Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-20

thick underground Of furze and thorn
which enclosed the spot where lay the
rigid body, with its down turned face
hideous and stained with earth and
blood.
He reached tho thick growth Of bush,
which stretched for some distance on
either side Of the spot where he stood, not
knowing exactly what he did. His pulses
were beating violently with pleasant feel.
ings of excitement and confusion, IN
which half-formsd thoughts rushed wild.
ly through his brain, always breaking of
before and confounding themselves with
one central Impressions girl with great
dark eyes and flushing and paling tints
in her cheeks. He turned aimiessly aside,
and, skirting tho thick growth Of thorn,
passed round into the glado beyond.
When he first saw tho man lying there,
it did not excite much feeling In his
heart, except the natural shock that
death must bring to the most hardened.
John Smith was by no means hardened,
though Of late, among tho lawless men
with whom his lines had been cast, he
had grown almost accustomed TO SEQ
death follow fast on active, boisterous
life.
This man was dead--the first. glance
told him that, even before he ran with
swift, long strides to his side. Somehow,
he felt very sorry for this man, as sorry
as he would have been long ago, when
his heart was still fresh, generous, aud
unhardened by contact with the callous
recklessness of a wicked world. Ho be-
gan to wonder, In the samo vague dis.
turbed fashion in which he had been
thinking since he left her, whether this
man had ever cared for any woman, or
IL any woman had over cared for him.
He was wondering about this as no
reached tho rigid, ghastly thing. when
something familiar In II, horribly famil-
lar, seemed to make his blood run cold.
With swift movement ho turned the
dead mans disfgured faco up to the
skies. There it lay--its eyes staring
dreadfully upwards, as il pleading for
vengeance-its lips parted still, as when
the execration had died upon them.
John Smith stared down at II stupidity
for some moments before his eyes began
to take in other things. Half hidden by
the mans arm was something that looked
like limp rag. Mechanically he pulled
it out, and inspected 1t curiously, though
all the time he felt he would rather do
anything than touch that red saturated
thing. 1t was a womans handkerchief,
marked in the corner with monogram,
"E. s."
Her name was Elaine! She had laughed
at having such romantic title, when
among other things they had discussed
names Tho conversation had arisen
through his telling her that his name was
John Smith, which he had said was con-
venient, because 1t had nothing distin.
guishable about it, it might belong to a
villain or an honest citizen! Sho had
laughed, and said she hoped no was the
latter.
1t was some time before he returned TO
the spot where they had breakfasted, for
it took him some minutes to hide the
handkerchief as safely as he wished.
He found her pacing restlessly to and
fro. There was great change in her
face, which was no longer lighted up
with laughter, but was hard, haggard
bitter.
She was too absorbed In her thoughts
TO hear him approach. and he made no
sound to warn her The power TO utter
a commonplace in order TO arouse her at.
tention had gone from him. So it hap
pened that sho caught sight of him sud
denly when he was close to her. Ho
saw the look of startled horror that sud.
denly distorted her beautiful face; then
she looked at him for moment in an
uneasy. questioning, confused fashion
that sent pang of anguish to his hea, j..
"What a long time you have bcenW'
sho exclaimed with n forced laugh,
though that look Of terror never left hei
eyes. "Have you seen or heard anything
remarkable"
"No," he said; but his eyes dropped
before hers, and the hand that held the
rife, as it rested on the ground, trem.
bled.
She saw his confusion, and drew in
her breath sharply as though with sud
den pain. There was moments silence,
which he broke by saying;
81 think we had better be pushing on"
He spoke moro naturally-it was such "A
relief to turn to ordinary topics. "Your
friends will have reached Deadmans
Flat by this time"
She had told him that the friends she
had been separated from would be sure
TO go straight there. He remembered
now that she need have no fear of going
there, even alone, for her enemy lay
few hundred yards from them, power
less ever to return.
81 shall watt sho replied, flushing
and trembling from head to foot.
mot here" He interrupted her i'm
petuously, thinking no more of the MUIR
der, only of her great danger. Suppose
that body were found and she in its
neighborhood? There were stern judges
at Deadman's Flat, and the law was en-
forced there now with q severity in pro-
portion to the terrible lawlessness that
had prevailed only a year back. "Let
me take you to a place Of safety. You
can trust me, can you not?'
You had better have nothing 10 do
with me-" she said bitterly. go on and
leave me-"
He would not listen TO her, however,
and continued his cntreaties till her face
flushed hotly with anger.
II thought you were a gentleman
she exclaimed, "and would not force
"As you WISH" ho interposed con-
strainedly.
lie then began to pack up his belong.
ings, which were few, and, with the dex-
terity Of man accustomed TO knocking
about, they were speedily thrown to-
gether. Too soon, indeed; for, now that
the moment of parting had come, no
realized how painful it was to him. He
was bewildered at the thought that this
woman, who had come into his life only
just before the dawn of that day, should