The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-03-03
lifted the body and flung it into pit be-
o. &bo rooI ,,J -,

, side the road and hurried on.
AS he passed out of the shadow G
the trees into the moonlight, he wa
startled to discover that the cuff ON hi
right hand was spotted with blood
There was no time to wash out the tel
rible evidence. He dared not retur
home for fresh pair, nor in his guilt
terror did he dare secrete it about him
cat that moment sleighing part.
came along the adjoining cross road, an,
in his alarm the murderer tore off tn
cuff and flung it over the fence besid
the road.
SIT was not until he had reached tn,
church that Judson remembered that tn,
button in the cuff was engraved with hi!
initials, and could be identified by score
of persons as his property. He waited il
anguish of fear until after the body haG
been found and the neighborhood was
clear; then he spent hours in search Of
the lost cuff. But he never found it.
The wind had blown it away and it re-
manned hidden until the vengeance OF
God Should produce it to his ruin"
"That cuff must be foundn' l cried,
eagerly.
"A hundred yards below the scence OF
murder" said the stranger, solemnly,
Islands a withered pine, little off the
road. Entangled in the roots lies the
cuff, with the blood stain upon it and
the button still fast to it."
81 will find it tomorrow" ejacula-
ted.
Stay" said the stranger, Zone last
proof. The forged check is in the right
hand lower draw of James Platt's desk,
among number of old papers. With
these two proofs you will execute justice
upon the assassin
cit shall be DONE" exclaimed.
Involuntarily extended my hand to-
ward him. He grasped it with fingers
whose deadly chill seems to freeze the
marrow in my bones.
Who are you p cried, recoiling.
The stranger dropped the muller from
his face, and by the light of the lamp
saw white, immoveable countenance,
expressionless, set in the rigor of death,
excepting only the eyes, which burned
with lurid intelligence. l had seen
the portraits Of James Plat; it needed
only glance to assure me that saw
before me now, in flesh or phantom, the
murdered man.
For an instant only I saw him; the
coach jolted heavily over stone and
came to standstill. The door flew open
and rush of cold air entered. When |
recovered from the momentary shock AMI
looking around me, my fellow passenger
was gone. descended from the coach
and found the driver engaged with some
part of the harness of the team.
"Who was the passenger you lot in
when the coach stopped mile above
mere asked.
The man turned, and looked at me
curiously.
"Passenger.' he echoed, "there has
been no passenger beside yourself to-
night. Up there on the hill, the horses
SHE'D at something, and l had to stop
moment, but no one got in. You're been
dreaming, SIR
Yes" 1 replied, not wishing to dis
cuss the matter, 81 have been dreaming,
no doubt"
Nevertheless, l stopped at the next
village and put up there over night.
Early on the following morning retraced
the road again and searched at the foot
of the pine. was hardly surprised to
find the cuff, bloodstained and fastened
with gold button, engraved with
Thomas Judson's initials, as l had been
told. Nor was l less fortunate in my
search for the cheek.
With these two pieces Of evidence l
procured the arrest of Thomas Judson.
Three days later obtained full confess
sion from him, in exact accordance with
the story of my strange fellow-passenger.
No one ever knew how obtained it, but
it was by simply relating my experience
in the coach to the terror-stricken crimi-
nal. His guilty conscience recognized
the hand Of Heaven raised against him;
and truly, when the grave accuses, who
dare deny it's awful voice?