Morning journal and courier., 1894-04-21

storm toward tie mountains and thunder
ing NAughold Head.
BE watched her until the storm had hid
den her from view. Then he paced the
room for little Tina, jingling the coins
absentmindsdly in his hand. He read and
feread the whole weird missive which asked
him, In the name Of outraged helplessnsss
and every good fairy known In Mainland,
to test the old coffinmaker with the ancient
oath Of the island upon the grave of the
dead whom his infamy had wronged, and
eudeavored to form some rational judgment
of It's real source. He turned to his pas
toral letter. which held . new and pro.
found significance in the light Of his last
hours experiences. No; he could write no
further upon that. II
ST will put this aside until know more"
he said. He touched his bell, and gray /
old Kermode, the servant, Immediately ap-
"Kermode," asked the bishop, ''do you |
know Johnny Bill Oronk of St. Naushold
villsge3"
ooh, aye, cir. Th' world d be far bet
ter If he would slip into one O. tn graves
aw digs, an bids there, cir"
"Never mind now about his character,
Kermode."
cav has none, sir"
"Well, Kermode, If 1t is a pleasant day
tomorrow, wieh you to ride over to st.
Aaughold and make an opportunity to
speak to him privately without attracting
attention. Tell him I wish to see him at
once, and that 1t may be to his interest not
| to mention to any one his coming here"
Full of wise wonder and visions of honor
| and preferment, the old coffin maker was
ushered into the library of Bishops court
at noon of the second day after the visit of
Densie Quillian. The bishop stood over
him, against the fireplace. as he had done
| when the storm beaten girl had sat In the
| same chair.
''Cronk," he began quietly and almost
ruminatively, hardly knowing himself In
what direction his questioning should lead,
Ibid you ever get letter from any phyn-
noddereep
The cofin-maker was no mo.e astoundsd
by the nature of the question than was the
bishop at It's extraordinary effect.
The cunning, wariness and lurking eager
bravado of his hard old face left 1t as quick
ly "a though he had received blow. he
tried to answer, but be could not. His
hands clutched the arms of his chair, and
he seemed to have aged score of years
while the bishops question was being
asked.
"About Ballakilley, Cronka' The good
bishop knew just where to prod him now.
"Oh, aye, sir" he stammered hosrsely
at last. Then with desperate burst of
1
be mine. Galley Quillian had my good
money. I'll hs' Ballakilley. Nabuddy'n
fend 1t from mel" Here he struck the
chair. arm 90 savagely that drop Of blood
spurted from q finger end.
s'Will you make solemn oath that the
debt is justa"
II ha' done It already" he whined petu-
lently, Sin Deemster's Coort."
"Cronk, there is another oath you must
take before you can have Ballskilleyr'
: The old man scrambled out of the chair
and made for tho door, as If pursued.
( 'tCome back here INSTANTLY" command
J ed the bishop stsrnly.
He returned wsrily for few feet, and
, stood there weaving his head from side to
. aide, az q wild beast will stand and pant.
f ingly swing its head behind the bars of itt
I cage.
}. "You know the oath I meana'
The head swayed more rapidly. Its jaw
fell apart. Though they spoke no word
Q the bishop knew he was Understood.
: IT will bs at your shop at midnight or
the fourth night from this. will conn
= and go so that no one in st. Msughold'
d shall know of what you are to do. We vii
go together to Galley Quillian's grave
,; Cronk, you know the rest"
" cpl not do'tl I'll not do'tl It's n,
longer Manx law. Ballakilley be minei
1
l. quivering claw of hand instinctivel,
Is seeking the door.
:, Bishop PoHys advanced upon him grave
ly, grandly, with open, appraised hand.
d "Down upon your knees, wretch, ant
< prayl" He tumbled upon all tours grow
b elingly. "Promise me instantly that 20,
e will do this thing I command, or, I swea
1t upon my holy Office, will make thos
helpless women's cause my ownl"
1 tab
l. tax tn oathl Oh, hs pity on one that
but strivin' for his own"
l, The bishop lifted the cringtng miser t.
his feet, turned his face to the door, ant
J. babe him remember the night and the hou
ID and to 60.
Towards midnight of the fourth succeed
N ing night the village ours of St. Maughol.
g fell into clamorous frenzy at the approach
l. of slowly driven carriage wheels; Blu
h sobbing night by fits and starts-a nigh
le when the ree-boughs, whispering for
10 time, of sudden lash and sough and cry
a and az suddenly sink away to quaverin
g. plants and then to tremulous hush ant
softly restless silence.
sr Two figures soon,emerged from Johnn
81 Bill Cronk's lightless shop. One carried
IF dsrkened lantern and the other a psrce
n shaped like book The fgu.es move,
1t street to st. Maughold's churehyard gate
r its bolt was softly drawn when the two en-
y tered the forbidding place, leaving the gat
81 slightly sjar. They picked their way I'm
ID der the great Cross of st. Msughold, pas
ID tombs as old as King Orrsy's day, unde,
er meath Runio crosses whose mysteries ca
to never be fully revealed, and over the mo-
m dering bones of jsrls and kings and saints
le | to q remote spot beneath the outreachip
i ~ ovI 81
10 Here be aw grave, your worehip," q
last said Johnny Bill Cronk, shiveringly
v half hiding his dim lantern in the ran
In dead grass in the hollow at the grave side
Without further ado he stretched himsel
at full length upon the mound, with hi
re face toward the starless sky. and reache
up for the parcel his companion carried.
a. It was Bible, and the Bishop of Sudo
and Man bent forward and placed 1t upo
"a the PROSTATE coffin makers breast.
lp "Touch your hands to the hesdston
I'll above your head"
"Oh, aye, your worship"
Johnny Bill Cronk, heed we'll the war;
b. ingl Do you fully and prsyerfnlly undel
a stand the solemn and awful nature of til
n oath against the dead debtor you are abor
to takes'
ooh, aye. Make haste and ha' 1t o'e
a. your worship!"
1ue Dt6nOp neArQ low RurRto an
chuckle of laughter breaking the stillnei
of the fearsome place.
re edo you realize the terrible and endlea
y penalties upon your soul for an untrue oat
ar against the deada'
10 ooh, aye, an I'll ha' my debit"
ae "Ha, ha, hal" came mockingly from b.
hind the headstone. 1.-THE villain is lyir
ye to his bishop. This" the voice SCENE
2. to issus from the tomb itself-''is Il
70 grave of Billy Chalse, who did die in Il
q, miser's debt. Galley Quillian lies under Il
third mound to the right.
ea The phynnodderee's two sovereigns Al
Y. upon its headstonel-ha, ha, hap
The diabolical voice seemed beside then
I beneath them, above them, while the bral
op ches of the yew-trees again began the
ur wild tossing and wailings.
y, "Oh, Lord!-whst's that" gasp,
T. Cronk frenziedly, springing from Il
til mound and falling, half palsied with fes
Id into the bishops ready arms.
be 81 think Its the pbynnoddSree. You
O. have to settle with him, too, Cronk!" guile
Ill tly rejoined the bishop, taking firm twi
I'll in the miser's collar, and with the disel
an gagged hand gathering up the lantern ii
the Bible.
I'D he dragged the piteously pleading pc
jursr to the mound the voice had indicate
ep with quick glance saw two spheres
IL gold glistsniDg from the top Of it's head