Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-28

, no chance. Years afterward Chester again sought her and offered her his love and his name. It was useless, she told him sadly. She lived only for her father now and would never leave him till he died. and then she prayed she might go too. Memories like this will come up at such times in these same ''still watches of the night" Chester was in a moody frame of mind when about half an hour later he came back past the guardhouse. The sergeant was standing near the lighted entrance, and the captain called him:
 There's n ladder lying back of the colonel's quarters on the roadway. Some of those painters left it. suppose. It's wonder some of the reliefs have not broken tf.'ir necks over it going around tonight. Let the next one pick it up and move it out of the way. Hasn't it been reported!"
 Not to me, sir. Corporal Schneider has command of this relief, and he has said nothing about it. Here he is, sir. "
 Didn't you sec it or stumble over it when posting your relief, corpOral?" asked Chester.
 "No, indeed, sir. I-I think the cap tain must have been mistaken in think ing it a ladder We would surely have struck it if it had been.''
 No mistake at all, corporal. lifted it. It is long. heavy ladder, over 20 feet, should say"
 There is such ladder back here, captain," said the sergeant. but it al- ways hangs on the fence just behind the young officers quarters - bachelors row, sir, mean.''
 And that ladder was there an hour ago when I went my rounds. " said the corporal earnestly. II had my hurricane lamp, sir, and saw it on the fence plain ly. And there was nothing behind the colonel's at that hour
 Chester turned away, thoughtful and silent Without n word he walked straight into the quadrangle. past the low line of stone buildings. the offices of tle adjutant and quartermaster, the home of the sergeant major. the club and billiard room, past the long piazza shaded row of bachelor quarters and came upon the plank walk at the cor ner of the colonels fence Ten more steps, and he stood stockstill at the head of the flight of wooden stairs. There. dimly visible against the south ern sky, its base on the plank walk be- low him, its top resting upon the caves midway between the dormer window and the roof of the piazza, so that one could step easily from it into the one or onto the other, was the very ladder that half an hour before was lying on the ground behind the house
 His heart stood still. He seemed DOW erless to move, even to think. Then q slight noise roused him, and with every nerve tingling he crouched ready for a spring. With quick, agile movements. noiseless as n cat, sinuous and stcalthy as a serpent, the dark figure of a man issued from Alice Renwick's chamber window and came gliding down. One second more, and almost as noise leSsly he reached the ground, then quickly turned and raised the ladder, stepped with it to the edge of the road way and peercd around the angle as though to see that no sentry was in sight. then vanished with his burden around the corner. Another second. and down the steps went Chester. threc at a bound. tiptoeing it in pursuit. Ten seconds brought him close to the culprit-a tall, slender shadow.
 You villain! Haltr'
 Down went the ladder on the dusty road. The hand that Chester had clinch- ed upon the broad shoulder was hurled | aside There was q sudden whirl, n | lightning blow that took the captain | full in the chest and staggered him back