Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-01
GALES aud Sketfhes.
THAT NIGHT.
CHAPTER I.
Continued from Yesterday

lecture. Dismiss all temptations of i'm
agination.
There was no use in going quickly.
She would be at the house in time. and
then there would be light, and she could
see. See what ?
Away away away with such fancies
There was no use in hurrying, for moth
ing could be done-nothing could be done
but look at the coat and see if there was
a red spot
Oh, madness No-no. Down down
with such thoughts
Marion would be waiting up with q
light. With light Would it be best
to put away what she had found until
morning, and then-lhe day light would
give her more courage to look. The iull-
er light would be better, for all could then
be seen at a glance. But with a candle
they should have to turn what she had
found over and over, and who could do
such an appalling thing as turn that coat
over and over? Suppose, as she turned it
over in the candle-l light her hand touched
something damp, something damp and
clammyl
Mercy oh. mercy. Keep still keep
quieii what is above the earth there over
head. He'll or Heaven and who rtigns ?
and
Here was the house She would not
ca.4 Marion, but enter at the open door.
What could be the meaning of the sweet
brier having the same smell now "a it had
a month ago-as it had even an hour ago
Tom must cut down that sweetbrer in the
morning.
CPAPrER Ill.
''Oh, Liseite, how long you have been
! thought YOU would never come Marion
had risen, and was standing face To face
with her sister. Liselte had paused in
the doorway. She still held what she had
found in her clenehed hands against her
bosom. She did not look down, although
the light OF two candles now fell full up
on it. She fixed her dilated eyes upon
Marion without uttering word. Marion
perceived that something terrible had
happened.
What is the matter? Have you seen
him?" Marion asked.
mo; have found this
''What is that Marion shrank back
and covered her eyes.
"Part of his coat found it lying on
the road, in the middle of the road. 1t is
torn in two"
His coat torn in two Did you see
himp Did you hear him Did you fad
-,
No, nothing but the coat. Marion,
look Is there anything red upon it !?
Can you see anything red upon his coat P'
Marion drew near. Her lace had grown
deadly pale. She took up candle and
looked.
mo, Lisette. Nothing red 1t may
be all right. There's white rose in the
buttonhole."
The two now approached the table, and
placed the portion OF the coat on 1t, and
looked at it cautiously, iearfuIly. Ga the
outer side there was no stain. NJ trion
turned it over. The inner side was also
free from spot.
Nothing red Nothing. But oh,
Marion what can have happened Pr She
sat down and buried her face in her hands
Marion proceeded TO examine the con-
tents of the pockets.
"There is u leather case, with the ribbon
you gave him, in one pocket she wbs-
pered, land Two letters in the other. One
of the letters is from you to him. The other
letter is woman's writing also"
"A woman's writing?' She raised her
head aud looked at the envelope held by
her sister Addressed to him P"
"Yes. But not 10 his own house. Not
to Daisy Farm, but to house in Barrow
leigh"
"A house in Barrowleighl Marion are
you sure ?"
Read it yourself"
Lisetle read the superscription. John
Maine. Esq, Cross House, Barroweigh."
There was no stamp or postmark. Ii had
been sent by private messenger. Daisy
Farm was his own place. Cross House was
the residence OF a friend ot his. Why had
he changed his place OF abode and not
told her of it Or could it be that he
was getting letters from some one else
addressed TO him as IA friends lest--it was
too bad of her to allow such a thought to
enter her mind. Besides, what signified
letters with torn coat lying there, that
black night abroad, and the dull, weary
inability even TO wonder what had occurr-
ed?
The two sat silent a while. At length
Marion rose and said: ''Let us call Tom,
and take lantern and go to the place
where you got it. We may lind something
else that will help TO explain"
mo, no. What do We want with TomP
Let us go by ourselves"
But the elder sister would not hear OF
this. So she reused the old gardiner, and
without telling him the reason bade him
take lantern and accompany them.
They left on the table what Lsette had
found.
In two hours they returned. No dis
covery had been made. Traces of a strug-
gle existed in the middle of the road but
although they went another mile nearer
Barrowleigh, nothing new had been seen
There were no red spots, but along each
side of the road were two sets of foot
marks in the dust, footmarks of men
The men had kept as far apart as possible
The footmarks pointed toward Barrow
leigh. There were also in the dust two
sets Of footmarks pointing toward the
Moor House. But these latter had not
been made atithe same time, tor slight
shower which had fallen at o'clock that
evening, had partly defaced the larger
marks, while the others were fresh and
perfect on the damp dust. It was evident
the men had come separately, with some
interval of time between the coming of
the first and the coming OF the second. 1t
was also plain they had gone back toward
Barrowleigh together, for at one point,
about half mile from the scene of the