Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-05-31
comnosltion.

of the composition. OF the
separate capitals L occurred twenty-five
times, c seventeen times, Il six, 5 five
and + four times. All this was very
puzzling, and was TO be elucidated, if at
all, only after prolonged study, of which
Keppers brain, at this iuncture, was
far from being capable. Meanwhile
the hOuSemaid knocked at the door and
summoned him to breakfast. He re-
placed the cipher in his pocket and
went down.
After eating heartily he went back TO
his room and slept until the middle of
the afternoon. Then, after dining, he
took the road again, and in the course
of couple of hours arrived at a town
on the shores of Long Island Sound. On
the wharf couple of men were just
preparing TO put out in catboat. KEEP
pei asked them wither they were bound.
ITO Port Jefferson, one of them an
Swered.
"What will you ask for setting me
acroSs?" inquired Keppel.
How does dollar strike yOu?"
Done said Keppel, and he got on
board.
He had no idea why he was going to
Port Jefferson, but he felt impelled TO
60 somewhere, aud thought he would
feel more secure in the comparative
wilderness of Long Island than in a
large town. Perhaps he might get
temporary employment with some farm
er, or he might find captain of Il fish
ing smack to ship him for cruise.
When he was boy ia New Eng and he
had lived near the SeaShOre and had
learned how TO sail boat.
The wind blew from the southwest,
and the catboat started out on the star
nation. In two hours the coast was
close on board; they ran into the harbor,
and Keppel having paid his dollar,
Jumped ashore. 1t was then within an
hour or so OF Sunset-a warm, quiet
evening. He set out 10 walk ut
haphazard, and soon found himself fol-
lowing a narrow track through an APP
parently interminable growth OF small
pine and oak. Once in a while he passed
a lonely farmhouse; but though he was
getting tired and hungry again he could
not make up his mind to ask for shelter.
Night came on and found him still
tramping onward, with woods on either
hand. But as the darkness increased
the path seemed 10 fade away and be-
come obliterated and he was soon
stumbling through thick underbruSh.
The boughS and twigS whipped his face
and the briars caught his feet. Stagger-
ing forward, exhausted and impatient,
he felt his feet sinking in amuddy oOze,
and discovered that he was on the Dor
derS of swamp. He turned to the right
and began TO skirt along its border; but
again and again he narrowly escaped
plunglng neck and ears in the treacher-
Gus moraSs. Frogs croaked on all sides
and mosquitoes buZzed around his head,
He lost all sense of direction, and
thought only of putting one foot before
the other. Often he fell, but scrambled
up again and CROPPED onward. Which
ever wayne turned the swamp seemed
&c lie in wait for him. He thought: at
will swallow me up in the end. And il
was for this that ecaped from the rail
road wreck"
just then he stumbled up slope, and
his feet trod on trmer ground. The
bushes and trees thinned away. Look
ing up he saw before him black, rec
tangular mass. He drew nearer; it was
house. There was no light in the
windows. 1t seemed ruinOuS and de-
serted. But it was a human habitation,
and would suffice. He passed around
the corner and found the door; it yield
ed to his hand. He entered, land felt
his way along the partition Of the hall
way TO another door on the left. Pass
ing in he saw a CLEAN of light through
la crevice in front of him. In another
moment he had crossed the floor and
was standing on the threshold of an in
ner room.
There was low bed against the OPP
posite wall At its head stood Il table,
on which was lighted candle and some
small bottles. The furniture of the
room was wretched in the extreme and
/ the atmosphere foul and sitting.
On the bed was stretched the gaunr
and CHASTITY figure of n man, who, Il;
Keppel appeared, raised himself with
difficulty on his left elbow, and with nj:
right hand leveled revolver at the in
truder. The glare of his sunken eyes
was appalling, aud his hand shook Sc
that the pistol wavered from side tC
side. Halt. or 1 shoot you" he said,
with strong foreign accent.
Don't shoot" cried Keppel, lifting
his hand. Il mean you no harm. I'm
faintiLg from fatigue and hunger.
must eat and sleep"
The man lowered mis- weapon. "Ah
il is no ghost, them" he muttered il
French, and sank back on his pillow.
Keppel approached and looked dow
on him. He seemed all skin and bone
his hair grew disorderly on his forehead
and the lower part of his face was GOV
cred with three weeks Stubble of REQ
beard. His skin was dark yellow, his
lips black aud parched. Keppel had
never seen the yellow fever, but heper-
ceived that the man was dying. he
had arrived at this deserted spot in
time TO behold the curse Of Maurice
Solange fulfilled upon the thief who
| had betrayed him.
CHAPTER VII.