Lady Evelyn — page 250: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

From the Dead 243 geance behind; but Providence had willed it otherwise. By merest accident I came upon Morgan, wounded, dying. All unknown, I sat in the room while he-made his dying declaration to this clergyman. When he ceased, I bent. over him. Like you, like your wife, he knew me at once. His last word was my name. My revenge came to me when I was leaving it. What is there to hinder me wrecking it in full now? For all the deep and deadly wrongs you have done me—for honor lost, for Kathleen murdered, for my father’s heart broken, for my bride taken from me, for a life blasted and made desolate, for a name and memory tarnished with dark dishonor—this paper gives me full and complete atonement at last.” A dreadful groan burst from the breast of the tortured man; on his face lay the leaden hue of death, and the muscles convulsively twitched. In that hour he suffered as Rod- erick Desmond had never done in his life. He staod looking at his prostrate foe, while the evening shadows deepened about them, and the soft summer twi- light fell. _ A change came over the fixed, stern fire of his eyes— the proud and splendid face of Evelyn floating before him, unutterably soft and tender with the love she had learned from him. “For your daughter’s sake I would have spared you once, Gerald Desmond; for your daughter’s sake I take my vengeance now—thus !” He lifted the paper—the confession of William Morgan —and held it in the blaze of the chandelier. Gerald Desmond sprang to his feet, with a great cry, a cry echoed by the rector; but both stood rooted to the ground, whilst.the paper shriveled and scorched to cin- ders. Roderick Desmond ground the charred fragments un- der his heel. “You, sir,” he said, turning to Mr. Hall, “who heard the dying man declare the murder for which he afterward swore my life away will do me justice before the world. [- forgave William Morgan, in his dying hour; Kathleen’s murderer, surely, then, I can forego all personal revenge. Your crimes are known on earth to but us three. For your daughter’ s sake, whose heart that knowledge would | Pica. the world shall never. EON: Mr, © comicbooks 5 co a » % a pe. -