The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-03-30


hrOach them delicately TO Checketts. He
l. an Intelligent instrument, not without
certain originality of suggestion, which
| have sometimes found useful"
That very afternoon Mr.. Van Blarcom
and the secretary encountered one anoth-
er in the garlcn.
How 10 warm dav," said the for
rupting his stroll.
"Nery warm, Mr.. Van Blarcom,H re-
piled Chekctts, as he acknowledged the
salutation with 4 respectful bow, and
passed on his way
Hard by the gardener was trimming
grass border, and OF course, heard these
brief remarks interchangcd.
Hes mighty high and naughty, is Mr.
Van Blarcom," the man thought, rs he
piled his shears. But, lord! we're all
alike Click, click "Pride'S natural
10 human beings, l suppose-I've got q
lot o il myself, l know" Click, click
MIR. Van Blarcom looks down on the
secretary - click, click )-"tnd the sec
retary looks down on the likes of me-
iclick. click - "and l loops down on
somebody else" (click, click -"and
death looks down on he whole shoot of
Us, and makes us all smooth and level
one as b;g as another-just like I'm cut
! ting this here clover" Click, Click
But il the philosophical gardener had
been AT the other extremity OF the
grounds quarter OF an hour later he
would have been astonished to see the
naughty harOnct's arm linked familiar
! " in that of the secretary'S, from whose
face all expression OF humility had disap-
peared-
I'VE will finish our cigars In the
haunted bower" Checketts observed.
Few people but ourselves care 10 pens
frate lis convenient Shalp'
1t Is = gloomy hole" remarked the
other; always gives me n touch of the
horrors Ii | were superstitious | should
| be in deadly fear of seeing the celebrated
ghost BY the way, do you know uIc
exact storyg
Only the outline. Some ten years BE-
| fore Davenport purchased the property
2 jealous husband shot his wife throug
! the heart IN this very spot, whittier he
had tracked her with her lover. Don
Juan managed 10 escape, and the hus-
| band disappeared probably in pursuit
| Neither Of them have ever been h-a.ri
| OF since, SO perhaps they succeeded IN
wip;u. one another effectively from the
face OF the earth. The spirit OF the mur-
dered lady is said to hover perpetuallv in
and around the bower, and never heard
that anyone was very anxious to dispute
her right Of undivided possession until
We took 4 fancy for fumigatIng the place
with the fragrant weed
Il wonder Davenport has not bad it
cut down long ago"
Il don't He Is In no way nervous
about ghosts
BY this time the two men had entered
the arbOr.
1t was small, leafy bower az the end
OF i short ZiEZIg grove of trees, situated
IL a rather neglected and wreiv corner
which iIbble, the gardener, never visi-
ted more than he could help. The inter
lor OF the arbor contained = worm-caycn,
rustic bench, and IN OAK table u the
same design. hali-covcred with mos. A
chill and earthly air Pervaici the place,
even on that warm June day, and Mr.
Van Blarcom gave perceptiDle slUlder
as he stepped inside.
Ugh 1t > like walking Into tomb"
I he said.
"As silent and as safe replied Check
etts. a man may open his mouth here
| without talking in parahles. Is th .rc
any danger OF old Davenport Withdrawing
/ from the prosecution ~
'None whatever. ! spoke to him on
4 the subject this morning, and, growing
| virtuously indignant, told him imperious-
! " il Was his duty TO do so, upon which he
| set up his obstinate back, sus | knew ha
would do, and informed me that | might
| Just :is well avoid wasting my breath.
! thc room and banging the door"
The old fool Will break up when It is
! all over. ! see signs of IL already"
$50 much the better Tor Us. We shall
| reap our harvest all the sooner. The
! probability of his speedy decea~s. entered
! into our calculations, believe
Il have been thinking" said Check
| ettS, slowly, that in case ANYTHING I'M
foreSeen should turn Up at the trial, or
-.
| OF all evidences that migt confirm any
| possible suspicious against oars Ives.
! Lawrence i defended by BcllcrblOw. vOu
remcmbc-; and Brllcrblow Is devil 1T
| REORGANIZATION"
/ TO what evidences do you refer 30
I'm the the first place, l have the key
of the sake still IN my possession"
Idiot! l thought you had flung il into
! the North River"
] There WIS no hurry. But I'll hand
il over To You, and you can dispose of it
! yOursclf-my time Is more occupied than
! yours. IhcI there are n few mcmor-
anla relatin. to the roundabout way by
which We got the check cashcd at Mon
| trcal; the acknowledgment that you owe
me large sum OF money, payable on
certain contingencies, and, finally, a doc
/ umcnt held 10y you which would comp
romise my iaIr fame should It f.ll INFO
| other hands"
"You mean the draft you once forged
! upon my own bankers >"
| Il do. That error occurred a long time
ago, since which We have learned TO un-
derstand one another. There shouII bc
no sore feeling upon that point, Mr. Van
| Blarcom. The boat VIC are in II present
is SO heavily freighted that every bit of
useless lumber must be thrown over
board. For once in our lives, al least, we
| must trust 10 the principles of mutual
honor and cood-faith. The papers must
be destroyed, one and all, and the key
must be buried beneath the North River
mud"
Il agree with you-it must be done
| / am going TO New York to-day. imme. IL
ately alter dinner, and shall not return
! until tomorrow evening Then l will
! pay you 4 late visit in your rooms where
/ you viii wait up for me, a. usual and
! We will together burn the whole proofs OF
any connection between us. As TO the
! KEY, l will get rid of it effectually"
so be il. | shall breathe more freely
! afterwards. One never knows what NAV
happen as long Us one Is under the sha-
! dow OF a poiice-court. II is we'll TO reduce
/ all risks TO a minimum Dear me- Why,
| Mr.. Van BlarcOm, what on earth Is the
matter with you j.? Are you i'll ?''
The face OF the man he spoke..to had
| suddenly assumed deadly paleneSs-
I great drops OF peIsplratlOn sprang from
his forehead, his teeth chartered, and his
knees shook under him.
Look !" he whispered, As he raised 8
trembling finger and pointed 10 the fur-
| ther extremity of the haunted bower.
| Checketts turned his glance in that di-
| rectlon, and saw q PAIR Of egeS-nothing
more. A supernatural pair OF eyes, stand
Ing forth ont Of the darkness, alone and
fading away into the gloom Immediately.
A terrible pair OF eyes that regarded him,
| in that instant, with 8 flash of awful
menace, such as nothing human appeared
! capable of expressing