Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-08-29
CHAPTER xI-Continued.

PhAuiueu note ana the Otherwise scented
scrawl-and compared them carefully.
They were unquestionably the. work of one
and the same hand.
How about that stupid confoundine
verdict now" exclaimed Jocelyn, with d
little pardonable triumph in his tone.
Still / don't understand it." cried Doc
striking the table with his fist.
I'm afraid we shall have to confess that
we are cornered," said /, looking at him
with a puzzled expression. Our theor,
Is weakened, at any rate"
An open confession is good for the
soul, said Jocelyn, good humoredly. DE.
pend upon 1t the villain we're after is q
deep one. Soon after writing me thai
scrawl, and being seen in Astoria, he mus
have hurried back here in his own proper
person. He had time enough to make the
change"
Yes, but his purpose?" said Doc. "He
must have known the risk he ram"
can only account for it on the suppo-
sition that he is connected with criminal
associations here, in way to compel his
occasional presence in New York, In spite
OF the risk, said Jocelyn.
What do you propose as the next bes,
mover" said Doc, deferentally, for, in
view OF his services, it would now have
been worse than irrational to exclude him
from our counsels.
The following up of this tramp clew,
without reference to what has happened
this evening, replied Jocelyn, promptly.
But should one of us two take that M
while the other remains here to look after
Marchmont HIMSELF" said Doc still in the
tolls of the complication.
You forget, said /, smiling, that we
have just about determined them to be one
and the same person. No; we had better
both start for Astoria to- morrow, see Jack
| man. and then follow up the tramp clew
Come and pass the night at my cottage; we
can have an earlier breakfast than here.
and then set out together"
This was agreed to, Mr. Jocelyn heartily
concurring in the plan.
In the meantime, hope you will keep
me advised, said he, as we were taking
our departure. BY the by. with a glance
at me, "you will see by to -morrow's papers
that an extra thousand dollars has been
offered for the arrest and conviction of the
murderer"
But the estate has already offered
twenty tive hundred reward, said Doc. in
surprise.
Does tina, prevent me Offering a thous.
and more out OF my private means?" was
the quiet response.
Mr. Jocelyn," exclaimed Doc, suddenly
grasping his hand with good deal of feel
ing, Il cheerfully retract anything offensive
l may ever have said or thought of YOU"
In few moments Doc and | were on
our way across the garden, when l re-
marked upon bright light appearing at
the library window.
1t is Jocelyn OF work, said Doc, in re-
ply. After considerably asking the &C.
quiescence of Lulu and me, he has quietly
installed himself in my grandfather's
study and bedroom, and even in the easy
chair in which he was found murdered
He must have nerves of iron."
AS we entered upon the long. lonesome,
partly built up street on which The Spider
had its suspicious location, we saw q
swoman preceding us at some little distance,
walking rapidly. The open grounds di-
rectly across the way from The Spider
were also sunken several feet below the
surface of the street-or, rather, the street.
grade had been raised above the lots on
either side-and formed q rather barren
tract OF disused lots, grown here and
there with stunted trees and bushes, and
with the remains of building foundations
that had never progressed much beyond a
beginning.
1t was Q deserted and neglected spot, es-
pecially at night-in fact quite in forbidr
ding accordance with the other side of
the road back of The Spider, upon which
the gloomy simmer of the tide water en-
croached. Yet the woman preceding us,
when directly opposite the street lamp at
The Spider. suddenly turned, descended
the bank, and disappeared in the waste
lots.
AS she did SO her form was fully out
lined by the rays from the lamp, and Doc
simultaneously paused and clutched my
arm with convulsive grip.
That form! that walk" he gasped
DO you not recognize her?"
hesitated to reply. / had certainly
woman's dress, build and general bearing
and what remembered of the street ap-
pearance of Miss Marion Digby, whom /
had known by sight for some time previous
to making her personal acquaintance; but
recalling the inuendo brought against her
by Eunice, and that my companion wasun-
questionably in love with her, I was 10th
to echo his suspicious.
Heavens! you remember how white she
turned when Eunice charged her with
with-Hai the word chokes mel" gasped
Doc again. "And yet that is She Marion
Digby herself"
we nave not seen her meet any one"
said I, evasively.
~Come" he continued, dragging me
along in the shelter of the roadside trees
I'll follow this up, spying or no spying
III know the worst, if it kills mel"
When we had gained the naples, from
the shadow of which we had recognized
De Marchmont several hours before it
was now about eleven o'clock-we could
make out the figure of the woman moving
cautiously over the waste-lots below until
she reached clump of bushes and small
trees near the mouth of a disused sewer or
drain that ran underneath the road almost
at our feet. There she came to a pause.
end was almost Immediately Joined by the
figure of man, who slipped out of the
shadows to meet her.
They were together out of our view for
some moments, during which | could
Judge Of my companions sufferings by his
hard breathing Then the woman again
appeared, and continued at a rapid pace
across the lots toward newly graded
street on the further side, while the man
also reappeared, and came sauntering di-i
rectly toward us.
We drew behind tho naples as he ascend
ed to the road, crossed it, and then went
down the steps into The Spider.
His face was fully exposed to the lamp
8s ne passed under it. 1t was a dark.
troubled looking face, but it, nevertheless.
To the new r,ronr;af,r ne A.