Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-12-08

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got the name, do not know. Some
thing seemed strange about it all, but
that weara away. Sometimes / thought
dreamed / had wife and child, but ]
cannot make it out clearly, and at last
give it up, and am content to be Joe
Dougan, and let the dreams take care Of
themselves. The sickness left me with
strange name and these cursed eyes. But
tonight, Jack, it all came back to me;
the haunting dream came back and then
it all cleared IN. and find am not Joe
Dougan, but Fritz Bauer. Tonight l
went by the cabin of the boy you call
s.Dutchy;" for some reason / looked in,
as he sat there in the dark: he held a
photograph in his hand; l caught a
glimpse of il. And. Jack Dougan
lowered his voice almost 10 whisper,
my life. upon it, it was my wife (and
God be praised for these eyes for once:
Don't you understand, Jack-it was my
wife and this boy is my boy, my son.
my Fritzchen?"
s'My God!' exclaimed Hinton, and
white as q sheet.
''What is it, MANI For heavens sake,
speak," cried Joe.
Hinton stared at him a moment in
dazed way.
"You didn't speak TO him. did you,
Joe:" he gasped.
''No, no! What Of thatl"
ssWhy, he thinks you're dead,n con-
tinued Hinton, hoarsely.
swell, what of that? l amt, y cried
Dougan.
'But-but''- stammered Jack. ''His
your wi-fe-thinks you're deadf'
''Well, /" reared Dougan, ''didn't tell
you ain't9 What's the difference
But, Joe,'' began Hinton again,
TREMENDOUSLY, ''she she's married again
youngster told me all about it last week"
Dougan sank down on the edge of the
couch with n low moan. Hinton looked
at him helplessly; once or twice he es-
sayed TO speak, but no words came from
his lips.
''Achl mein Fritzchen--und meme
schoene Helena--noch NAL verlorenW
moaned Dougan, with his face In his
hands. Then he arose and staggered from
tho cabin. Hinton watched the tottering
figure cross the stretch of moonlit ground
until it was lost from sight in the uncer-
tain shadows.
Just after dark the next evening Joe
Dougan went down the road toward the
young Germans cabin, but finding it
empty he walked on. He did not notice
the figure following him in the twilight.
1t was Jack Hinton. Ii grew dark as
Dougan strobe ON. He turned off from
the road and went up the slope, where by
day the yawning mouths Of several scat
teren tunnels could be seen.
'Dutchy's working night as well us
day now and he's going to see him,
muttered Hinton TO himself, as he OBJ
served the direction Dougan had taken.
1t grew still darker as Joe proceeded up
the hill. At last he stopped at one Of the
dark openings. Hinton crept nearer and
was about TO speak when Dougan sud-
denly turned and walked on in diagonal
direction up the slope. The action puz.
zled Hinton, but there seemed to be some
method in it, as If the man had caught
sight of something up the mountain. As
Dougan proceeded further up his form
emerged from the shadow of the distant
mountains, and Hinton could see 1t dis
tinctly against the starlit sky, for the
moon had not come up yet. Then all Of
a sudden Jack saw the form Of his friend
drop down, Then he felt sure that Dou-
gan had seen something which was not
visible to his own ordinary eyes, and had
laid down to creep nearer the object or
person without being observed. Hinton
at once made toward the spot where he
had seen Dougan crouch down. lie had
hardly reached il when pistol shot, fol
lowed by two more IN rapid Succession,
rang out; ho saw the flashes not far
away, and then dimly discerned two
figures flying off down the slope Hinton
ran to the spot. A couple of dark bodies
lay on the ground among the rocks. One
of them moaned and turned, and Hinton
recognized the glaring eyes OF Dougan as
they turned toward him in the darkness.
"Joev' he cried, as he dropped on his
knees beside the fallen man and lifted
his head into his lap, i'for heavens sake.
what does this mean? Are you badly hitlp
A'Yes, Jack" said Dougan, with an
feel it coming. They would have killed
my boy and stolen his claim, Jack.
Thank God for these eyes have cursed
SO often; i saw them up here"
Dougan stopped and ground his teeth
together in pain. Hinton opened his
shirt and stanched the blood the best he
could.
"They meant, continued Dougan,
brokenly, "to bore--into the croes TIM
nel-and food the mine from the hnme
--to-night-stop up the mouth and
drown the boy like a rat. Jack so they
could Jump the claini.abut / and my
eyes saved hiin--tell him that, Jack
tell him his father saved the claim for
him 10 .ffernfa -pI.
Dougan's head sank back CA jacks
lap. His eyes closed, but he opened
them again In moment. and Hinton
saw that their strange glow was growing
fainter, rs the mans life ebbed away.
sob, Helenar' murmured Dougan,
dreamiIy. I'm coming back--mein
leibes Schaetzchen." and he ran of into
stream Of German, no doubt going
back 10 the old days in the fatherland.
Once more lie opened his eyes and looked
at Hinton. There was a dying flicker in
them.
Zach, mein licber Freund, auf glueck
liches ENTHUSIASTICALLY, Jacl!r
His head fell back limp and lifeless
the light had fled forever from Dougan's
eyes.
The big, blonde German stopped, took
out his handkerchief and blew lis nose.
At that moment faint. grooming sound
came floating out OF the mist. 1t wa
the fog whistle Of another steamer.
We'll, said the German, that
about all there IS Of It. Let's zee what
that is ahead .
We all started up. But some one said.
II thought YOU remarked at the be-
ginning that you were party to this
history. I don't see just where YOU
come in
II was the young German, Baner, /"
replied the man simply. John s. Phil
lips in Pittsburg Bulletin.
Royal marriages are evidently infec.
1Nlas. fI.a ,.oe,oI