The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-11-30

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1 SAT- OPPOSITE CHRISTIE AND ny THE
SIDE OF MISS KEswoRT H.
papa had never bought it for me, said
Christie. And for that sympathy, what
risks of premature disclosure would |
not have run!
Levi Col borne must evidently be n
/ thorough rogue and a clever one" OBJ
served Miss Kesworth.
She rose in obedience to Mrs. Hum
ber's signal, and the dinner was at end.
| should have found it unuttera bly, for
NAL and osy but for my fair girls
| presence.
Gerald Hum Der had already been
called away or perhaps Christie would
not have uttered her thought so freely.
now took farewell saying that !
would meet Mr.. Hum ber at any rate
before leaving the neig borhood on the
morrow. But Christie refused to see
her mother-in-law's puckered eye brows
and tiny shake OF the head She
slipped out with me in 20 the old-fash-
ioned scented garden. 1t was to be only
a step, for auld lanyc syne But young
hearts direct the feet to other paths
than those of prudence, and somehow
the memory of our old walks together
was with us-walis that had meant so
much, though SO little was said-and
we strayed from the plain track to the
gate, and we were on the side of the
house that was most in gloom and the
warm, rnpremedita.c word came.
| hnlf %
dreams was made true. The fact can
be succinctly toid-a short episode; Il ife
at its zenith; Christie won.
We had forgotten Sylvester Wade
and Levi Collorne, and, greatly
feared. Gerald Hum Ter also But sud
denly Christie said.
Hugh, Cyril! What does this mean?"
We were standing in the thick shad-
ows of a laurel lush, not above u
stones throw from the library window
A feminine figure was slipping stealth
lily along the narrow line of the clipped
lawn. We both recognized the tall,
angular shape of Miss Resworth. She
halted at the south corner and stopped
low ty the window. 1t was hard to
were a case of prying or eavesdrop-
ping. But the circumstance that the
Rights were lowered within pointed to
an empty room and practically mega
tived the fancy.
My dou bt of the woman's purpose d id
not last long. l touched Christie's
shoulder to bid her still watch closely.
Miss Kesworth's form showed up dis
tinctly in the faint moon beams. She
was fixing rope ladder 1t took per-
haps two minutes, and then she fitted
back as noise lessly. But as she gained
the great path saw a white handlier-
chief wave.
"A signal!' l whispered in Christie's
ear
1t was certain that some strange
crisis was impending. and everything
indicated crime. Was Miss Kesworth
the robber?
Where is Wade?" asked, under my
breath.
Gone into the village to make in
quiries So papa said.
He should be here"
had hardly spoken when sound
like the grating of foot on gravel
caught my ears Steps We're approach
ing We covered further into the pro-
tectiug obs curity and were silent
again. A man went by between the
parterres, and had a full view. lie
turned for second, and stood to lis
ten, and felt Christie shake from eX-
cess of excitement and, like her, l
thought our hiding place was discov-
ored But he went on; Sylvester Wade,
and not Sylvester Wade. 1t was the
Wade oftenest affected and the low
gray hat, capable of taking many
shades, aud ofsuggesting many char
acters lie was OF Wade's height and
build, and, so far as / could surmise
under difficulties, was like him in face
and feature But ! was wholly per-
suaded that this man was not Sy Ives ter
Wade.
What, then, could lie a-foot but viii
lainy of the most reckless type? ]
grew queerly rigid and my hands
clenched. The detective had once
laughed in his CHEEKY fashion, as with
the confidence OF n man who was sure
10 swing the odds of trou ublesome
case over to his side, and had said to
me
Here's photograph here'-tapping
his breast pocket The odd thing is it
shows fellow who might pass for my
dou bic,
Look said Christie gently.
With catika alacrity the pseudo
Wad, WAS climbing up the rope lad