The Columbia register., May 12, 1905, Image 2

I'l gound by a Spell
o
CnilTKR XXX.-OotioBeU
A few doors farther down the corrl
4W, la a chamber more somber aad
gloomy than any we have visited, u
Judith. She la lying back Utlly. U
a ey cbalr, with her red ralr loosely
falling around her pallid, worm face.
The tears roll dowa bar cheeks, at In
tervals, la large, heavy drop. 8ba la
weeping over tha a she of love, ever
wracked hop, and a lost life. Ueavily
over her brood tha aplrlt of tha night,
todiug of death.
Aa tba ntght advsnees, tha clouds
Have it alt their own way. veiling tba
ay witk profound darkness; a ad tha
winds wax fiercer. The air la filled with
tha alternate shrieks, and aotta of terri
fied nature. There ia heary rain, with
which the monster sport, dashing it. and
whirling it. and scattering it ia gust,
a ad eddies, aod masses.
Heary footstep upon the carriage
drlre; but the tempest abeorlfta every
sound into itself. Over the gravel
wtich stands out lightly from the black-i
ea that encompasses it, move a
large, dark, lumbering object. It ia a
man. bearing another, seemingly sense
less, upon hia back. Slowly, staggering
aod swaying at time under the weight
and the wind, he advances to the ball
door. There be lays down hi burden,
and seems to ponder for a moment. Then
bo walks cautiously round the house,
looking np at all the windows. There
la a faint light in two, but seemingly
emitted only by night tapers. All seem
to be sleeping.
lie cautiously tries the windowa open
tha ground floor. All were securely fast
ened, lo a corner of the building there
was a smaller window, like that of a
r.ntry. With his diamond ring ha rut
out on of tha panea of glass, put hia
arm through the cavity and with some
difficulty succeeded in reaching the fast
ening that secured the sash. lie rair-ed
the window and crept through. Ha took
a lantern and some matches from his
pocket and struck a light.
It was not a pantry he was in. but a
small bedroom. Passing out at the door,
lie found himself in the servants' offices.
He took off his boots and crept noise
lessly along the passage, until he reached
the corridor, lie halted at Silas Cars
ton's door and listened, with his ear
to the keyhole. All seemed quiet.
He ascended the stain. ' Aa he reach
ed the first corridor be became sensible
of a strong, pungent odor and a miri
ness In the air, like smoke. He looked
about him for some cause and crept fur
ther along the corridor. Beneath the
door, and through the keyhole of one
of the rooms, shone a red glow.
' Great heavens! bad accident anticipat
ed his iutention? Was this fire? He
turned the handle of the door it was
not locked. His doubts were solved in
aa instant. A body of hot, blinding
smoke rushed into his face, nearly over
powering him. The room waa in flames!
Hanging acres the arm of a chair was
the body of a man, either dead or in
sensible. Lost aud awe-stricken, Rod
wcll stood helpless and transfixed, gaz
ing upon the awful nijrlit.
At that moment Judith, hurrying out
of her room, appeared upon the scene,
e
Miles away, a carriage containing an
old gentleman is speeding furiously along
the Essex road. Upon the box are two
lolicemen.
On through the pelting rain and the
rushing wind, beneath the shadows of
overhanging trees and along the open
road, the soaked, blinded, driver, scarce
ly abje to see a yard before him, gallops
the horses.
"Look, look!" cries a policeman, sud
denly pointing ahead.
There is a glare rising up in the black
sky a wavering, red glare, that bright
ens nnd fades fades and brightens.
The old gentleman within, who, spite
of the storm, is continually putting his
bead out of the window to see what
progress is being made, sees it, too.
"Faster, faster, for heaven's sake!" be
cries. "lo you not see that fire? It
must be the Manor House; there is no
other house near."
What is that dark object advancing
so swiftly' towards them? A horse, gal
loping furiously, darts past like an ar
row, and is lost in the darkness.
"What is that?" cries the old gentle
man, looking out of the window again.
But only the wind hears hia voice.
The glare in the sky grows stronger,
nearer. Up rise showers of sparks, and
up rolls the red smoke, aud faster and
faster speed the horses, until they Hm
running a race with the wind, match
ing themselves against the tempest.
Judith and Rodwell face one another
but only for an instant With a cry
of agony, she rushes towards her fath
er. The fire surrounds him now, screen
Ing him from all human help. The flames
and smoke drive her back with their
scorching breath. With wild fury, she
turns upon RodwelL Recovered from
liis momentary panic, he is flying; but
as he reaches the head of the stairs, she
is upon him, with the grip of a tigress,
and calling wildly for help.
