The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-06-29


you carry ana tnen Destroy you. mat Is
done often enough in this city, perhaps, but
| il is not to be done in this house tonight.
| If you suspect such treacheFy, 90 back TO
where you left your carriage, and place
! your watch and pocket-book in the custody
/ of your coachman, and then return here.
| will wait for you patiently
mol" exclaimed the General; whatever
danger there may be, / viii encounter it
boldly. But you can at least tell me why /
am summOned2"
81 can tell you nothing beyond that
which | was ordered to tell you'll Won
4 value your good name, follow mer"
4'That is what you were told to say2"
sit is
''Lead the way then; for the preservation
of my good name, would willingly follow
/ you though should know you were lead
ing me into the jaws of deathP
Come, then, and come without fear. /"
answered the man in the SLOUGH hat
he took a key from his pocket and opened
the door of the house. The General fol-
4 lowed him along narrow passage and M
swo flights of dark. trLahl4-down stairs.
At the top of the second a light shone
| through a wide crevice at the bottom of the
/ door.
The man knocked softly at this door, and
as he did so the Light within was suddenly
extinguished.
'sCome in," said low voice within the
apartment.
Theaman opened the door and motioned
/ the General to enter; as he crossed the
/ threshold, the man drew back and closed
/ the door upon him The next moment the
General could hear his footsteps as he slowly
descended the staircase.
He was alone then-alone with the occu.
pant of this darkened chamber. For the
{ F,rVr Is he hlA diefin-
/ guish any object in the obseuritY, but
/ as his eyes became more accustomed to
| the emi-darkness, he perceived that he was
/ in garret-chamber, poorly furnished, and
1 only lighted by the dim patch of sky visible
/ through the open window.
i Near this window was seated a figure-a
female figure, robed in white.
! Brave and free from superstition as the
! General was, the sight of this figure sent a
sudden chill through him. He recoiled q
I few PAGES and laid his hand upon the lock
/ of the door behind him.
''Do not fear me, % said low, sweet voice.
SIT is who have summoned you hither."
/ ''For what purpose?"
/ ''That you may learn Of the future, an.
! swered the figure.
''What juggling folly is this2" exclaimed
! the General, Indignantly.
sit is neither juggling nor folly, General
Z
! you are brought here in the darkness to
hear a speaker whose face you may not see,
1t is because You have something to learn
but you are not yet to know who it is who
reveals to you the horrible truth"
''The horrible TRUTH exclaimed the Gen.
eral; 'what truthf"%p
'"The truth which may, perhaps, cast
shadow upon your life, answered the un-
seen speaker. ''You love- do you not9
Won Iowa tho NO xrboro hova
ised to wed?"
"What do You know of this2" asked the
General, haughtily.
'sDo not question, but answer me, If you
would know that which have to tell. You
love this woman, do you not2 You love
Maud Ovington2"
''You know her, thenl" exclaimed the
General.
do you love her2"
ionately-devotedlyP
$50 passionately and devotedly that You
would sacrifice for her sake the honor Of
your family2"
''No!" cried the General with sudden
energy-'tno! thousand times, mol would
sacrifice my life, but not my honor, for that
is not mine to give-it is a sacred heritage,
not to be bartered."
''You would not sacrifice your honor then
to your love for Miss Ovington?"
mo, replied the General 'But why do
you ask me this?"
Because l know the woman you love bet
ter than you know her. He who marries
Maud Ovington will marry woman whose
soul is stained with guilt"
"It is falsew exclaimed the General.
springing toward the shadowy figure.
The white-rObed figure lifted her hand
with a warning gesture.
EE(lna CT Il ~.
said, solemnly. ''One step nearer, and ]
leave you-leave You to your ignorant wors
ship of worthless womanl'
ga worthless woman!"
''Yes-a woman whose soul is black with |
hidden crime-who hides beneath the limo
cent beauty of an angels face the dark spirit
Of fend-whose outer life is false as the
shadows we see in a glass. A traitress, false
alike to love and honor!"
''Of what crime do you accuse herr"
gasped the General.
"Of the worst crimel"
"And that is"
'Murder!"
'Liar!" cried CRANKY Dumont-'fbase and
Infamous liar! ! will wiring the foul accuse
lion from your false throatP'
AS he said this, he darted forward, as If
ne would have seized the shadowy figure in
MS powerful grasp.
The woman rose as he advanced, and, re-
'eding for a few PAGES, suddenly disappeared
n the darkness.
The General looked about him in utter
oewilderment. The room was empty-ths
igure had disappeared in an opposite direc-
ion to that of the door through which the
General had entered.
He felt with his hands round the rough
)aneling of the chamber, but he could dis
over no other door.
''She must have escaped through some
liding panelr' he muttered, after abandon
ng his fruitless search. s'Who is this wO-
nan? Some enemy of Maud, who has con-
octed this villainous plot against herI'
He waited some time, listening to every
ound, thinking that the woman would, per.
APPS, return, but he waited in vain,
After nearly an hour wasted thus, he
pened the door and CROPPED his way slowly
own the steep, narrow staircase.
He was surprised at the stiffness of the !
ouse-not breath seemed to stir in the
reary dwelling The doors were all closed,
ut at the foot of the stairs he stopped and
allied aloud.
No one answered his summons
He found the street door ajar, and, push {
lg it open, emerged once more into the I
ley. S
looking back at the windows of the house. t
perceived roJJen Doard nailed across .
no VI tuCAA' AuIS DOdEu dunOuQCSu |
le dismal habitation was to let.
1t is scarcely possible to describe the (
range revulsion of feeling which the Cen
al experienced as he discovered this.
can empty housed" he exclaimed ''Who
len was that white-robed woman2 Who
len was that shadowy and phantom form {
hich receded from my grasp?"
An icy chill of horror crept through him .
he asked himself this question. II
CONTINUED. 81