The Washington critic., 1888-04-14

| knows whence or how they gathered)
followed me up the court and out into
the street. Their numbers swelled
as / went on, and some began to hoot
and pelt me, but when gained the
top OF the hill and a.lonelier district,
turned and struck among them with
my stick. 1t did my heart good to
hear their screams.
After that / was let alone and
tramped forward past the scattered
houses toward the open country and
the moors. Up here there was
scarcely any fog, but could see 1t
by the rising moon hanging like a
shroud over the town below. The
| next town was near upon II miles off,
but do not remember that l thought
| OF getting so far. / could not have
| thought at all, in fact, or / should
hardly have taken the high road upon
which the jeweler had been stopped
and murdered.
There was q shrewd wind blowing,
and / shivered all over; but the cold
at my heart was worse, and my hate
for the man who had set it there grew
with every step. thought of the
four months and more which parted
the two lives of Gabriel Foot, and
what / should make Of the new one.
| had my chance again-a chance
gained for me beyond hope by that
counsel but for whom should be
sleeping tonight in the condemned
cell; a chance, and good chance, but
for that same cursed lawyer. Ugh
how cold it was, and how l hated him
for it.
There was little whitewashed cot
tage on the edge of the moorland just
after the hedgerows ceased-the last
house before the barren heath began,
standing full 800 yards from any
other dwelling. Its front faced the
road, and at the back an outhousean
wretched garden jutted out on the
waste land. There was light in
each Of its windows tonight, and, as
passed down the road, heard the
dismal music of flute.
Perhaps it was this that logged my
thoughts and woke them up to my
present pass. At any rate l had not
| gone more than twenty yards before
turned and made for the door. The
people might have given me nights
lodging in the clubhouse. At any rate
they would not refuse q crust to stop
the fast which had not broken since
morning. tapped gently with my
knuckles on the door and listened.
i waited five minutes and no one
answered. The flute still continued
its melancholy tune; it was evidently
in the hands Of learner, for the air
"a dispiriting one at the best--kept
breaking off suddenly and repeating
itself. But the performer had pa
tience and the sound never ceased for
more than two seconds at time. Be-
sides this nothing was to be heard.
The blinds were drawn in all the win
dows. The glow of the candles
through them was cheerful enough,
but nothing was to be seen OF the
house inside. / knocked a second
time, and third, with the same re-
suit. Finally, tired of this, pushed
open the low gate which led into. the
garden behind, and stole around to
the back of the cottage.
Here, too, the window on the
ground floor was lit up behind its
blinds, but that of the room above was
shuttered. There was hole in the
shutter, however, where knot of the
wood had fallen out and thin shaft
of light stretched across the blackness
and buried itself in ragged yew
tree at the end of the garden. From
the loudness of the sounds / Judged
this to be the room where the flute
playing was going on. The sound of
my footsteps ON the thin soil did not
disturb the performer, so / gathered q
handful of earth and pitched it
against the pane. The flute stopped
for minute or so, but, just as | was
expecting to see the shutter open,
went on again; this time the air was
Pretty Polly Oliver"
l crept back again and began to
hammer more loudly at the door.
Come" said l, whoever this may
be inside, I'll see for myself at any
rate" and with that lifted the latch
and gave the door heavy kick. 1t
flew open quite easily Gt had not even
been locked), and l found myself in a
low kitchen. The room was empty,
but the relics of supper lay on the deal
table, and the remains of what must
have been noble fire were still
smouldering on the hearthstone.
A crazy, rusty blunderbuss hung
over the fireplace. This, with a
couple of chairs, broken bacon rack,
and small side table, completed the
furniture of the place. MOTOR as ]
sat down to make a meal off the rem
nants of supper something lying on
the lime-ash floor beneath this side
table caught my eye; stepped for
ward and picked it up. 1t was bar
rister's wig.
"This is queer business, thought
]; and laid il on the table opposite
me as l went on with my supper. II
was "gossan" wig, as we call II in
our parts; wig grown yellow and
rusty with age and wear. 1t looked
so sly and wicked as it lay there, and
brought back the day so sharply that
| q queer dread took me of being dis.