Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-07-26
nWhere does the road lead to?"

"Where does the road lead to?"
SIT leads just to the cemetery, ana
them
That's sufficient; did you tell Miss
-, the lady that has just ieIt' all
this?"
"All, except about the young man. l
forgot that till just now"
''Good. Say nothing about 1t TO any
one. Good night"
I left him and walked rapidly in the
direction of the hotel that Miss Ormsoy
had gone to; then l changed my nina
and decided to wait for her on the ROAD
to the cemetery.
Twas not long in finding a place con-
venient for my purpose. A thick ciump
OF trees growing near the roadside at
once afforded me secure retreat ana a
position from which / could watch all
who passed by without being seen my
self.
It was by this time nearly ten O'Clock,
and the road was deserted and lonely.
1t had been bright moonlight, but some
thin gray clouds were drifting across
the sky, and every now and then wouio
obscure the face of the moon. BEFORE
I,me the broad, dusty road stretched away
to where the white gravestones OF the
cemetery shone on the hill side. 1t was
a warm, sultry night, and wearied by my
exertions found the cool shade OF the
trees very pleasant.
l mentally viewed the days expert
ence to see how stood with regard TO
the mystery and what chances l had OF
solving 1t.
The c,ew had just obtained threw
new light on the situation, but did not
prove conclusively why Miss Ormsoy
had come to Maiden.
l could only think Of two reasons lor
this action on her part; the first TO ma
out what had become OF her missing
partner for the ball, Frank Holden; the
second TO find out what had become OF
the shopgirl, Miss Mason. II the hrst
! cause was the true one she must nave
known of Holden's connection with the
| shopgirl-must have known or foreseen
the result of her sending the RIBBON;
must have known that Miss Mason
wonld go to Maiden, and that Holden
would follow her; but Holden had said
that mis- fiancee had gone there to kill
herself. Did Miss. Ormsby know that
too? Then she had not inquired for him
at the station, though that proved moth
ing, because she might have taken 1t for
granted that where Miss Mason was he
would be also.
If the second canse was true, she must
still have known that Miss Mason would
go to Maiden on receipt Of the ribbon,
and again the ugly suspicion arose in my
mind that she must also know what she
went there for. But why did she follow
her? Was it to save her? Hardly, for
then she would have gone at once. Was
it to see II she killed herself? That was
pre- DOsterouS, for she could have read 1t
in the next mornings papers with much
safety and much less trouble. Either
reason left much to be proved, and
must await further developments. just
then in the distance l heard footballs,
and minute later Miss Ormsby passed
me, walking rapidly toward the grave
yard.
saw her entering 1t, and following as
quickly as | dared, crept along on my
hands and knees till | was in the shadow
of the church near by, and then raising
myself looked over into the cemetery. |
started, for found that | was within
three feet of her, but fortunately the
moon was clouded just then and she did
not see me. She was carefully searching
every nook and corner of a small lot and
was evidently looking for something.
Two Of the graves lay close together and
the little trough between them VVas in
the shadow and looked black and forbid
ding. She approached this hollow
several times, but seemed afraid OF 1t, Tor
she would draw back step or two and
stand listening. Finally she mustered
I'D courage enough TO put ont h or arT,A as
though she was going to feel IN the mol
low. But though she came very near
dipping her hand into the blacEness she
would hastily draw it back, only TO bring
il nearer the next time.
She feared to touch something, ana
vet so strongly was she attracted 10 the
something that she thought was lying IN
the blackness that she finally nerved
herself to thrust her hand down as lar
as it would go; but she touched only the
grass.
Her face bore an expression OF min
gled relief and fear-relief because her
hand Ind not touched something, fear
for what had become OF the thing that
she sought. She now arose from the
kneeling position she had assumed ana
returned as quickly as she had come to
the hotel. l followed, thinking, Tor l
now knew two more facts. | knew what
she had come to find, and / knew by the
look of fear upon her face that 1t was
not her fault that the grewsome thing
she looked for was missing, and that she
greatly dreaded lest some one else had
found it, =.
The hotel Of the town was built
around three sides of hollow square,
and while Miss Ormsby entered by The
front door came in the back way and
passed through the courtyard.
The window of private parlor in one
of the wings was open, and as l went by
I heard voices that sounded familiar
and caused me to look up. Within was
seated Frank Holden, and on his lap
none other than Miss Mason; no, there |
was wrong, for on her finger she wore
plain gold ring that had not been there
in the morning. l went into the house
with a light heart and hope that some
body else would see that scene also be-
fore the night was over.
As far as l was concerned I did not
see but that I might as well have stayed
at home. For the drama in which ] had
Internationally played prominent part
had turned out to be a comedy, and not
a tragedy as l had feared. Still, had
been used most unfairly, and had been
made tool. l was grieved and thought
l deserved some compensation. 1 deter
mined, therefore, to clear up the mystery
II possible before left Maiden; but this
knew would require strategy. So sat
down in the parlor and thought it over
| Il. q .r-hiln nnd thnn going To the Of