He strugglea fiercely, twines his fin
gers In her long hair, and with the
other band rains heavy blowe upon her
head and face; but still she holds on,
never ceasing her wild cries for help.
Other cries begin to mingle with hrr,
and the sounds of battering at doors.
, The prisoners are aroused to a sense of
their danger, aa well aa the servants be
low. He will be detected, after all, and
through this wild cat of a woman. Hud
denly there i a .dull thud her voice is
silenced he has hurled her over the
balusters.
Down the stairs he springs. In tha
liall ha meets tha two terrified servants
In their night dresses, who scream and
run back. Quick aa lightning he shoots
back the ponderous bolts of the door,
and the next moment is flying along the
graveled drive, through the Iron gates
and out ipto the highway, where he has
left hia horse, tied to a tree. One bound
and he is in the saddle, barefooted and
bareheaded. One look behind a red
glare is shining through the windows
and away he dashes through the dark
cess, aud the rain, aart the howling wind
Oa, en, ever tha open common, where
the tempest rages la nureeisted fury
then under the swaying, groaning trees,
plunging into yet deeper darkness. Down,
down, down the pd redoubles, he la
rapidly descending, but whither? Im
penetrable by eight aa a wall of Iron la
the black gulf before him. He pulls the
rein with all hia atreugth; but down,
down. down, at ill gallops the horse with
awful rapidity. Crash! a low, project
ing branch ha caught him acroea the
forehead, and dashee him from the ani
mai'a back; there la a heavy plash, and
then a rushing sound the horse ia
breasting the water; another moment, he
la scrambling op the opposite bank,
riderless.
Within the Manor nonse the flame
are spreading with frightful rapidity.
Judith liea in a motionles heap, and
two haplesa beings are locked within
their rooms; upon the chamber above,
the fire ha already eelxed: upou the one
below it i rapidly advancing.
The fire is conumii.g one side of
Clara's room it baa fastened upon the
stair uo one can mount them. Who
can save her now?
Flames dart above the roof, and
through the windows, and up iuto the
black sky rise volumes of lurid smoke.
ct.at.ing away the darkness and illuminat
ing every object around with a tearful
radiance.
What new figure is this come upon the
scene? A man who seems to have ariseu
from the bowels of the earth. He look
strange and bewildered. The women
catch sight of him. and. shrieking with a
new terror, fly away and cower uton
the sodden earth, under the dripping
branch of a tree. He sees an arm grasp
iug at a window frame. He goea to him.
"Unlock the door the key is ouUide!"
cries a frautic voice within.
The stranger comprehend dashes
through the hall door, which stands
wide open. The flames rolling down the
stairs show him the key. lie turns it.
As he does so, he sees a senseless woman
huddled at bis feet He does not recog
nize her. butiuick as lightning he raises
her in his anus and bear her safety
out into the air, followed by Silas.
Ouly just In time the flames are al
ready licking the spot she laid upon.
-Ia it Clara?" criea Silas, frantically.
They turn over the body and disclose
the death-like face of Judith.
"Where is she oh, heaven, where l
she? She ha perished in the flames!"
exclaimed Silas.
A wild, piercing cry of agony rises
above the roar of the elements. Tbey
raise their eyes. Standing on the ex
treme edge of the window sill, with out
stretched arms, the flames darting
around her, is Clara.
A frightful scream burst from Silas'
lipa; but his companion grasps his
bauds, drags him under the window, and
stretching out both their rm, shouts
to hjr to jump. Just in time the flames
cling to her dress as she falls.
At that moment a carriage tears np
the drive two policemen spriiig froru
the box. and an old gentleman jumps out,
and falls into the group.
CHAPTER XXXI.
A soft evening in June. The sky of a
deep, cloudless blue, save towards the
west, where the suo is sinking into a sea
of crimson light. Not a breath of air is
stirring the tree are motionless; uot
the quiver of a leaf. There is a buzz of
insect life in the air, mingled with the
music of the birds. Upon a lawn, orer
which is scattered numerous flower beds.
gay with bright colored blossoms, stretch
ing before a picturesque cottage covered
with roses, sit three men. One is young,
not more than twenty; the second is a
stout, florid, benevolent looking man;
the third is thin-visaged. sail-looking,
with iron-gray hair. The three men
were I, Silas Moraut, Mr. Jonathan Rod
well, and my father. My father was
speaking "What his ultimate intentions
could have been, I am at a loss to un
derstand. Probably to cast me. in my
insensible state, into the flames."
