Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-12-13

the finger-tips were stained and brown.
Altogether, it vas villanous hand
"gallows hand, as the doctor NUT.
tered to himself; and thss. something
in the pulses beat caught his attsn-
tion. At the end OF half minute be
relaxed his grasp, aud the hand was
snartly withdrawn.
At the same moment the Doctor Q
own hand went swiftly upwards to his
head. There was tug at the reins,
aud old Dapple came to q standstill
with sprawl that almost fetched him
back on his launches.
My hat is gonel' exclaimed the
Doctor.
Sure enough it wss. As he pesred
after it into the moonlight, he saw a
black sreck t-xvel horizontally away
across the heath for some twenty
yards, and then drop gracefully a.
gaiust dark clump of furzs bushes.
My hat 10 gone. repeated he.
His companion did not bulge, hard
ly SO much as turned glance, but sat
a. before. shivering and dumb.
Would you mind jumping down
and fetching it? 1t lies yonder a.
mong the furze, ventursd the Doctor
politely.
Cant you do without it?' Wa. the
reply. The voice was husky and the
tone ungracious.
No, l can not
Then why not get it yoursel:? I'll
hold the horse.
Because l do not choose The
Doctor was beginning to lose his
temper. Damn it, madam! manners
are manners, but remember this ia my
gig
Curse your hatl' was the answer,
muttered under the speakers breath.
But the figure rose, nevertheless, and
set one foot on the step.
Hand me down my bag. if I'm to
go for it. Manners may be manners,
but they're one thing and trustings e
another.
The stranger climbed out and stood
beside the step. with one hand holding
on to the edge of the foot-board.
Come, hand down my bag
For answer, DR.. Unonius lifted his
foot and brought it down suddenly on
the OBTAINING hand, grinding his heel
savagely into the fingers. Almost at
the same moment the lash fell over
Dapplss launches. There was a yell
of pain, wild curse, Q scattering OF
hoofs. and the old horse, unaccustor, :
ed to the whip and well-nigh scared
out Of his senses, plunged forward into
the night.
For a minute or so, DR.. Unopius, as
he called and piled the lash alternate
ly, fancied hs heard above the rattle
Of the gig and clattsr of Dappls' g
gallop the sound Of footsteps pursuing
him down the hard road. It died
away, however. and indeed the horse
was fairly beside himself with terror,
and tore along as though the devil sat
behind the dash. board.
At the end OF two miles, and before
the road left the skirts of the moor to
dip towards the hollow where lay the
little town and his home, the Doctor
thought fit to pull up and breathe him
bit. They were between hedge:
now, with the wind behind them and
the moon w.ll upon the right, casting
a deep shadow halfway across the
road.
For several minutes the Doctor
gaze had dwelt with curiosity on the
csrPet-bag in front Of him. He felt
some little squeamishness at first about
exploring it, but impatiencs and 9
recollection Of that villainous grip, s'
wei! as of the figure upon Fiddler,
Acre, got the mastery. Setting old
Dsppls at a walk, he leaned forward
ard drew the bag up to his knee.
The carpst-bag was old and soiled
with mud, the handles black and
fraysd with use. 1t was secured by q
trass losk now coated green with YER
digris, and a rusty key on q tag o.
whipeord depended from one Of the
handles. This key the Doctor fitted
into the lock aud turned.
He plunged his hand deeply into
tue bag and drew out g long horse
pistol. thea a saw, two horu-hsndled
knives, a flannel shirt, a bunch q
keys. powier-h4.k, and hslf-a-yard
or leas Of Grape. Finally. and from
the bottom OF the bag, be pulled forth
O small bundle.
he~bundle was wrapped around in
. coarse bit Of linen aud tied with q