The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-31

".
Inc coast guardsrnen and their wives
were the only individuals who exhib.
tied any interest, and even their en-
cltement was faint and evancscent.
like the movements of fish in u shall
low and unwholcsome pool
But the really extraordinary part of
the whole affair was the conduct OF
Matt herself. Apparently quite cured
of her former rcpugnancc to n union
with Monk, she made no objection
whatever to the performance of the
ceremony, and laughed merrily when
she was informed that the day was
fixed. Monk, in his grim, taciturn
way was Jubilant. He came to and
fro constantly. and assumed the man.
ncrs OF lover. Had he been less bent
on one particular object, two things
might have struck him as curious:
W That Matt, though she had con-
sentcd to marry him, steadfastly re-
FUSED to wear his ring or accept any
other presents; and (2) that she still
shrank, with persistent and ill-dis-
guised dislike, from his caresses
1T was now late in the month of
August and the weather was broken
by troublous winds and a frctful
moon. For several weeks William
Jones, in his mortal terror, had re-
trained from visiting the cave; lie had
never set his foot therein, indeed.
since the night of the assassination.
AT last he could bear the suspense no
longer. Suppose some one else had
discovered this treasure, and robbed
him? Suppose some subtcrranean
change had oblitcrated the landmarks
or submerged the cavcrn Suppose a
thousand dreadful things! Tired of
miserable supposition, William de-
termined, despite his terror, to make
sure.
SO late one windy and rainy night
he stole forth with his unlit lantern
and tough, his way in the teeth of
half gale to the familiar place, which
he found, however, with some little
difficulty. He was neither supcrsti-
tious nor imaginative, but throughout
the journey he was prey TO namcless
tcrrors. Every gust of wind went
through his heart like knife; every
sound of wind or sea made the same
heart stop and listen. Only supreme
greed and miserly anxiety led him on.
But at last he gained the cave, within
which there was sound as of clashinr
lcSions, clarions shricllinr. drums
beating, all the storm and stress of the
awful waters clashing on the cliffs
without, and boiling with unusual
screams through the black slit be-
tween the cave and the DEVILS Cal
dron.
trembling, with perspiration stand
ing in great beads on his face, he
searched the cave for the corpse of the
murdered man. expecting to find it
well advanced in accommodation.
Strange to say. however. it had dis
appeared.
William Jones was at once relieved
ana alarmcd-rclicvcd because he was
spared horrible experience; alarmed
because he could not account for the
disappearance. a little reflection.
however, suggested that one of those
tidal waves so common on the coast
might have risen well up into the
cavern, washed away the body from
its place on the shingle and carried il
away III the direction of the Cal(lron.
I'm which case" he reflected, ''them
coast guard chaps would find il some
day among the rocks or on the shore
and think it had been drowned in the
way of natur."
Satisfied that everything else was
undisturbcd. he retired as hastily as
possible. scaled up the entrance To the
cavern and ran hastily home.
The morning of the marriage camc-
Il 1ine sunny morning. An open dog
cart belonging to Monk, and driven by
one OF his servants, stood at William
Jones door, and close to it n light
country cart borrowed by William
Jones himself from neighboriner
farmer. The population. consisting of
an aged coast guardsInan, two coast
guardsmcnS' wives and half n dozen
detected children, crowded in front of
the cottage.
Inc bridegroom. attired in decent
black, with flower in his buttonhole.
stood waiting impaticntly in the gar-
den. Despite the festive occasion he
mad IL gloomy and hang-dog appear
nnce, Presently there emerged from
the door William Jones, attircd in =,
drowned scaman's suit several sizes
too large for him, and wearing chin
ney-pot hat and Il white rosettc. Lean
ing ON his arm was Matt. dressed
in dress OF blue silk, newly made for
her, out of damaged materials supplied
by Jones, by one of the coast-guard
women, light straw hat with bluc
ribbons to match, and light lace
shawl Behind this pair hobbled vii
liam Jones father whose costume was
nautical, like his sons, but more dam
aged and who also sportcd chimney
pot hat and a white roscttc.
The crowd gave a feeble cheer. Matt
looked around and Smi1p1 b,,t ,,;nr,o1
wish her smile there was n kind of