Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-06-08
CHAPTER Xxx.


present at least.
This night would stand out as lno'
singular event in the ordinary life Of
city physician.
II was easy for me to see that my com
panion was exceedingly well Pleased wit
his escape.
AS my hand touched bis arm | coul'
Fl el that he was trembling with cx ite
ment. although while the impendin
peril lasted he had been practically COO
There had of late come up some yer
imnortant reason when he feared TO fal
into the hands of the police | remci'
bcred that the old detective, MIR. Ketch
am. had said there was no special caus'
for this mans arrest Just now.
Yet the officers seemed going to yerl
great trouble in order to effect h's cap
ture. :.
One thing alone made me believe i
could hardly be for the murder OF DR..
Seabury he was wanted. 1t was oeneVeo
by the public that the worthy physician
had committed suicide Few peop ?
knew that d crime had occurred. Iheh
how could these ordinary police otiicefS
be in full chase after the supposed muir
dprer when the facts of the case did not
even admit of Mr.. Ketcham's believing
this man to be the guilty party?
It was incredible. l could not unite
such antagonistic facts and yet sullenly
held on to the case, not being willing to
acknowledge myself beaten.
Where were we going now?
That was O. matter which concerned
my companion more than myself.
He was walking along with his heao
bowed down, as though in deep thought
and vet when he turned to look around
him every little while, l could see his
ewes were still shining with the phos
phorescent CLEAN that had made me
compare them with the orbs OF WI O
beast hunted in the forest
As waited for him to speak, 1t was
long tim6 ere the silence was broken, Dut
at last he turned to me.
"Joslvn. we have stood by each other
nobly, so far, and I'll be hanged II ]
haven't taken decided liking to you,
but reckon the time has como for us 10
part"
"Why so, Coloncl?" I asked, throwing
grieved vein into my voice.
al would not ask you to follow where
am about to go, and yet it seems TO D.
my only chance now OF eluding IleSe
hounds until the breeze blows over and
can skip from the. city"
aHaye | refused to go with you|"
"No. no; you have stuck to M with a
warmth that commands my highest ad
miration, Joslyn."
did not seem gratiied.
81 see now how it is, Colonel You
have become tired OF my company. VOL
7 can't blame you. Let us part here"
"No, no, my friend, you misunder
stand me. Short as has been our ac
ouaintauce / have become very mucl
attached to You, moro so than ] ever re
member Of being with any man. "
could not help being Modified at this
Confession.
aTheh why do you wish to part?"
aSimnly because do not desire to drae
you with me to an uncongeuial place
when you have no reason to desire to re
main hidden"
"You don't want to be too sure abou
that. But how do you know won't FOL
low you? Try and see. If can t stan'
H. ri back out, that's oil. Besides, /
you're going into retirement for tim
you'll want to open some communication
with the outer world. | can 90 you
means of hearing what is going on."
He hesitated no longer
aJoslyn; have it your own way l an
content, if you are. Come with me, an
perhaps some day, should you be nara
pressed for secret hiding pace, yo
may be glad that you went to seek shcl
ter among the dead"
His words did not encourage me, al
though | at once accompanied him.
Among tho dead! What new advent
ure was now to befal me? All mannc
of grisly phantoms, waving their skec
ton arms in warning, seemed to rise u
and bid me keep off; but l had made Il
my mind, and it must be something NOR
terrible than Imagination that coul
keep me back now.
My curiosity would soon be satisfied.
any rate.
Houses that were quite respectable !
their appearance lined the streets.
We had halted before what SCENE
to be an old iron door, set in high wal
The sight of both made me think OF
, prison yard, and yet this was not suci
, After his usual careful search Of tn
street, tho cracksman took a key frol
his pocket, and inserted it in the lock.
Some muscular oxertion was nece
sary to turn it, but / could hear II
! tongue slide back with pondcroI
: sound.
t Then the iron door was loose, an
5 could be pushed open with slight exc
tion.
Reckoning me to follow him, my con
panon entered.
AS near as could make out we We
! in a covered way, possibly drive
some sort, which extended along In u
Q same direction as the wall.
, When we reached tho end, looking !
| could sec the blue sky
G The waving arms of great weepiI
\ willows stood between and swept up al
C down as though in mockery.
c AsI lowered my eyes | could not ne
but start, for in the darkness | Seem'
, to be surrounded by ghostly compah
|, Scores of white objects lay aroun
d their exact Dimensions and outline pen
somewhat hidden by the g goom that J;
+ like pail over all.
t I knew they were tombstones.
A cemetery in the heart OF the city
! This then was whore the hunted o''
?, clar meant to hide until the storm h'
l. subsidized and it was safe for him to a
Y pear once more.
could not but admire his shrcwdnc
in selecting such q place, whore no o
), would ever look for him.
r As \ secret den its equal could hard
he found in all the great city.