"Which, it seema. after all, he did not
kindle," said Mr. Jonathan, shuddering
at the remembraur-e.
"That ia the most wonderful circum
stance of all. Chance, or destiny, or
whatever you please to call it. had actu
ally anticipated him. Porter intuit have
overthrown his lamp in a state of stupor.
Judith lived long enough to tell how she
bad seen the fire first in her father's
room, and he lying across the chair, dead
or insensible."
"I could not help pitying the unfortu
nate creature," said Mr. Jonathan, "in
spite of the evil she had wrought She
at least deserved a better fate than to
perish by the brutal violence of the man
whom she loved so devotedly."
"I hnve often thought," said my fath
er, what a divine mercy it was that
ouly one of the telegrams fell into that
wretched man's hands. It appears that
the -lad had put one in his pocket the
one addressed to you, Mr. Rodwell and
was holding the other in his hand, when
he ran against his master, who snatched
It from him and forbade him to leave
the house. The lud said nothing about
the other, but watched his opportunity
to leave the premises, and deliver it at
the office. The delay, however, was very
near proving fatal to more than one of
us."
"That unhappy man," said Mr. Jona
than, "had telegraphed to say that he
would be with me that night But I
felt half inclined to start for Essex with
out waiting for him, and chance the con
dition of the house. But look! here are
two old friends of yours coming this
way. Silas."
Such was the fact. Walking up the
pathway towards the house were Martha
Jennings aud Josiah Cook.
I hastened to meet the good, kind crea
ture who bad sheltered me, fed me and
clothed me when I was houseless nnd
destitute. She waa dressed with un
usual smartness a white bonnet, a blue
silk dress, and a bright-colored, or rath
er many-colored, shawl. Josiah was also
got up in an unusual style; bright green
aatiu necktie, buff waistcoat and white
bat
After a little conversation, the secret
came out; the worthy pair had been mar
ried that morning. ?
"Married!" I exclaimed: "why I hid
not the least Idea that such a thing waa
ever U.uit otr j
"Ne more had we. Master SiU. a
few weeks ago." answered Mirth a.
blushing, "and, yon know, you have not
see a us a! ace Christinas. So, aa yon
had kindly eeat me aa invitation to come
dowa and eee you, I thought 1 would
take the liberty to bring Josiah along
with me, and make It a eort ef marriage
trip,"
"I am very much delighted re eee yon
both, and yoa ahall ty with na for
your honeymoon I aalJ. shaking a hand
ef each. "But you might as well have
Invited ue to your wedding."
Martha laughed and blushed: and then
my father and Mr. Jonathan offered their
warm congratulation to the happy bride
and bridegroom.
"And are yon attll at the Corinthian,
Josiah?" I Inquired.
"No," he answered; "Martha haa per
suaded me to relinquish public life, and
her father haa procured for me aa ap
pointment npon the railway as a porter."
A little time afterward. Martha cam
to me with a radiant countenance. "Only
think." ahe said; "that dear, good Mr.
Jouathan la going to set us np la busi
ness for your sake! And. Master Silaa.
what did I us to say when you mad
uch a fus about the little I could do
for you didn't I tell you you would be
rich some day, ami what fine things jou
would do for me?"
"Rut I am not rich, my rd Martha,"
I aaid. smiling, "and it is not 1 who have
done this for you."
"Oh, but it's all the same, air," ah
aaid. with a very sly look.
Presently my father. Martha, and Jo
siah went Into the house. Hut Mr.
Jonathan remained behind, and taking
my arm, strolled with me across the
lawn.
"Silas, my lad." he safid. iu a kind
voice, "the sight of that 'happy couple'
ha set me thinking upon a subject I
have long had in my heart! Although
I have never mentloued it. I know all
about you aud Clara. Mr. Wilson told
me what she knew, and I hare picked up
the rest here and there. I have waited,
however, until now. In the first place,
I wished to know yon better, to judge
of your disposition; and. in the second
place, although the tie that bound yoa
to that nnhappy woman were of the
weakest, yet after the dreadful circum
stances that attended her death, we were
compelled in decency to allow a certain
time to elapse lie fore the subject of love
and marriage could be broached."
"Ah, sir." I answered mournfully,
"Clara has ceased to love me. She will
never forgive the wicked weakness of
my conduct in gaining her love while
auother claimed me as her husband."
