Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-01-05

Closct, lie put INC hcI III tHc lOSN, tulicd
il and pulled open the door. a dazzling
array OF silver, carelcssly piled upon the
shelf, was revealed. 1.-The church COM
mnnion plate," he muttercd 81 wonder
why it was left here. 1t must be solid
wsre''-taking cup in his hand and look
ING at it intently. \ slight noise caught
his ear. Shutting the door hastily ne put
the key in his pocket and gave quick
! glance around. All was quiet and lonely
~ before. cts only the rector moving
I about ia his study" and he gave ncr-
vous little laugh at his own fears, then
glanced mp at the great clock. ltpointed
20 ll.50. The sexton ought to be coming
back soon,'' he thought. Yielding to \
sudden impulse he hurried again TO the
+ closet and opened the door. How easy it
| would be TO tie the plate mp anl then cs-
cape through 4 window Going to one Of
/ the back easements he looked out. Only
( p lump of two or three feet into littlc
payed courtyard below. Then narrow
I allev that ran back between two great
/ black buildings leading 10 deserted street
beyond. Both yarl ami path smooth
swept from snow-nO danger Of being
traced after once getting out Going bsc%
to the closet he looked long and earnestly
at the massive plate. at would get me
out of this cursed country and help me 10
4 new start in some better place. lac
thought. Good knows that, bad a. I've
+ In
then, how would any one believe me
how would he? No use of my trying to
get ont of the shadow in my life; might
as well make the best Of il and enjoy what
can. Hark, heard that noise again
Shutting the door, hc turned the key In
the lock and noiseessly creeping along
the passage he paused before the door OF
the study. II stood aiar, and he looked In.
kncoling before chair was the figure o!
an old man, holding in his hand n crum-
pied yellow letter and lock Of dark-browh
hair. on which the tcar-dropS were yet
clistening. The Man i'm the Shadow
brcathed quick and hard. Suddenly the
letter fell to the floor unnotlced by itS
holder The Man in the Shadow pichod
ii up and looked at it. "To Rev. Arthur
Drayton," :" he read, and then staggering
back into the hall he sank down on chair
and eagerly tore the sheet open. just ten
years before, the date--thc name nj the
end and the handwriting his own! Iii,
thoughts went back to another Christmas
Eve. Ho tried to recall 1t, but there was
ouly confused recollection of boyth
scrape and his meeting with his father In
the old church. Stern, hard words on hi'
fathers ssdc, and first submission aud
then defiance on his part-and then TIA"
separation. Here was Tie letter hc had
sent him, written that night Ia the heat
of his anger and wounded pridc-that fatal
letter, in which hc had barred himself out,
rs lie thought forever from his father,
house. Blu. what could all this mean;
Ills father living in the city. llc had not
been mistaken then, after all, in his rccog-
milton Of the old man under the lamp-post.
But wlIy--what did II mean, what had ho
seen within? Could there be such l"vo
IA this after that bitter parting, that
mocking, insulting letter, these long year.
Of enlargement aud ncglcct-stil waiting
for him, an Outcast, waudcrer and thn
shiyered nc he glanced behind him almost
4 thief?
Out from the half-opencd door came Tho
low tones Of prayer, and bowinS his head
he listened intently, Will the tcar-dr0ps
! Of, 4 A
name-it was his own-caught his car, and
40 he heard IL from his fathers lips hn
arose and stepped 10 the door of the study.
He stopped, with his hand on the knob, as
hc saw the ropes that swung the great
bell begin TO tighten, pulled by some un-
seen hand, thoD opening the door he sicp-
ped into the room a. the first sweet chimes
rang ont upon the still midnight air.
"The most curious thing ever came
across, Molly" said Sexton Davidson, "a
he recountcd the events Of the night Ia hi,
wife the next morning. Gust 10 think
that The young man that took IN aud
saved from freezing 10 death at our own
church door should turn out TO bo the rec
tors own son, when nobody knew that
the rector had son at all I couldn't
help thinking, though, when | was talk
ing with him last night, that lac looked
aud acted like n gcntlcnan-othcrwisc !
wouldn't have offered 10 take him home
with me. But tho strangcst thing Is about
the key uf the closet that held the commit
nion service. You see it had been used
the other day and ] conldn't put II back
i'm the safe because the lock vas Out OF or
der. so just clapped it into that closet
of mine, where keep most everything,
until / could take it down to the bank.
When I had TO come home last night
WAS just about going or and leaving that
strange Young man there in the church
with that closet unlocked. ] went back
and locked it and put the key in my pocket
Well, would YOU believe IT,, when got
back 20 the church found the key ia the
lock aud tlic-rectoi r son gone. I couldn't
bear at fret 10 open the doOr--I was SD
took down. Somehow managed to get
ND strength enough TO look 10 ani there
was the plate all right. ] was 80 thank
ful that forgot all about the young fell
low and ran to the ropes to let the bells tell
how glad was. I: was just Chris'mas
morning"
"You're mortal careless, jim, about
J I. a.. Ioo