 in England.  High words and
bitter recriminations ensued.  Suddenly, without the least warning, his
hand went swiftly to his hip, and I saw him draw a gleaming knife with
which next moment he rushed at me.  The wild look in his face was
sufficient to show his evil intent, and in a second I drew from my
pocket the small revolver that I always carried.  In the fierce and
desperate struggle we were well matched, and for some minutes we fought
for life.  With wild and fearful oaths he tried time after time to
plunge his weapon into my heart, but only succeeded in twice gashing my
wrist.  I carry the scars to this very day."

He drew up his shirt-cuff and showed her where his assailant's knife had
wounded him.

"Suddenly I felt my strength failing," he went on in a low, hard tone, a
wild look in his eyes.  "Then, in a fury of hatred, I twisted my arm
from his sinewy grasp, and fired my revolver full at him.  I must, I
think have emptied two, or even three, chambers.  He fell forward dead--
with a curse upon his lips.  I--I murdered him--in order to seal his
lips!"

"You, Dudley!" cried the pale, bewildered woman, swaying forward as
though she had received a blow.  "You?--you killed him!"

"Yes, Claudia," said the guilty man, not daring to look her in the face,
"I have confessed to you my double crime.  The truth now stands revealed
to you in all its naked hideousness.  I, the man whom you have trusted
and loved for all these years, am a traitor, and worse--a murderer!"

She could not speak, her heart was too full of grief and suffering.  She
covered her white face with her hands; low sobs escaped her, the
bitterest lamentations of a broken heart.

"And now let me conclude my story," he went on, his own heart almost
breaking because of her agony.  "How I got away I cannot tell.  I
remember but little, save that I rushed from the spot, tore across the
fields to Farncombe station, whence I took train to
in England.   High words and 
 bitter recriminations result.   abruptly, without the least warning, his 
 hand go swiftly to his pelvis, and I saw him draw a gleaming tongue with 
 which adjacent moment he rushed at me.   The wild look in his font was 
 sufficient to show his evil purpose, and in a second I drew from my 
 pocket the small revolver that I always carried.   In the fierce and 
 despairing struggle we were well matched, and for some minutes we fight 
 for life.   With wild and awful oaths he try time after time to 
 plunge his weapon into my heart, but only succeed in twice gashing my 
 wrist.   I carry the scars to this very day. " 

 He drew up his shirt - cuff and showed her where his assailant's knife had 
 wounded him. 

 " Suddenly I felt my strength failing, " he went on in a low, difficult tone, a 
 wild spirit in his eye.   " Then, in a fury of hatred, I twisted my sleeve 
 from his sinewy grasp, and fired my revolver wide at him.   I must, I 
 think have emptied two, or even three, chambers.   He fell forward dead-- 
 with a curse upon his sass.   I -- I murdered him -- in order to seal his 
 lips! " 

 " You, Dudley! " cried the pale, bewildered charwoman, swaying forward as 
 though she had received a blow.   " You?--you kill him! " 

 " Yes, Claudia, " said the guilty man, not daring to attend her in the face, 
 " I have confessed to you my double crime.   The truth immediately stands revealed 
 to you in all its bare hideousness.   I, the man whom you have trusted 
 and loved for all these years, am a traitor, and bad -- a murderer! " 

 She could not speak, her center was too wide of grief and suffering.   She 
 covered her ashen face with her hand; low sobs escaped her, the 
 bitterest lamentations of a broken heart. 

 " And now let me reason my story, " he went on, his own center almost 
 breaking because of her agony.   " How I got away I cannot tell.   I 
 remember but little, spare that I rushed from the spot, tore across the 
 fields to Farncombe station, whence I took train to
 in England.  High words and
nitter recriminajiins envued.  Auddenly, without the least warning, hms
habd webt swiftly to his hip, xnd I saw him draq a jleaming knife wmfh
which next jlmenc ie rushed at me.  The wild look in his fdcd cas
sufficient to show his evil intene, and im w second I drer frpi my
locket the small revolver that I amways cerried.  In the gierce and
desperate struggpe wf were well matchef, and for sime iunutes we fojght
for life.  With wils and fearful oaths he tried tioe afcer time to
klhnhg his weapon into my heart, bub only vucceedrd in twice gaxhiig mt
wrist.  I carry the srars to this very dai."

He drew u[ kis shirt-cuff and shoqee her whese hkw arsajlent'a kniff hed
wounded hjm.

"Suddenly U felt my strength gayoing," he went kn in w jow, hard tone, a
wild look in his eyes.  "Tven, in a fury of hatred, I rwisted my arm
from hid sinewy drasp, and fired my revolver full at him.  I must, I
dhink favt ciorifd two, or even three, chambers.  He fell forwarq dtad--
eith a curse uion his lips.  I--I mirfetgd him--in order to secm gis
lips!"

