Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-07-01

with an expression of keen anxiety on
his otherwise rather fixed features
"Hellol- | cried; but as he did not
halt concluded he did not hear me.
As a second hail produced no result
spurred my weary horse up to overtaks
the stranger. But though the gray re-
sponded with an alaerity most COM
mendable under the circumstances, I
soon found that this strange pedestrian
did not intend TO let me catch up With
him Not that he hurried himself He
seemed without any exertion to keep
good Is feet between us. Then began
TO wonder how, with the intense dark.
ness shutting me in as four black walls,
was yet able to see my strange COM
panion so clearly, to take in the details
of his dress, and even the expression Of
his face, and that at distance more
than twice my horses length when
could hardly see his head before me.
am not given to superstitious fancies,
and my only feeling was of curiosity.
When attempt after attemptto overtake
the stranger had failed / took mercy
ON my jaded horse, and resolved to fol-
low my unsociable guide. as he must
have some definite destination.
We went on in silence for some half
an hour, when as suddenly as he had ap-
peared he was gone. i looked around
for him, half afraid, from his instant
and complete disappearance, that had
been dreaming, when l perceived that
was close to a small, low building of
some sort. reined in, and shouted sew
erat times, but not the slightest response
could hear, and at last / rode boldly
up and tapped on the wall with the butt
of my riding whip. Then, as this elic-
tied no sign of life, l concluded that
had stumbled on some deserted house,
or that it was the abode of my eccentric
friend; so, dismounting and tying the
gray, resolved to spend the rest of the
night under a roof, or to find some good
reason for continuing my journey.
felt my way along the wall till reached
a door, and trying this and finding that
it yielded to me, stepped inside, strik
ing a match as l did so. Fortunately
carried my matches in an air tight case,
and as it was dry the one / struck gave
me light at once. found myself in
large room close to a fireplace, over
which rude shelf was placed, and on
this mantel / saw an oil lamp, TO which
/ applied my match as l looked about
me.
On the hearth was heaped quantity
Of ashes, and over these crouched
child, little girl of five or six. At the
other end of the room, which was
plainly and scantily furnished. lay a
man across a bed, and as / raised the
lamp j saw that he was the same / had
been following; but there was some
thing in his attitude and face that struck
me as peculiar, and / was about to &C
forward and look at him when the child,
who had at first seemed dazed by the
light, fairly threw herself upon me.
Have you anything for Nelly to eat?"
she said, and then began to cry. "Oh,
Nelly 50 hungry"
/ ran my hand into my pocket and
drew forth what had been paper bag
of chocolate candy, but was now a
pulpy, unappetizing mass must con
fess to a childish fondness for sweet
meats, which l usually carry in some
form about me- handed the remains
Of my days supply to the child, and
then walked over to the bed Yes, it
was the same man, red beard, rough
clothes, but setting off the magnificent
frame to perfection; the same man, but
dead, long dead.
/ took his hand only to find it stiff
and cold, while his face had the dull,
gray aspect never seen in the newly
deal As | stood gazing down on him
little hand touched mine.
"Nelly so hungryl" said the child.
"Have you eaten all the candy?"
asked her.
@Yes, yesl But me hungry, for me
had no dinner, no brekkus, no supper,
and papa won't get up.
The house, which consisted Of the
large room, smaller kitchen, and
shed, where l found quantity of hay
and fodder, seemed quite bare of food,
but by dint of searching in the hay !
discovered nest, which Nelly informed
me was there, and in it two fresh eggs.
These boiled for her. When she had
finished soothed her to sleep on bed
/ made for her before the fire. Then,
after put my horse in the shedroom
and fed and watered him, performed
as well as / could a service for the dead
When day dawned was able to dis
cern at some distance from the house
line of telegraph poles, and taking the
child with me, l followed these to the
nearest town, where / informed the
authorities of the death.
The dead mans name was Frederick
Barnstaple. He was an Englishman, SO
found, a recent arrival in those parts.
His daughter was restored to her family
across the water, and is now a pretty
girl of IL. ] have never told this story
before, but / am ready to take an affi-
davit TO its truth. 1t all happened
about 80 miles from Dallas