"It was very culpable." answered Mr.
Jonathan, gravely; "and in any other
person I could never have pardoned it;
but yonr life, my poor lor. has been so
exceptional, that it would he hard to
judge tou by the rule of erery-day
life."
"And you forgive me., darling?" I
whispered as I held Clara in my arm.
, "I was never angry with you." she
suswfred. softly. "I only felt sad. and
that I wished to die."
She was mine mine at last! Nothing
could stand between us now save death!
Oh, the bliss, the rapture of that mo
ment! 1 am lying at her feet, with my bead
retting against her, and my face upturn
ed towards hers, as I used to In the old
days. The cool air of the soft summer's
nitcht. laden with the perfume of the clus
tering roses, steals through the open lat
tice. There is no light save that of
the moon, that streams through the win
dow, chequering the floor with the shad
cw of the overhanging leaves. One
broad leam glances over my dnrlmr's
In ad. making her golden hair c!iten like
threads of gold, and fills full upon the
portrait of her mother that hanits behind
her. She is translating the rhapsodies
that fill the souls of both into love's own
language music. Oh. those wild, pas
sionate strains, how they thrill through
my soul! They tell all the story of our
love soft. melancholy, mysterious
then broken by sobs and wails spelling
into horror And cries of agony then
melting into a soft dreamy harmony too
ecstatic for joy, too hopeful for sadness
and so they die away into the passion
ate silence of love.
(The end.)
Older Than (be f hinese.
Older even than China, the r.dlest
existing nation, arc the cliff dwelling
of southwestern United States, honiM
of a race whose very nam" has per
ished from the earth. Explorers, ptiz
zllng through the Manccm and Cnsa
Verde canyons of Arizona and New
Mexico, have found the Iiouhcs of this
strange people In the wildest and most
inaccessible of the mountain side.
Did the cliff dwellers antedate the
pyramids of Egypt? Were they of
blood relation to the early Inhabitants
of" the land where the Nile Is god?
Some Htudenta are prepared to answer
both quoHtloiiH affirmatively and o
give what Ih to tliern abundant proof.
The pottery from their long-wrecked
homes suggest Egypt, and the few
inscriptions found have Himllar sng
gewtlons. Mummies, bodies wrapped
In doth, feathers from the breaxt of
the turkey have been dug from burial
places among the cliffs, nnd. In bone
and hair much unlike the Indian of to
day, there Is a hint of resemblance to
more oriental type. If the cliff
dwellers' left any descendant, how
ever remote, they are doubtless the
Mokl and Zunl Indians, who, resem
bling them In habits and appearance,
are tbelr closest kinsmen.
Nothing to Begrret.
"Ah rue," sighed the spinster as she
gave a backward glance at her wasted
life. "I have selfishly lived alone all
these years and made no man happy!"
"Oh, yes you nave," rejoined the
bachelor with the Ingrown hair. "iJon't
you remember I proposed to you 20
years ago and you turned me down?"
Unconscious Insult,
Mrs. Homer Do have some more of
the Ice cream, Miss Ouestly!
Miss Guestly Well, Just a little, as
you insist; but only a mouthful, mind.
Mrs. Homer Jane, fill Miss Guest
ly's plate up again.
I WICKLY3 WOODS
x By tl W. TAYIOR
' ' .' ... '
h a., j , '
CnAPTKR XVl-Contloued.!
Imaginative boy. of fifteen have re-
.tedly precipitated a panic by dalhlng
w iu nuns .(i-v. i v...,,
w that everybody know that Hand-
town la In the lawful.and peaceful poe-
eee-lon of the S.ndtown Circuit Court-
mr umoertM mils apou mm ten u isth
christened a year ago,
Away to the east along this Junction of
1 I.. I 1.111. ....... 1
"U,""H ''
wcr uuwonted movement of men acrosa
little patche of corn, or standing long
aud steaiitly behind a "string of nortn
ami south fenco from which th oeca.
sionat scintillation of the sun upon a I
rttlo barrel gsv ominous electric warn-1
nue of tne prcseuce of imuiiueni war lit
flic land. I
All manner or reports came torougtug i
Into the Itcddcu mansion, aud d.ni tly I
up to the lH-driHim where I.lr.y nickty
and her mother nt at an east window, i
an.l watched and thought, but spoke lit-
tie save In auswer to the frequrut ro-
ports and eminent that mt one or
another of the numerous visitors brought
up at m-queui intervals.
