New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-08


absence he set off for this place win the
| unpronounceable name to take up his inheritance
and prepare for new life which would. he hopcu,
| set all difficulties n resi-.
II was wild autumn night when James Scambler
left his home. and Debby for the first time IN her
life felt afraid to be alone. he wind ravGd among
| the trees and the rain poured IN torrents on the
roof but she fastened the door ~ well as she was
| able-they were honest folks in those parts
aud fasicnngs not very secnre-and thei
she went upstairs, and, all dressed as she was, lald
| herself on her bed. feeling somehow more at home
| in Ter own little room than she did down ~ the
| larger darker kitchen below. She could not sleep.
| How the wind howlcd and roarcd! IL was IKE
| heavy weight pressing against the walls ana
seemed IA u 1t would have carried the ntle mouse
| clean away She felt as If everything must
| be swept oil like so much dust and
| chaff while tho rain threatened TO swamp
ali that the wind left standing. Between the two
with tie of loneliness aud her sorrow in addi
| ton, she was wretched enough, poor, sweet DebDy
| Scamber, whose Only sin WAS Ia her beauty ana
tears, of which she ashamed but which she could
not rerress. flowed over her fair checks on 10 Tue
terrifying night How much she wished that father
| had not gone away, and that he was there In 'is
room, with just the little passage between bis
| strength and her desire Tor protection!
| Harkl what is thatf
Through the bowling of tho wind and the splash
ing of the rain Debby heard the garden gate cllnk
| and swing then heavy step came M the little
paved Enclosure that led from the gate to the front
| door and then she heard that front door tired,
soon To he burst in with sounding crash OF broken
iron and shattered timber. while the wind tore III
| like troop of demons, and shook the whole
| place to ITS foundations. And then she heard
| that same slow, heavy step come UP
| the stairs-nearcr nearer. step by sep-tll
! 1t halted at her room door. And then The
room door opened and man came IN; , =.
kind of loose Overcoat which hid all details OF his
| figure, and with black mask covering the whole
of his face. He completely disguised rs If he
| had been one of the Misericordia of Italy; but he
| was evidently n powerful, and one would have IN
match for a slri.t young creature like Debby-pa-
ralyzed by terror a. she was, unable TO scream or
make even the weakest attempt at defending
! herself.
The masked man came up to the side of the bed
eriu terrible. silent the grave. Before she had
fully reaiized her fearful fate he had bound hand
ont. aud had pinioncd her arms behind her back so
that she could not strike. lie took heF OUT OF Tie
| bed dressed as she was. and wrapped her carefully
enough IN a cloak and blanket in which he secured
her like bundle then he sung her over his shout
| ders; carried her down stairs; and so through the
house and little garden; and along she close ahe' al
| the entrance 10 which stood cart. .
He lifted her into the cart almost as II she had
been farm beast which he was taking to market
not get wet, and thus drove out into the open and
the wild moor beyond the village
| The Journey took good three houTs; and at the
end of that the cart drew up before the d0T OF
q small cottage that stood In the bleakcst part Oh
the moor kind of shelter-place for shooting par
ties and the gamekeepers when the former came for
soort and the latter looked after tire eggs
and the young brcods and tried conclu-
siOns with such poachers as might be
|
| ALWAYS silent, carried poor Dcbby again sung
over his shoulder like a huge bundle or hieless
| sack putting her down In the middle OF the noor,
while he set to work to make fire and to boil some
water that stood there handy. III Kettle; All tina.
| he did was done in a stolld mechanical klnd OF
way with unnecessary haste, no SURFING oI leei-
ing anyhow bus a task that bad TO be got through
| no matter what the cost or what the result Inc
girl had TO be trapped and secured; not kicd OUT
right only kept from the mIschIevOusness OF free
dom; and II she died In the process that would not
be his fault but neither would he hasten nor cause
that death by undue neglect or gratuitous brutality
Therefore he boiled the water IN the Kettle mace
some hot tea. into which he put few spopnfnis OF
brandy. then going up to where poor DepDy Jay
stunned dazed, helpless, he took the keIcbief IRON
her mouth and made a sign that she was to drink
| what he provided.
| said: d" No. cannot y he grIpped her arm so saw
agey that for very fear she obeyed ilm ana hook
the stimulant which was TO save her from cold ana
aRue.
| By this time the storm had abated, and the flying
clouds gave gmpses of the moon and stars over
head. Still the masked man neither spoke nor re-
moved his disguise but tabout the Ittle nut
ranging this and that for the better comfort
of his prisoner. Food and fuel were put
within reach enough to last her for some days
and n bed was arranged In the corner near tho
chimney She wa. tlTen 10 be left to sarve, and
she not TO be tort ured. No., see was oniy 20
he secured-and left. In truth IL Yas very safe
security that was enforced. The windows aud shut
ters of the little kut fastened so thar no hgbt
| came through them. save IN narrow shis ana
| chinks. Fixed IN the wall WAS huge staple, ana
| wh" had noor Debhy in captivity bucked a strong
leather belt round beT waist then fastened TINS TO
the iron chain leaving her tether enough TO move
| about the fireplace that she could prepare
her food and keep up the fire, but not allowing her
| 10 reach either the wJndOw or the door She was
| chained up to the wall ike Wild animal, ana she
might shrek till she died, no living tlng save the
| birds and the moorand beasts, would hear aer. II
bold game to play, but IT was an "I n,
| one: and il accomplished with the incest precision
| all that 1t was intended 10 do.
With the first streaks OF dawn the masRed
| civ asst
| was rs it should be-taking q final sur
vey OF the ,s,apleIgiying a maj p pm az az
| adicu then left the hut, pulling the door behind
| him and locking 1t from She outside. ,
| Trapped ceverly-and etiectually," SAID
aoud to himsefwith grim smile as be pook on
his mask and turned his cold cruel face tothe Light
Now the family honor is saved and no crime com
Naturally there was a terrible commotion whom
| the girls loss was discovered. The undergone
keeper. Joe Wilson, passing the house me next next
| morning saw the gate and the door both open. and
| went i'm 10 find the bird flown and tho nest cold.
No one had doubt but that she had gone to join
Julian in London, and the most POSITIVE OF az was
Clarence. 10 hear hlm one might nave Deheved
that he had taken her ticket at the railway STATION
and heard of her arrival at the terminus he was so
sure of the whole matter. The thng was ah-plan Us
| tho traditional pIkestan according 10 MN
! and ne other solution ID the mystery was possible.
| Wugh Armstrong and his wife took the same line
| and agreed with their brother; but when James
SeambJer came bernc be- shook his head, and said he
| could scarce credit il of his gil There was some
| fhinr IN If all so unlike hcr-She who had never
| ber,i other than careful and thoughtful, ooealent
and sncere-that he was forced to think twice,
| he said. before he condemned once; bnt as
| he had no other hypothesis 80 offer, his
mere negation went for nothing. More ore
over. the Circumstances of bis own absence told
| ~ 80 Jniian and Dcbbv For when he got down
~ that oddly spet place IN Die heart of the Welsh
mountains be found his Uncle alive and hearty. WIN
no Intention Of bequeathIng farm or iOd IoI twenty
years to come; while no heighLor had Tl,en any
letter whatever summoning hun to those paris
and the name at the foot Of that winch lad
brought HIM was unknown Mrea"ay' ana u tha u
Gd nor look like a planned thing TO get him out OF
the way what was II like 7 MOI the whole AFFAIR n
was plan from beginning to cnd-a stIatagsIi OF
the Young squlrcs IT, get Debbys father OH INC
board 20 that he might carry of Dcbby herself III