The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-09-01
CHAPTER XVII
THE FORGED LETTER.

As the attorney passed the stairway lead
ing to his Office on his way to the hotel,
he saw Ames standing there waiting for
him.
"Well," he said, stopping at his side,
"have you anything new9 Have you seen
your wife5" -
"Come up stairs" said the other, hoarse-,
ly. 81 want ter sec YER ..
>Gray led the way into the front otiice,
and, after closing the shutters, produced
light.
"Now what is it Z" he demanded augrily,
for he saw by the mans face that he had
been drinking heavily. Cant you speak Z"
shoulder. "Have you gone mad2"
"P'raps I be mad said Amcs, with
shudder, "but I've got sense enough left to
keep out of this cussed business for good.
A man don't want 10 see such sight as
that but once.
"Such O sight as what?' demanded
Gray. "What Internal visions hns your
drunken brain been conjuring up nowI 7"
ri didn't csnger up nothin',' was the
dogged reply. 81 seen the mans ghos.
what was killed in that room as plain Us
see you now"
dLU WucEc ulO SOu oCe piiiS NOhuCllu1
ghostY" asked the attorney, nervollsly.
"In the secret passage. 1t was darker'n
q pocket there, IN all at once l heard
groans, an light sprung up, an Seen it
by that, with blooLy cut i'll its head an
one hand raised like it was goiu' to strike
out at Inc"
"And you, like coward, ran AWAY. I
suppose!"
NO, didn't," replied Ames, "I couldn't
move. l just tumbled down ull ef d
heap!'
"And gave up the attempt to see the
housekeeper?" asked the attorney, in a
rage.
mo; when I come to I went up to tho
door cause yer see it was nearer out Of tho
Internal hole that way, an the door WAS
fastened. So couldn't git into ting house
t. all"
The attorney sprang to his feet and
walked nervously up and down the floor.
al didn't think you was such fool,
Ames," he finally said. "You went there
drunk, suppose, and had a tit of the de-
lirium tren.ens in the passage"
"But, mister, there ain another chap in
this town Us knows how ter f;Lstcn that door
from the inside
"Then, US IL consequence, the ghost must
have done it," said Gray, with u forced
laugh. "Now tell me the truth" he con-
tinued, "wasn't you drunk when you went
therel"
"Not exactly, but had been takin' a nip
or two for the good of my health, but that
braced Inc up rather"
Seeing how confident the man was that
he had really seen something in the pas
sage, Gray began to consider the matter in
u serious light. After all, he had no posi-
tive proof that the blow he had dealt Rol-
and was fatal one. There had been no
medical examination Of the body, and it's
sudden disappearance, the mystery which
still enveloped that Disappearance, and the
fact that the young mans most intimate
friends appeared the least curious about
his fate, were points which Grly's active
mind was not long in summing up. Be.
sides, NO one but Koland-ur young Gordon,
as GRAY still called him-knew Of the Sc
cret passage and the means by which
it could be closed from the interior Of the
house.
He could draw but one inference from
these facts.
"If you saw anything in that passage"
he said, turning excite1ly to his compan-
ion, "it was not Hugh Gcrdon's ghost, but
JIuah Gordon himself, alive and we'll, and
rs full of mischief un,l the devil generally
rs ever
81 never thought Of thut,' said Ames.
"You don't think of anything" said
GRAY, "und never will until you let whiskey
alone. If you Hul your senses about
you Hugh Gordon would never have trou-
bled us again"
Course him! curse him" calculated
Alncs, pounding the table exctcdly with
his clenched fist, "when meet him again
it will be- the end Of him.
"You might make it an object to meet
him." suggested Gray, cautiously feeling
his way.
"Supposc did-what then ?" exclaimed
the villain, IL greedy glitter ere ,ping into
his eyes.
at would be worth ten thousand dollars
to you said the attorney coolly.
Anes started.
"Will yer stick ter that?" he demanded.
"Yes, ycs," WIS the hasty reply. "Why
do YOU doubt mel Have | ever deceived
yOuT'
"rhcn his game is up" cried Ames,
excitc,lly. "Bul must have one thousand
uow.'
81 haven't that much money here" re-
piled tho attorney, but ycu need have no
fears of being cheated in such a job as
this"
II knows that" said the other, "but I
must have some tin to use"
"1o use!' exclaimed Gray, "you haven't
swallowed Thousand dollars since morn.
ing, have you?"
Ames then told the story Of the robbery.
"You nre fool, Amea," said Gray. cool
". care you certain that you dldn tell
this choice friend Of yours anything that he
ought not to know3"
Eyes; dead sure. We didn't talk Of
such things" was the reply. 81 told him
l got my cash whalin'," he added with
laugh.
Here are one hundred dollars. Not cent
more will you get until the JOB is compiet-
ed. 1 am getting short Of cash myself.
"But where am to find this coveyT
"How can tell that? You must ind
him the best you cam
at he's in this town he won't last two
days." said Ames, confidently, as he pre-
pared to take his departure.
"HememDer, almost hlsseu LIS Coupau-
ion, "follow him like a bloodhound, but do
it quietly. Don't rest an hour by night or
day until he is silenced forever. He has
seen tit to set himself against me, and he
should die if ten thousand lives stood be-
tween him and my hate"
After Ames' departure, Gray, instead OF
going directly to the hotel, produced q
number of letters and papers from one OF
the compartment of his table and sat down
to examine them.
They were the same which had been
taken from Roland's pocket on the night
before, when he layas one dead, in the rear
Office.
at is best to be safe" he muttered as he
opened paper after paper and noted its
contents. "If anything should fail now, oil
would be lost. There must be scrap Of
that wonan's writing here somewhere.