.Now tt wastnat .Mr. .Mason na.i neon
rtptured by the sheriff re-enforced
pe; and the Hig llattleanaae I recK I
were upon the point of "hossuit him up."
as the expression was, for summary and
dire vengeance, n.u frequently recur-
riag form if the ri M.rt always na.i its
effect upon l.Uzy. Always startled her
out of a pleasant reverie In which she
was going over some part of last night's
final colloquy with variations of her own
Invention in the liuV of her alter thought
and wishes. I
Agiin there were martial stories of
sanguinary encounters somewhere in the
depths of "W i. Lly a Wood, or upon the
neighboring bank of Big Rattlesnake,
where, according to alt accounts, the 1
warlike clan were encamped and fort I-
lied.
One man brought In a new and nn-
heard of story to the effect that Coonrud
Redden and the sheriff were mt in the
band of Mason and his men; but were 1
captive in the camp of an opposing arm-1
ed body of railroader belonging to an-1
other and opposition company. He snld. I
too, titat the whole dil'letilty wa really
and in fact a sharp, keen trial of shrewd
overreaching between two rival mllrond
companies. That Mason, representing
one of these, had secured a legal advan
tage over the other In the purchase of
si. me mortgage note upon some very
valuable mining property somewhere.
And the other coinpuiry discovering this,
bad sent down a force of armed opera
live to prevent the uuikiug of a track
upon the mining lauds, lie aIo snld tlint
Cootirod Redden and the sheriff's poBe
bad uot been heLI prisoners by nnylMsIy
According to hi story there had bm-n
a sharp ami determined encounter be-
tween the men of the, two contending In-
teret. in which a uuiuhi-r had been
seriously or slightly wounded, aud sev-
eral killed outright And that up to the
present time Mason had tm best of the
fight, and his men wero working like
bearers, protected by two line of rifle-1
men. He himself bad seen a few of
these men on picket guard In some open-
ing of the woods; and the hill fairly
raug with the echoing blows of hundred
of axes, and the crash of falling trees.
This story, not at all suited to the no
tions aud preconceived opinions of the
teonlp at Coonrod Reddens, was gen
erally discredited especially as no out'
seemed to be "ucqun luted" with the man
who told it. And hence, he was with-
out a voucher, and his story was without
corroboration.
However, word was brought down di-
reclly from Judge Jim Silket tlint five
" .- . uv Trvoi roaa ami na iriouiarie t.mrm ,kin after him Mart that
purpose of hearing motion. In Injunction and purll.ua. a supplanting of all ths rjo 1.!T5 that he thoughVof run-
proceeding. In a vaat Dumber. of cases Mttnda of hnman life by the strange, T.,. v-,- well! If she had done
of sale, to take place on the morrow, lonely, loc.nt, strldulou. dUcord.'of f; Jffi Sri U h for fh.V.up!
onleee enjoined. the multitudinous and multifarious lnect SEl
Squad, of riflemen marching In no par- life of the new country. The ah.rp. ,
tlcular order so far a. the keeping of clear grating, ef the myriad, of black 7."
itep and alignment, are concerned -but and gray crickets, the loud humming of It " ' lh, Mmri,0cnc ), felt
not a whit the lea. formidable, be It n- thousands of huge bl.ck beetle, th. f ? J1 t.TriilT ii every
drstm.l narched or atr.ggled out along huiher and finer shrilling, of .mailer an- 5H. "lr " her crown to he?
the Overcoat road pas, the fields ,rf h.lf- known winged fllea of the outer night. J J" JlnZ And the0 tT.
srowu roru oil me one sine siki m nnivi-
hundred armed men had been sworn in tlons, that he loved her! She had laugh
a deputy Hheriffs for the purpose of nr- ed at that! She had even confessed lier
resting a large number of railroad cm-
a. tl.f
ployes wno naa iwen ngniing one party
against another. Thot these deputy slier-
iff in columns of fours had ridden out
of town and would be heard from before
night.
This news was brought by Columbus
Redden, who had prudently refrained
from joining his four brothers in the
morning hunt lor tneir rattier, out wno
now had his colt bitched In the front
vard. where he wouldn't be In danger
.1,0 ..ih r l.t...ls of the rnoselous
mares" of Redden 'township that were
making day hideous with their squealing
.nrf trnmolincf ill neroetusl eomhiit Im-
ofinr .tinnur r!oi.....i.o. .
n .k the road In nemon: and everv-
. .. . . . .
