The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-05-23

nave Deen pelieT bhtlsliGu 10 OCCUPY.
On went the spirited horses, while the
merry bells jingled and the steam spout
ed rhythniically in four evanescent
streams from their nostrils, and the foot
falls beat time on the hard crust. The
limitless black shadow settled down
slowly over the sea and the land. There
was growing flush in the east which
might herald coming moon, and fad
ing glow i'll the west which betokencd a
departed sun, but these were but poor
torches for wayfarer cropping in the
dark, and the stars overhead obscured
by pale mist, were puny candles
against thu observation of the deepening
gloom.
On went the mettled span toward the
faint light in the heavens made by the
distant city, held up to their steady gait
by tight rein i'll the doctors guiding
hand and encouraged by an occasional
stimulating cry. The ocean, stretching
out from the base of the cliff into the
darkness upon the right, grew more inlly
from moment to moment, and the fading
white landscape upon the left became
exceedingly slietchy and incomplete.
Still tho four spoutjng clouds of steam
and still the merry jingling of bells
upon the frosty air.
All at once there is break in the
rhythm of the hoof beats. From Il steady,
onward, atrowlike flight the sleigh sud-
denly moves latorally and almost stops
with terrific abruptness, narrowly es-
eapes ovei'turning, trembles jerks, snaps
i'll every joint and moves ahead again.
Hi whoa, there! What the deuce'--
DIR. Lamar was on his feet and his
strong arms were refining in the fright
eued horses. In another minute he was
out in tht snow, running beside thom,
clinging tp the bride. A plunge snort,
shiver, great jingling of the bells,
and the sleigh had como to standstill.
whoa, Pollyl Gently, Dollyr' said
the doctor, porsuasively strol<ing the
noses of the trembling and greatly
frightened animals, while his two COM
panions who had jumped into q snow
bank, struggled out into the road and be-
gan to put themselves to rights
Nov, what the deuce do you suppose
made those horses shy so?"
''Therd is something back there on the
road, am very positive" said Maxey.
'And II thought l saw somebody
jump ONtF lilt lellCt itill run dSIOSS tlle
field" added his sister.
''What you saw on tho road were the
old setteds on the edge of the cliff prob
ably" said DIR. Lamar "You know the
Somerset summer hotel is just back of
us here, and i'll the warm weather there
is a row of seats just above the bath
houses by the roadside. / noticed what
took to be the gangway leading down
to the beach just before the horses
jumped, .-... ....
mo, no. What saw was in the mid
die of the road, - insisted the artist
"But it's only minutes work to find
out. )" II. turned back.
/ The doctor calculated: "Pshaw, what
! does it matter? We're wasting timel'
mo; l am sure there's something
/ wrong!" exclaimed Miss Maxey.
I "Wrongm echoed tho physician.
"What im ideal You surprise me- Miss
MaXcy. didn't know you were SO cas-
lily alarmed" "
Il was right" called the voice of
/ Maxcy a littlo tremulously. "See this. I"
They limly saw him standing iii tho
road outlined against the sky, holding
up shupeloss something to theis view.
"What is it?'
"a wpman's shawl
Miss Maxey cried out in alarm: 1--WE
must go back at once. know something
is wrong Ifelt it before we reached it. +"
'Abs|udl' exclaimed the doctor.
But Miss Maxey did not wait to hear
the comment She had already rejoined
her brother. The doctor saw them ap
notwithstanding in the snow, as though
Examining the surface. Then they sepa-
rated One went toward the fence which
divided the road from the adjoining
field, the other in the direction of the
low wall which disjoined it from the
narrow strip of ground between it and
the edge of the cliff.
'Dr Lamar! DIR. Lamarl''
There was no mistaking the tenor of
this cry or its imperative nature. For
the first time the physician felt a vague
sensation of dread. He hastily made the
horses fast to the fence and went back
up the road He saw that both figures
had come together now on the other side
of the wall near the edge of the bluff.
lie came up with quick steps.
whats the matter? What is it?"
"Listenlh
Illt NHhtS Mtialltti ibhNNoiil'iN oii tIib
rocks below. T~e night wind sighed i'll
its dismal rounds. The breath of the lis
toners came quickly and audibly. There
were mo other sounds.
Il h ear nothing, !" said the physician,
"but the wash Of the sea-. "
"HiAtl What's that"
A faint cry, rising on the wind, mys.
terious, indescribable!
"a childr' cried the doctor, "or Q
dog"
Whatever it be, it has fallen oyel
the clitf, said MaXey.
His sister shuddcred, but her voice
was very calm. You forget the foot
steps and the man | saw jump over tht
fence and run away. The snow is trod
den ard trampled all :. ut us. There
ha~ been a struggle here where we ar,
standing. l am afraid for what you viii
find down there. Stay with me, Julian
and let the doctor go down. "
The doctor went down, and in littl
while he came back again.
There is something caught on /
point of rock between here and tn
beach, " he said hurriedly. Il could, b,
looking up, just see it between me am
the sky-something which futters il
the W ind. Maxey, you had better talk
Miss Ellen back to the sleigh. We nee,
a ropd and lantern at once. will rul
to the house we just passed. shall re
turn Immediately.
No doubt of that, if he maintains
the pace at which he set off.
Miss Maxey declined to go back to tn
sleigh.
Il am not coward!n she said