocent!"
Befere they could tnke In his meaning
he had turned nnd run lightly up te the
top of the rldge behind thu tree, then for
0110 moment hu steed poised en thatedge,
cool, delimit, n picture of life, utrcngth
and youthful vigor; the next, thu strain
ing eyes of the spectators b.iw hint leap
forward into thnt awful space thnt lay
beyond, nnd then Micro wns left only the
line of blue sky, clear and unbroken, be bo be
yend the sharp edge of the cliff. There
wns a' moment's breathless silence, then
a general rush forward up te the Bitmmit
of the mound.
The rush, however, wns checked by
the introduction of a new clement a
herse spurred en by nn apparently frnu frnu
tie man enme dashing up between the
scattered trees of the slope.
"Stop-jntepl" crfodlhe man nt the top
of his voice.
"Slop t(ej)!' crlnl the man at the Iojiej
his rake.
His Impetuous approach, his stentorian
tene of command, had the elfect of mo
mentarily checking the majority of that
excited crowd.
"Old Snaresbrook conie (e seu the
fun!" exclaimed ene man. "He's tee
late."
Air. James Siiareshroek wns seen
among them, nnd springing from the
back of the steaming, panting animal he
had ridden,
"Geed heavensi" he exclaimed, hU
face ghastly pale with horror, "you
haven't hanged him?" The words, end
ed In almost a wall of ngeny as he faced
the crowd gathering gwiftly round him.
Many nt ouce rushed elf te the cliff,
Snarcbbroek's words bringing hack te
them prominently Redfern Churchill':)
fate; the icst lingered, overpowered by
11 still decjicr curiosity. They all in
btlnctively felt that this was only the ho he
ginning of the tragedy.
"Don't tell 1110 he's dead for heaven's
Baku don't tell mu I'm tee latul" he cried,
that note of ngeny Mill in his voice and
large drops of moisture gathering en hi
brew as he gazed from ene stem face te
another. "It's tee horrible! I came te
take his place, uud new I am tee late! 1
have murdered him, tee!"
"Speak up clearly, Snaresbrook," said
one man, stepping te the front and mo
tioning hack the expectant, stariny
crowd, which obeyed, leaving the two
men Iu the center of a little circle. II
was one of, the committeemen who had
taken up the command. He was begin
ning te bee that they had made seme ter
ribeo mi.itakc. His anxious but pitiless
eye were fixed ujien the ngenized, quiv
ering features of James Snaresbrook.
"I murdered Themas Calrncsl" A
thrill of horror arid excitement stirred
thu crowd; hut the pceplu controlled
themselves ns Snnrcsbroek went en. "I
met hint in the weeds by appointment
te pay him something that I owed him.
He had given 1110 the choice either te
pay up, or give him my daughter. He
had seen her hi 'Frisce with me arid pes
tered her with his hateful attentions. 1
could net pay up, and in the place of
my daughter I meant te give him a bul
let through his heart. It was murder,
if you like, for I went out with the in
tention of killing him. He had no mercy
In him. lie would have taken her,
though it would have killed her. 1 was
half drunk when 1 get te thu place up
pointed, but net drunk enough net -te
knew what I was about. I waited till
his back was turned. I knew my hand
was net bteady, and I was afraid of
missing. He might have had time te
kill me and there was mv daughter.
Then I fired, That was all I I came
hack te Deadman's Flat. I knew it
would ceme out sooner or later, be I
stepped about. I didn't want any ether
man te swing in my place, se I just
hung nbeut till the murderer was
wanted, and here I nm! But deu't say
I'm tee latej '
Ilia volce had become gradually nay"
steady, and nt last broke out again int. '
mat anguished nppeai. it might hate ;
Btirred the hearts of mere tender felkj s;
hut there wns no pity in the faces of RM
listeners.
Redfern Churchill's desperate act of
hcrole defiance had nlready caused ft
current of feeling te Bet it In in his favor,
nnd new te hear that he was Innocent
wns mero than they could bear' calmly.
A growl of rage, hate, contempt nnd re-.
tnorse breke from the spectators.
J' Lynch him!" shouted ene man, and
rne ominous cry was taken up by m
dozen voices. A surging wave of furi
ous men breke In upon the little group
which, Btlll desirous of keeping order,
had gathered nbeut Jnines Snaresbrook.
The nuws was communicated from en
le nnether, starting from the edge of the.
precipice, nnd reaching the crowd sur
rounding the author of this herrible dis dis
nster, that seme of the Bcarchers had suc
ceeded In discovering Redfern Churchill's
body lying, fnce downward, en the ledge
of nn unattainable rock. The sight of the
young mnn's body stretched there broke
down the Inst barrier of self control, and
nothing could keep, the enraged crowd
in check.
When the townsmen of Dajdman's
Flat returned nlwut noonday te their din
ners and daily occupation, they were
minus ene of their number.
Jnines Snaresbrook met hid fate brave
ly, herrible though it wns. The measure
of his punishment wns filled; for he was
loe Inte te buve nn innocent man, whom
his daughter loved, and he died without
ene kiss or ene word of farewell from
the lip of thnt daughter,-theenly being
en earth who cared for him. She was
Btlll unconscious when he" had geno in te
Bee her befere starting en his last ride,
nnd he had net dared te linger for nn in
Btaut, In his last moments his thoughts
were of her; he remembered that, en her
recovery te consciousness, alie would
learn the newsthnt her father was a two
fold murderer, and at once death lest all
Its terrors.
Redfern Churchill did net dip after all.