....
body beueveu that ..e, too, wou.d M
nearu iroui.
fn this state of active sleire. with .0
m.nr sorties in nrmrress or contetntda-
- - ' - v f
tlon; with hundreds of rumors coming
and going, and the sight of little squads
of men riding this way and that, becom-
ing of less and less moment to Lizzy and
,er mother, the day went by,
I.ong before it bad passed the hungry
r . , 1. 1. . 1 a . .....
y)ng oeiore 11 oau passeu u.e Hungry
Hoosier mothers of Reelfoot Pond snd
Mnit t..d filled their cood. stron. re.
' " - --
llnhlA stomschs to renet on: had smok-
.n tsived in loud, stronir voles sli
at once on the south porch and the north
porch, and the back porch, from all of
which quarters a roar or "s'se's" and
. fi.A Trndnn m.naiAn im-mtvoinsvi
v., t v.. Aa.n ,u,.
that throw plentiful dashes of cold water
ojr muj v. ku
upon genera converaatlon, with numer-
ous "excuse me's" and "beg pardon
f rlnterrupting's," etc., etc. And having
nerformed all these neighborly and oat-
fi?lWto
lad led their refractory mares up beside
convenient fences; had seated themselves
on saddles of women's and saddles of
men's, and even upon tanned sheepskins
and folded horse blankets-single, double
nd sometimes treble-as to rldrs; had
ridden .way In T.rlou. directions to -lee
to the houae" or "milk." or "feed," or
"git .uppur fur" -Jlm- or -BUU" or
imuu! apologies ior not remaiuiug
longer.
Theo, with the coming of night, there
fell down upon all the length and breadth
an weitjM logetber w th the thin, re so- i
mowiuiIO INI (lie. Wltfc me aoll DUt-
tcr of bat' king an.l th frrauent loud.
hoarse, rubbing .ound mad by the half-
- . . ... ..... .., ... I
winiwni me Diiii-nst, laiuug irom
unseen height of night air with mouth
wide open In order to awecp myriad, of
flying Insects Into hU rapacious maw. In
hhl long and llghtuliig like dive through
the thin lake of transparent, star-lit sir I
these small, shrill, unceasing sounds I
of the MuM took oppressive possession or I
the world of Bounds, leaving the human I
swise of sound upon tip too, aud iu
breathless suspense.
CHAPTKU XVII
.V ,, utfnt ,ther and daugh
lrt ntf!,n a, dl)wn , 1Ht., tut came
readily to tho elder woman, snd far more
tr,y , younger. In l.tsay'a cen-
tial thought two optHmlte and irreconcila-
m solution of one problem contended
fr ole recognition. Had Mr. Mason
plnyrtl parts in everything he bad done,
i, ..i,.,,,,.,! m, ve-terdav even-
hBi mi hrM , hnl not denied in so
muy word? She had charge.! him with
(,u , much more! She bad charged
,m t, studied and persistent euloglsm
f . unknown man for the nurtM.se of
pinning her wmuanlv curiosity, and there-
,y minnlug bliusclf. lie bad gone on
with It day after day, week after week,
nnd mouth nton month, until be bad
fiy ueeeeded In bringing her to love
,jm snd to yearn for him.
,, many and many anxious hour
lt. had passed In doubt aud fears for
1, safety! How eagerly she had pored
over dm wee newspapers from the great
cltv. snd from remote rmrt of the conn-
try, hoping and fearing that she might
e some mention of the beloved name,
Aud how she had beamed with gladness
at each return of the absent man, an-
nnum-od always by his assistant, aud by
no one else!
What a fool she had been! Even he
nall, last night, something alMiut her sua
i.i.-ion reaching Ita zenith week ago In
stead of beginning to dawn only the day
before, when she had seen him driving
through the street of
Saudtown, aud
without hi principal!
Ills prtiicipalr-wtdccd! She had thrown
that fraud at him hard enough, she hop
co. She had given him to understand
that tin-re wa no longer the slightest
chance to continue Unit Imposition upon
her.
Mr. Huntley, the man of straw! The
myth! The creation of the man who had
palmed himself off 011 her as the assist-
ol,t of his man of straw! A noble and
n worthy work for a man of his attain
I ments! All this merely to amuse him
self, while he wa living Iu an enforced
exile from the city! She had hoped ahe
1 1, n, thrown that at him hard enough.
