San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-13
forgot that lii idst now. ::

| left him and walked rapidly in the
direction of the hotel that Miss Ormsby
had gone to; then l changed my mind
and decided to wait for her on the road
to the cemetery.
Twas not long in finding place con-
vsnienr for my purpose. a thick clump
Of trees growing near the roadside at
once afforded me secure retreat and
position from which l could watch all
who passed by without being seen myself.
1t 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 would OBJ
scure the face of the moon. Before me
the broad, dusty road stretched away to
where the white gravestones of the GEM
etery 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.
mentally viewed the days experience
to see how | stood with regard to the
mystery and what chances had of solv-
ing it.
The clew had just obtained threw
new light on the situation, but did not
conclusively prove why Miss Ormsby had
come to Maiden.
could only think OF. two reasons for
this action on her part; the first to find
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. If the first
cause was the true one she must have
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
would go to Maiden, and that Holden
would follow her; but Holden had said
that his fiance 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 it for
| granted that where Miss Mason was he
would be also.
If the second cause were 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 if she had killed herself?
| That was preposterOus, for she could have
read it in the next mornings papers with
much more safety aud much less trouble.
Either reason left much to be proved,
ami must await further developments.
Just then in the distance | heard foot
falls, and "a minute later Miss Ormsby
passed me. walking rapidly toward the
graveyard.
Isaw her enter it, 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 was in
the shadow and looked black and forbid
ding. She approached this hollow several
times, but seemed afraid of it, for she
would draw back a step or two and
stand listening. Finally she mustered
up courage enough t. put out her arm as
though she were going to feel in the hol-
low. But though she came very near
dipping her hand into the blaclineSs she
would hastily draw it back, only to bring
it nearer the next time.
She feared to touch something. and
yet so strongly was she attracted to tho
something that she thought was lying IN
the blacllness that she finally nerved Ier-
self to thrust her hand down as far rs it
would go; but she touched only tho
grass.
Her face bore an expression of mingled
relief and fear-Telief because her hand
had not touched something, fear for
what had become Of the thing that she
sought. She now arose from the lneel-
ing position she had assumed and re-
| turned as quickly as she had come to the
hotel. | followed, thinking, for l now
knew two more facts. | knew what she
had come to find and knew by the look
of fear upon her face that it was rot her
fault that the grewsOme thing she looked
for was missing, and that she greatly
dreaded lest some one else had found 1t.
The hotel of the town was built around
three sides of hollow square and while
Miss Ormsby entered by the front door
I came III 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