The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-04-07

thumb and forefnger, and tossed il with
crash on to the hearthstone He then did
the same to my pipe, after first Swapping
the stem into halves This done he blow
out one candle, and with great gravity led
the way down the stircase | shouldered
the tools and followed, while my heart
hated him with fercer spite than ever.
We passed down the crazy stairs and
through the kitchen. The candles were
still burning there. As my companion
glanced at the supper table, "Hm,' he
SAID, mot bad beginning of a new leaf
My friend, will allow you exactly twelve
months in which to get hanged
made no answer, and we stepped out
into the night. The moon was now up,
and the high road stretched like white
ribbon into the gloom. The cold wind
bore up few heavy clouds from the north
west, but for the most part we toull see
easily enough. We trudged side by side
along the road in silence, except that
could hear my companion every now and
then whistling softly to himself.
As we drew near to the Four-Holed
Gross and the scene Of the murder con-
TESS to an uneasy feeling and desire to
get past the place with ali speed But the
lawyer stopped by the very spot where the
coach was overturned, and held up finger
as if to call attention 1t was a favorite
trick of his with the jury.
'This was where the jeweller lay. Some
fifteen yards off there Vas another pool of
blood. Now, the jeweller must have dropped
instantly, for he was shot through the
heart. Yet no one doubted but that the
other pool of blood was his. Fools !"
With this he turned on the road at right
angles, and began to strike rapidly across
the moor. At first l thought he was try
ing to escape me, but he allowed me to
catch up readily enough, and then l knew
the point for which he was making. l
followed doggedly. Clouds began to gather
over the moons face, and every now and
then | stumbled heavily on the uneven
ground; but he moved along nimbly enough
and even cried "Shoo!" in sprightly
voice when startled ploverf flew up before his
feet. Presently, after we had gone about
500 yards on the heath, the ground broke
away in little hollow, where a rough track
led down to the Lime Kilns and the thinly-
wooded stream that washed the valley be-
! low. We followed this track for ten min
utes or so, and presently the masonry of
the disused kilns peered out, white in the
moonlight, from between the trees.
There were three of these kilns standing
close together beside the path; but my
companion, without hesitation, pulled up
almost beneath the very arch of the first,
peered about, examined the ground mar
rowly, and then motioned to me.
"Dig here"
"If we both know well enough what is
underneath, what is the use of digging?"
81 very much doubt if we do" said he
"You had better dig"
| can feel the chill creeping down my
back as l write of it, but at the time,
though well knew the grisly sight which
was to discover, | dug away, steadily
enough. The man who had discovered my
secret set himself down on dark bank of
ferns at about ten PAGES distance and began
to whistle softly, though l could see his
fingers fumbling with his coat-tails as
though they itched to be at the flute again.
The moons rays shone fitfully upon the
! white face of the kiln and lit up my work
~>little- stream As 6ssiiss6ed is6d noisily. below.
And so, with this hateful maIfsas soIItai;li- GES
watcher, | barred to the light of Heaven the
remains of the comrade whom, almost FIVE
months before, had murdered and buried
there. How | had then cursed my luck
because forced to hide his corpse away be-
fore l could return and search for the dia-
mond l had failed to find upon his body
But as | tossed the earth and lime aside,
and discovered my handiwork, the moons
rays were suddenly caught and reflected
from within the pit, and fell forward with
short gasp of delight
For there, kindled by her broad glory
into countless shafts and points of color
violet, green, yellow, and friest red-lay
the missing diamond among the bones of
the man who had committed murder to
possess it and had been murdered for its
sake As L clutched the glorious gem
black shadow fell between the moon and me.
l looked up, My companion was standing
over me with the twinkle still in his eye
and the flute in his hand.
"You were fool not to guess that he
had swallowed it. l hope you are satisfied
with the bargain. As we are not | trust,
likely to meet again in this world l will
here bid you adieu, though possibly that is
scarcely the word to use. But there is one
thing / wish to tell you. / owe you a
debt to night for having prevented me
from committing a crime. You saw that
had the spade and pick-axe ready in the
cottage. Well, confess | lusted for that
gem, and was arguing out the case with
my flute when you came in,
'If," said I, ''you wish t. share
sAnother word,' he interrupted, very
gravely, 'and l shall be forced to think
you insult me- As it is, am grateful to
you for supporting my flutes advice at an
opportune moment. | will now leave you.
Two hours ago was in fair way of be-
coming criminal owe it to you and to
my flute that l am still merely lawyer.
Farewell p
With that he turned on his heel and
was gone with a swinging stride up the
path and across the moor. His figure stood
out upon the sky line for moment and
then vanished But l could hear for some
time the tootle-tootle of his flute in the
distance, and it struck me that its note was
unusually sprightly and clear?