New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-08
SKELETON KEYS.
BY D. CHRISTIE MURRAY

CHAPTER l. a.
sonhre landscape and IpGr"sd IA Xiv 70 the
straight road on eIs LEAN stretching back TO
east, any u silver in the west d0lelut pi"r from
tc onJ two dOleful figures PIOunn"e JorL1css in
the silver CLEAN to @IS side 6y side aud the
w. ind in their ears with shfleA' anu NV
other sound for an noun. - poris Sly feet high,
bu;lt but attenuaed ana rage'u lii Iii,
Rues native of London, short III ,J v,crc tIic
made hut attenuated ana .usst tIcr They were
ihngaf,l two who trampcd togtih1.. I'm vas
dOlelui "recrows both but the FTenchiiitn "','
IL TagGedcr of the two anu inc niuiS and of a
Inbn Jones bullet-hcadcd laI -n .'t ,niscrably
JotntoIlv cheerful cOuntcnancc Wc,l' ',',''r,cd
hai 20 he snrc; but now ana again ~ ~ I;s
a. shocking bad hat he wore a i.,lv sr,,IcJ as
head. and always when ~ uN T;hnrcc Mensean
.h"r,,h something pleased hum. lipu! .a zines
tn"Led This gesture furlvcly, ana DetM'Jn nid
owaited il furtively, and never a VIZ mon occa-
Tiburce lived by his WIS MIS- anu ,bey were sharp He
tlol t35d opportunity for the study OF IloiH i
a. several institutions supported ny Wnctcd his
Government and one text cIiiou Mind every time
scenery now. recurring 10 nus Ininu i bat littie
Inhn Tones rammed the shocking bad nt. ,,'rt
t;ghter~. Where the treasure Is there Will 'l' "''
be slso,rrromieing officials in bue uniforms had on
,oSerai occasions described Ihurcc III pnnug' nv; ~
nbrasc they chose was curt severe anu "'"~''
elusive Moreover. never NaIicu, H.. o,orr 60 ran
SDo Won know anything OF thc PR" ;o' ,iti-
a., nSstion which drew forth the HcNcrlPlN IN
c,S The descriptive critic III biuo uhn'iN ~
sponded .i,,
To do Tibnrcc Justice he looked tho part IN
n dark accomplishment man unShaven l 10, d" and
baifstarve him for month dress Nun IN t'ss' anu
nan s,au he dirtv put n bitter devil OF resent
menf i'm his breast, aud thongi ne W,re n oa l IT,
begin with, these things would .e NM shoud
mn his ASPECT A man who lives ny hiS MilS Nno'u
ItPLarro,,t and llhurce watched All Things lh1.
seemed worth watching with h"less olaEon ~
Whenever John Joucss hand went up 10 ms na'
LII d;d sn with unnecessary fTcqucncY-tne myers
scn,aed 10 STAY a little after liking the hai bloIo
firmly and there was a little movement IN llio1 ~
though they felt for somethihg ana mn NJ o" o
Jones smiled as ii NC hau l'i' VIZ ~
SS1rce Mcnseau made continuous furtve note OF
,b;s nrocreding What was q tramp likely 10 nave
.l.o liza IN his shocking bad HAITI llalf-a-Crown
MISREPRESENTATION A bank-notei \ stolen ring OF
yalnef Tiburce had known such things.
SnJdcnIv Tihurce Menscau stopped snort ana
rnrsed in Pathological pdtOis blending diipns ana
What's the matterr said John Jones, stopping
A sIs there mo- end 10 the road" asked tho other,
with n curse upon the dreary highway
Five miles vet sad John. a good five miles
'iburcc Meuseau, taking refuge IN MS naive IAN
,aa" cursed each individual mile in the five, and
Els companion made another start llhnrce to9A
one step after him and stopped again To curse the
Nv. .Tah ,, II essy said John Jones' and his hand
wont nm 10 his hat again. lie began to sing TO no
particular tune:
Then merrily hent the footpaih way,
Aud mcrrily over the stilc hal
merry heart goes all the day,
Your sad tires in mile. hal
Ellie went clean through that quaint ditty, ana
ssHd;ng with prolonged note between a howl and
groan ho sent his hand to his hat once more ana
smiled cheerfully. ,. ,,,
always watchfnl of the gesture. II grew so darn
that they eonld hardly keep the road Snddeiily
Tiburce Menseau tripped ana lcH aghh,t Jplh
Jones, in such wise as accidentally TO knock OIL MS
hat r.,- 49,, ,,. :, .bo dorl,
ness picked up the hat, and passing MS lhl' n''ls
fingers swiftly round within the lining. felt and
held little package no larger than penny-plece.
liz came away with a slight tearing feel as though "
were gummed or pasted TO tne nat S s u tb'
thing was done with such delicate Tapdlty ina
even in daylight it might have escaped notice.;
have kno, ked your hat off, said l1burce. Thu
Githy road is filed with ruts and holes. Oh, have
The wind howled so that Tiburcc had to rcpea
hts last words. John Jones Was cropping VIA
with both hands in mud and water. lie ici
Vreedily for the hat. and meeting the 0utstrctchc'
hands of the apologize Tiburcc, TOOK 1t ana icl
within 1.-THE lining at first assurediy, ana thcI
rapidly and undoubtedly Then, with Wild yell
he was down his knees in the mud and water
e.Nhst's the rstterr cried Tiburco. hurginG Tho
little parcel in his hand. Surely of valne-surely
Else why such care Of it, and why such cry OF en-
ragged despair at losing Ill
John Jones made no reply, but went ABOUT OH
hands and knees In the mud. still cropping.
What's the matter ? cried GbuTce again. touch
inc him on the shoulder Have you lost anything !
Lost ? said John Jones voicelcssl 81 who can tei
what / have lost and he CROPPED on III the mud
while Tibnrce waited with signal patience The
search came to nothing. but II went on until th'
searchers bones were numbcd. and until his hands
could no longer feel the ground he CROPPED on Ihei
with heavy heart he staggered To his feet.
See said Nburce. pointing through The heavy
darkness, there are lights. That II the town
Have you found what you lost TT 49,,
With nc answer but with no suspicion, the siil
set Briton splashed On again through unseen mud
Once or twice he gave heavy and heartrcndinl
Eroan, half Of grief and hall OF rage. ,
Surely said Tiburcc 90 himself, Tightening th'
grip Of his fingers the package. surely valuable.
Splash. splash, for half an hour through mud ana
darkness aud never a spoken word John Jouo'
was thinking all the way. and in litter despair VA
calling certain things 10 mind.