The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-05

which he had inherited from his grand
mother.
Ellen Maxey was "a. Since the death
Of her parents she had held the proud
though exacting position of her brothers.
housekeeper, than which there was only
one other place in the world she would
have been better satisfied to occupy.
On went the spirited horses, while the
merry bells jingled and the steam spout
ed rhythmically 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 a growing flush in the east which
might herald o coming moon, and afad-
ing glow in the west which betokened a
departed sun, but these were bat poor
torches for a wayfarer cropping in the
dark, and the stars overhead, obscured
by u pale mist, were puny candles
against the 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 a tight rein in 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 inky
from moment to moment, and the fading
white landscape upon the left became
exceedingly sketchy and incomplete.
Still the four spouting clouds of steam
and still the merry juggling of bells
upon the frosty air.
All at once there is a break in the
rhythm of the hoof beats. From n steady,
onward, arrowlike flight the sleigh sud
denly moves laterally and almost stops
with terrific abruptness, narrowly es-
capes ov%erturning, trembles, jerks, snaps
in every joint and moves ahead again.
Eli whoa, there! What the deuce
DR.. Lamar was on his feet, and his
strong arms were refining i'll the fright
ened horses. In another minute he was
out in the snow, running beside them,
clinging to the bride. Aplunge, asnort,
a shiver, a great jingling Of the bells,
and the sleigh had come to a standstill.
"Whoa, Polly! Gently, DollyI' said
the doctor porsuasively stroling tho
noses Of the trembling and greatly
frightened animals, while his two com
panions, who had jumped into a snow
bank, struggled out into the road and be-
gan to put themselves to rights.
CHOW, what the douce do you suppose
made those horses shy so?"
There is something back there on the
road, l am very positive, said Maxey.
"And II thought l saw somebody
jump over the fence and run across the
field" added his sister.
"What you saw on the road were the
old sottees on the edge of the cliff prob
ably" said DR.. Lamar. "You know the
Somerset summer hotel is just back of
us here, and in the warm weather there
is q ROY Of seats just above the bath
houses by the roadside. l noticed what
I took to be the gangwGy leading down
to the beach just before the horses
jumped"
mo, no. What l saw was in the mid
die of tho road" insisted the artist.
"But it's only q minutes work to find
out" He turned back.
The doctor circulated: "Pshaw, what
does it matter? We're wasting time!''
"No; I am sure there's something
wrong!' exclaimed Miss Maxey.
"Wrong" echoed the physician.
What an idea! You surprise me, Miss
Maxoy. Ididn't know you were so cas-
lily alarmed"
81 was right" called the voice of
MaXey a little TREMENDOUSLY. "See this. "
They dimly saw him standing in the
road outlined against the sky, holding
up q shapoless something to their view.
"What isit?"
ga woman's shawl
Miss MaXey cried ont in alarm: eve
must 90 back at once know something
is wrong. lfelt it before we reached it. "
"AbsurdP' exclaimed the doctor.
But Miss Maxey did not wait to hear
the comment. She had already rejoincd
her brother. The doctor saw them ap-
parently kneeling in the snow, as though
examining the surface. Then they sepa-
rated. One went toward the fencc which
divided the road from the adjoining
field, the other in the direction of the
low wall which disjoined it from Che
narrow strip Of ground between it and
the edge of the cliff.
"Dr. LAMAR DR.. LAMAR"
There was no installing the tenor of
this cry or its imperative nature. For
the first time the physician felt n 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.
He came up with quick steps.
whats the matter? What is itT"
"ListenP'
The waves washed lonesomely on the
rocks below. The night wind sighed in
its dismal rounds. The breath Of the lis
teners came quickly and audibly. There
were no other sounds.
II hear nothing" said the physician,
"but the wash Of the sea-"
"Histl What's that?"
A faint cry, rising on the wind, mys.
terious, indescribablel
IA childl' cried the doctor, cor q
dogl'
Whatever it be, it has fallen over
tho Cliff" said Maxoy.
His sister shuddered, but her voice
was very calm. You forget the foot
steps and the man | saw jump over the
fence and run away. The snow is trod-
den and trampled all about us. There
has been a struggle here whore we arc
standing. l am afraid for what you will
find down there. Stay with me, Julian,
and let the doctor 20 down"