It was confidently asserted iu Deadman's
Flat, where belief in such things was net
common, thnt he wns saved by a Di
vine miracle. Perhaps it may safely be
said that the inhabitants of Deadman's
Flat never rejoiced se keenly or be grate
fully ever anything ns they did ever the
return te life of the man they had once
geno out be cheerfully te hang. It was
Jack Newcnlinm who, nt the imminent
risk of his own life, went down the preci
pice te recover what hobellovod te be the
dead tedy of his friend. It was he who,
finding that life still liugcrcd, nursed
Churchill back le consciousness. Then
followed a long, weary, anxious time.
Months passed by, and even then Redfern
Churchill wns net, nor ever could be, the
Baine strong nthletle man who had taken
that despcrate leap le save himself from
a shameful death. IIe never murmured;
he knew that, as n man sews, se he must
reap. The read that led te that awful
prccipice had been chosen of his own free
will when he first plunged recklessly into
felly nnd sin.
Te him, ns te Elaine, earthly happi
ness was long iif coming. The shock of
her father's shameful death was a ter
rible blew te her; but at last there came
a day when the two turned hack te love
uud hepe. Together she and Redfern
Churchill lived down the past. It was
hard work, but they succeeded, After
Tem Calrucs' death there was no fear of
the real facta of his disgrace lieing pub
licly known. The man whose notes he
hal taken, holding n high position in
business nnd society, had no desire te
publish the fact that he had been robbed
in n low gambling house. A day came,
tee, when Redfern Churchill paid him
back te the full all that he had taken,
and then he had still less motlve for men
tioning the affair. Churchill hiraKU
felt the disgrace te the end of lib days
te him nothing could wins it out. He
had committed the crime iu a moment of
desperation, tempted by Calrnea. By an
accident hu hnd picked up the bundle of
notes just at the time when the gambling
fever wns high upon him. ""here were
hut n dozen steps between hint and the
table, where he thought that luck, in a
second, would convert him from a ruined,
-despcrate man te ene who would resolve
never te enter such a place again.
"Yen can pay him hack with interest
in nn hour," Tem Calrncs hnd urged, as
the young mnti began te put the pocket
book hack into the coat from which it
had fallen. "Sewcrhy is in the next
room, us drunk as n fiddler; he'll never
knew you lxmewed it. Luck must
change," and se 011, until Churchill,
scarcely knowing whnt lie did, fell.
As for the Hen. Jack Newcnham, a
distant relative died 'before eeu he
could leave the bedsidoef his friend, and
left him n considerable fortune, which
effectually silenced the taunts of Mr.
Churchill, senior, en the subject of the
felly of marrying younger heiis. Violet
went with him te England te leek after
his new Vrepcrty, uud all his friends de
clared that there wns no happier couple
in the land than the Hen. Jehn and .Mrs.
Newcnham.
Redfern Churchill nnd his wife often
exchanged visits with the Newenhams,
nnd thu friendship between the Ameri
can nnd English households was reckon
ed by them ns net the least geed thing
nmeng the many that hnd ceme into
their lives.
Till! v.su.
A perfect meter is claimed ns essential
te an extended use of the. incandescent
light, us the constant nyMeni only works
satisfactorily hi commercial lighting
when closing hours nn nearly uniform.
KurIIiIi llejulty' niiieuiUturr.
The royal family of England, exclusive of
tlie quwu hcruilf, lias ceit the IiritUU tax
layers nearly JM.OOO.OOO In hard cash during
the liust twenty j enrs. This devu net Include
tliu cost of palaces and ether similar expendi
tures for permanent improvements. Most of
tlie money lias lieen paid te members of the
royal family in order te cnnble them te form
congenial matrimonial alliances and ltve
comfortably In idleness. Tlie king of the
lklgiuus and tlie king of Hanover, for in in
btauce, have received nn average of 15,000,
000 aplcce. Tlie Cambridge branch of the
family have get nwny with fl,CO0,000, nmt
Prince Albert managed tesfiend nlone al
met $1,000,00- Tlmdircct etr.pring of Vic Vic
eoria and Albert have net been unduly eco
nomical In bjieiiclliig tlie peeple's money,
cither. Tlie Kmprcss Frederick has received
almost $1,W0,0UU; that useful ycrseu, tbs
Prince of Walt, has spent U.'.Silfl'aO; Prin
cess Alice, f elO.OOO; the Duke of Edinburgh,
(2,000,000; Princess CtirUtian, JTbO.COO; Prin
cess LenU, $',0,000; thoOukeof Cenimught,
tl,075,(XJO, and tlie Duke of Albany, (740,000.
Philadelphia llocenl.
American Ucalut.
Tlie most vcruitlle Ameriaan tins been dis
covered at Moslievvllle, HUUtnle county,
Midi. Hu U n regularly ordained preacher,
but nlse prnetlti-s iiiodlctne nnd surgery, has
pievcd his ability te gain a living at cabinet
mnkiug, nnd U n tkUlful drnugbtcman, sur
veyor nnd fruit gardener. Drake's Sfaga Sfaga
zhie. Uuir In Cie V Slutr.
"Hew de women go up &tairP nski Mabel
Jeuness in eua of her talks en physical cul
ture, nnd answers the question as follews:
They bend font ard, Mtiug tbe figure Bep
together. The cbet Is contracted and they
can't breathe. Whin tlie ifach tbe top the
beart is beating like a trip hauuuer. The
effort would be reduced ene-tinlf simply by
standing itraight, keeping tbe chest up and
breatbing cs one ought te.
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