But again, there were many, many sin -
rere I. Miking and earnest-sounding things
that he bad done aud said, all along. He
hail sought her company from the first
day, and persistently and continuously
kept it. Hi manner wo not that of
the languid and impatient man of the
m .
world, tired or Ills cnrorccij seclusion,
No, He had set himself about a Inborl-
oils task of bringing her to sec some
glaring deficiencies In whot she had
thought waa her all suini ient self. He
bud gone further. He hod shown bis
great liking for her. He had, in effect.
sought to tell her whut everylxsly had
long before said again and ognlu that
It was the plainest of nil plain proposi
hive for his principal Huntley, the man
... ., . ....... .1. .. .! ..
01 straw; me mywi; ine creniion 01 an
idle fancy! Not only so, but she had
told him plainly that she could not then
tell whether she were not Irrevocably
bound, by a strangely romantic passion,
to w hat she ot hist recognized as the
mere creature 01 anoiner man s line i
fancy. 1 hat nan gone noma to mm; i i.ac
,,v -"
A"' here, upon this very point, were
a f '"" llll,t Uv cmM "ot MV
ing over and over. A lid never did she
i' reminiscence, approach the chief of
tbene episodes that her heart did not leap
Olid her ultimate fibrils tingle, with SOIIH-
I thing closely akin to happiness.
First, that sudden and unexpected ap-
1 . . . . . . m ! 1 .1
1 hiinenhrta I ft rnnr ri ill a tr itiriir imir Mf)itrii
,ipon heV
- , .
retina, so consiam was me pinure. now
1 . . . 1. . 1 1 if rui 1 i.air.
wen ne loosem now wvu.iK.y voui. .....1
military engineer s dress became him!
An1 what "rtHn transformation was
l,'pr8 eryiiiiug o.u
JHtatanJ geologist tame a id common-
P Bran to the back, close-cut hair.
had -forgotten that among he
1 niiH nnn iiiruoLLiii Lunt. iiiuiiift .
- . - -, -
niargea 01 uup.n ny. ""
that she admired black hair had been
- , . ... . l.l., k. f.
" """' .""'"'
ftnse to having concealed it under a
brown wig. Had he really loved her
when he wss playing his many parU oti
" ' oanuiown un..
'v i" lu"v
ralsned him so bitterly
Had she beca Bnrewlfin7 una ant)
shown an ugly temper? - She didn't be-
- - -
suowu nu UK; wru . . . .
ciudn't fand it. '
nau ne inougru i .1 u"
"en no display of It In all his former
acquaintance with bar. And In that in-
tlmate relation that must exist among
P-pIe who gather in th. same room er-
ery evening, and eat at the same table
three times every day not forgetting the
ounuuys in wuicu u.u unru.,
Ml half an hour for the whole day; If
she had known this, what a splendid op-
portunlty to have appeared at her very
I Vest. For really, she lad not trUd i
appear well. She had teased him anj
' mercifully. She had tauuted h n with
remaining contented with a ''Wnit
place and a scant aaiary. trie could
see now how It wa that h contj bear
such teasing as that with a suuliug stoi
cism. Hut ah! th very last word he had
said to her! And th very last thing he
uui tier race crimeonen i in m-w-
lection, but always wreathed with her
sweetest, softest smile, too. He hat
looked even In that dim starlight, so
eaeer. so earnest, so handsome, lie had
"K r.lm.aTB 7 the I manner of f Ivlni hU
Zlit lumn&
JJ "'J.. J Klr th 1 uTT IU
if i. L. HMn hi n
MT V1
fd ind llf're he had go,
?m riS Lad law her
, ... .),.,
" ...i" ..i n.. .1... I, ..t Kl
T.'l.T ; u.. u.
7.., ' Vail l V ' ... ui v.ii tV-
'' '" H" -" '
,,,, ,, tUrtUn surrounding must
t- t.J, o,,l let him rem
J,", "cu 7
CHA1TEU XVIII
I spite of the prediction that Judge
Jmt Kilket'a entraordlnsry posse conti
talus would "be beard from! nnd that
Mum." It whs mi .Miner euvelotd In th
dim Mid loaf arched aisle of Wlrkly's
Woods, than It passed a far beyond the
ken of the Saudtown people aa If It had
freighted a Spanish galleon and sailed
away down the Wabash with rurreut and
wind Imth favoring the voyage,
'irue. that certain adventurous spirit
came back at Intervals, riding down the
already drying sand of the Overcoat
road a if they brought tiding of stir
ring thing. But they rode straight to
the court room, where the Judge sat In
the midst of bis bar and four strange,
city gentlemen, who were the clients of
Billy Biler. oar Congressman, and who
leprcscntcd , the Interest of th new
Snndtown and Northwestern Railroad.