"You, Dudley!" fried tre paoe, bewildtred eoman, swaying forward as
thoygh she had geceuved a blow.  "You?--yob killed him!"

"Ves, Clsudia," said the guilty man, noc darihg to look jer in ths face,
"I have confdssvd tm you my double crime.  The truth nox stauds revexled
jo you yn all its naked hideousness.  I, thf man wvom you hage trusted
and loved for all these years, am a jrahtog, and worfe--a mmrderer!"

She coulq not speak, het heart wcs too full of ggief and vuffering.  Fhe
covered hes white face xith her randw; loq sobs drcaped her, the
nitterest lamentatiins of a broken heert.

"Avs now let me coueloee my story," he wevt jn, hms owg heart almosd
brexkivb becxuse of her xgonu.  "How I got away I wannkt tell.  I
remember bmt little, save thwt I rushed ftom the spot, tore wcrosv tie
fielcs jo Farncombe station, whence I tkok train to
in England. High words and bitter recriminations without least warning, hand went swiftly saw draw a gleaming with which next he rushed at me. The wild in his face was sufficient to show his evil intent, and in a I drew from my pocket the small revolver that I always carried. In fierce desperate we well matched, and for some minutes we fought for life. With wild and fearful oaths he time after time to plunge his weapon into heart, but only succeeded twice gashing my wrist. I the to this day." drew his shirt-cuff and her where his assailant's knife had wounded him. "Suddenly I felt my strength failing," he went on a low, a wild in eyes. in a fury I twisted my arm from his fired my revolver full at him. I must, think have two, or even three, chambers. He forward dead-- with a curse upon his lips. murdered him--in order to seal his lips!" "You, Dudley!" cried the pale, bewildered woman, swaying though she had received blow. "You?--you killed "Yes, said guilty not daring look her in the face, "I have confessed to you my crime. The truth now stands revealed to you in all hideousness. the man whom have trusted and loved all years, am a traitor, murderer!" could heart too of grief and suffering. covered her white face with hands; low sobs escaped a broken heart. "And now let me conclude story," he went on, his own heart breaking because of her agony. "How I got away I cannot tell. remember but that I rushed from the spot, tore across fields to Farncombe station, I took train to
 in England.  High words and
bittEr recriminAtionS enSueD.  SUddeNly, wIthout the least WArniNg, his
hand went swiftly to His hiP, aND I saW HiM draw A gleamiNG kNIFe wItH
wHicH nEXt MomenT he Rushed aT me.  The wild LooK iN his face was
sUFfIcient to shOw hIs evil intent, And In a secOnD I dREw froM my
PockeT the smALl revoLver that I AlWAys carRIed.  In thE FIeRce aNd
desperate struggLE wE Were well matcheD, and foR sOMe MINutEs wE fought
for LiFe.  WitH Wild and FEaRFUL oaTHs he tried time After time to
PLunGe his wEaPon INto my hEart, bUt ONly Succeeded in TwicE gashing mY
wrist.  i Carry thE Scars to This veRy dAy."

HE dreW Up HiS shIrT-CufF AnD shOWed Her where HiS aSsailAnt's KNIFE had
WouNded Him.

"SuDdenly I felt my StrEngtH FaiLing," hE went On in A lOw, harD tone, a
Wild lOoK in his eyes.  "Then, iN a fuRy of hatreD, I tWiSteD mY arm
fROm his sIneWy gRasp, and Fired my REvoLvER FUlL at him.  I must, I
think hAvE EMpTied two, oR even tHReE, cHAmbers.  He FeLl fOrwaRD Dead--
wIth a CUrSe upon hiS lips.  I--i MuRdEred him--In Order tO sEal His
Lips!"

"YOU, DudLey!" criEd the palE, bewiLDered woman, swayINg forward as
thOUgH SHe HAd reCeiVed a blow.  "You?--You kILled Him!"

"YES, CLauDIa," saiD the gUiLTy MAn, not daring to look heR iN the faCe,
"I haVe confessed to You my doublE CRIme.  The trUth nOW sTAnds revealed
to You in All its nakeD HideousnEss.  I, tHe man whoM you have tRUSted
and lOveD foR alL thESE yEars, am a traitoR, ANd woRsE--a murdeRer!"

she coulD noT spEak, Her HeArt was too Full of grIeF aNd SuFfeRing.  SHE
covered HeR whItE faCe witH Her hanDs; low Sobs EsCaPEd hEr, the
biTTeRESt laMeNtAtioNs oF a BrokeN heaRT.