Havlu- ridden strokl.t to the door and
dismounted, these messenger would run
Into the court room, advance straight to
the Judge, who, seeing them coming.
I would be utwui bis feet iu an Instant, and
would lend the way to the grand Jury
room, where they would remain for some
minute free from Intrusion or luterrup
Hon of any sort
I -Then they would all coin out. wearing
grave and determined face, the Judge
coming bark to hi chair, aud the couriers
I going back to their saddle, and away.
up In th Overcoat road and Into the
tn)sterloit fastnes of W ickly s Woods,
I To those who were bold enough to ask
! JmUe Jim what It meant, be replied unl
foriuty, that negotiation were in pro
press, but that be wa by no mean at
liberty to say of what nature, or with
what proMS't of siicor.
But while this slmpltt declaration wa
quite sufficient to persuade the Hooeier
people of Saudtown and vicinity that
the very Inst waa being done for all con
cerned, It did Hot satisfy th. four pol
ished and well-dressed, ensy-maiincred
gentlemen who represented the new H.
& N. W. And they manifested their
dissatisfaction through their attorney.
Congressman Biler, In many motion
with which be attempted to move the
fourt to proceed then and there with the
sale of laud under mortgage, and as
signed to the aforesaid K. h N. ,W. by
the Farmers' Bank of Saudtown. To
all of these motions Judge Jim, true to
the long training be bad received under
the noted old Judge Barks, had repeat
lolly said;
1 "I sin In some measure the custodian
I of the private Interests of the parties to
all the proceeding In my court In these
I mortgsge sales It bus come to my knowl-
edge that the property will bring a
greatly enhanced price through another
bidder, who will certainly be In town,
I m 1 m ai. .. .
as I nm inmrmcu, neiorn . iu uie niter-
noon." And although the sales had been
lawfully advertised for that day at 10
n. m., be had advised the sheriff not to
proceed with the sales luitll further no
tice. No question of the legality of the
sole could be entertained In bis court.
And, happily, at that duy it could be
... . 1 f. .
entertninen iiownere ciso uuiii 11 nun nrs
been entertained there.
iTo be eontlnned
leptti ol thit Ocean.
Contrary to former opinion, recent
research tins clearly proved that the
pen tcr depths do not He in the middle
of tho ocean, but In the neighborhood
ol tho dry In ml. The latest ascertained
depth of tho wutiTH covering the em th
,K tullB ,tnt(Hi l'rlnco Albert of
Mo,)nPO following. IW. K
ruminel, to
be the average in fathoms: Altluntlc,
2,012; Indian. l,fCH; . I'licUte, 2.12T.;
Antarctic, I.SM; Arctic, Ml; Mediter
ranean. 7112.
. The greatest depth yet Hounded In
the Atlantic was originally discovered
by the ship Gettysburg, nluety-llre
it 1 1. m iii tr-. 1.. iu.. 1 ..
1 iiiihu iuiriii in inn 1 nn. iiiiiiiifin
----- - - - 1
1 degree. 41 minutes, longitude ffi
.!... 1 11 uou?'.
u.-K.,n-n , ............. .t .n ......oo,
ociow acu icvoi.
1 a 1 - - 1- 1
pf. Agnsslr., In tho Allmtros
cx,,(!(utlori of 1000, mnde n sounding
m rn(lfl(, of T)rA( faUl0IllfJ of thft
lHidH, and the
"St HI at en" has
to mIh I r
ere are believed
linslna none .In mm
. . .,i. -nii - i,i mn
i -
' ' " . I. . . 1 .1
taken to be tlio greatest depth of tho
n... ... a..., s
Aimnuc. ine nvt-niKo iu-juj-ui Uio
whole ocean may be taken ns about
two English miles.
An Old Rtory.
Dlx I'm afraid that now roomor la
lightly demented. She says the rea
son she left her. last boarding place
Wn.a bail tnrVo
w," ph.M lh, ;..
wMlx-rerhnps she Isn t m far off.
Maybe It was the same turkey.
., " " " .
Good the .ub.Unttal
riches of the mind; but, It Is good
breeding that seta them off to advan-
tage. ix)CKe.
.verag d(,Dth of tn, Atl.'t,.
J"" li
estimated, to be about 10,000 feet