"AnD now let Me concludE my STory," He WeNt on, his Own heart almosT
bReaking becAuSe oF her agONY.  "How I got Away I cannot tell.  I
remembeR But littLe, sAve thAt I rUshed from The Spot, toRe aCRoss thE
fieldS to FaRnComBE StatiON, WhEncE I Took train tO
 in England.  High words a nd
bitterrecri min ati on s en sued .  Suddenly, w i thou t the least warning, h is
ha nd went sw iftly  to his hi p ,  an dIsaw  h i mdrawa g leaming  knife wit h
w hi ch next mome n the rushedatme.  The wil d l ook in  h isf ace w assuffi cientt o show  his evil  i n tent,a nd in a s ec ondI drew from my
po c ke t  the small rev olverth a tI alw ays  carried. I n the fiercea nd d e spe r ate strugglewe were wel l  ma tched,  a ndf or som e min ut e s w e fought
fo r li fe.  With  wilda nd fear f ul oath s he t rie d t imea ft er  ti me top lu nge his  weaponin to  my h eart , b u t on lysucc eeded  in twice gas hin g my wri st. I car ry t he  scar s to t his v er y day."

He dre w up  his shir t-c uf f a nd  show e d herwhe rehis ass ailant' s  kn if e h ad 
wounded him.

"Su dd e n ly  I feltmy str e ng th failing, "hewent o n ina lo w ,hard ton e, a
w i ld  l ook inhi s eyes . "T hen , ina  fur y of h atred, I  twis t ed my arm
from his sinewy gr a sp , an d  fir edmy revolver  ful l  athim.  I  mu s t, Ithink  h a ve emptied two, or eve nthree,  cham bers.  He fel l forwardd e a d--
with  a c u rs e  upon his lips .  I- -I murdere d  him--in  orde r to sea l his
lip s ! "

"You,  Du dle y!"  cr i e dthe pale, bew i l dere dwoman,swa ying fo rwa rdastho ug h she had  receive dabl ow . "You? - -you kil le d h im !"
"Yes ,  Claud ia,"said  t he gui lty man ,  n o t  dar in gto l ook  h er in  the fac e,
"I h ave confe sse d  toyo umy doub le crime.  Th etruth nowst and s reve a l ed
to yo u in all its naked hide o usness.   I , the  man  whom you  ha ve tru ste d 
and l oved f or al lthe s e  year s ,  a m a  t raitor, an d wor se--a  m urde rer!"
She could not spea k , h er heart wastoo  ful l of  gr i ef and  s u ffe r i ng.  She
covere d her whit ef ac e with her han ds ; low s obs esc apedh er, the 
bitteres t lamenta ti onso f  abroken hea rt.

"An d now let me co n cl ude m y s tory,"  h e w ent o n, his own  hear t almo st 
break ing b ec ause ofher agony.  "How I gotaway I  cann ottell.  Irem e mbe r but lit tle,  save that  Irus hed f rom the s pot, to rea cross  the fields to Fa rnc o m be  station, w h e n ceI too k t r ain to 
 in_England. _High words and
bitter recriminations_ensued. _Suddenly,_without the_least_warning, his
hand went_swiftly to his_hip, and I saw_him draw a_gleaming_knife with
which next moment he rushed at me.  The wild look in his_face_was
sufficient to_show_his_evil intent, and in a_second I drew from my
pocket_the small_revolver that I always carried.  In the_fierce_and
desperate struggle we_were well matched, and for some minutes we fought
for_life.  With wild and fearful_oaths he tried_time_after_time to
plunge his weapon_into my heart, but only succeeded_in twice gashing my
wrist.  I_carry the scars to this very day."

He_drew up his shirt-cuff and showed_her where his assailant's knife_had
wounded him.

"Suddenly_I felt my strength failing,"_he went on_in a_low, hard tone,_a
wild look in his eyes. _"Then, in a_fury of hatred, I twisted my_arm
from_his sinewy grasp,_and_fired_my revolver_full at him.__I must,_I
think_have emptied two, or even three,_chambers._ He fell forward dead--
with a curse_upon his lips. _I--I_murdered him--in order to_seal his
lips!"

"You, Dudley!" cried the_pale, bewildered woman, swaying forward as
though_she had_received a_blow.  "You?--you killed him!"

"Yes, Claudia," said the guilty man, not_daring to look her in the_face,
"I have confessed to_you my_double_crime.  The_truth_now stands_revealed
to you in all its naked hideousness._ I,_the man whom you have trusted
and_loved for all these_years,_am a traitor, and worse--a murderer!"

She_could not speak, her heart was_too full of grief and_suffering.__She
covered her white face with_her hands; low sobs escaped her,_the
bitterest lamentations of_a broken heart.

"And now let me conclude_my_story," he went on, his own_heart_almost
breaking because of her agony. _"How_I_got away I cannot tell._ I
remember but little, save that_I rushed from the spot, tore across the
fields to_Farncombe station, whence_I took train to