The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-18

into tho moist earth. Then | wnitcl
lill | heard tho sound oil hnrrying iuut
bsalnd me, whom | dug IN largo piece
OF earth mud flung II To ono aldo. =
a ga4p OF irrcprcs'ibIo diamay utcrOd
almost IN my oar warned mo 10 dasist,
and turning round saw two young
women standing not ilvO iout away.
with Wide staring owes and hands
clutchGd ovor their breasts that painted
with something moro than tho Uilort OF
running.
Ono Apokcas I looked up.
"What nro YOU doing hGre?" shn cried.
You have no right to dig in our
woOds."
| hnStoGcd to apologize. ~ am sur.
voyor," said |. 81 meant no harm,
assure you. merely want to drive n
stake hUrc."
"But why lcrO?' crlad on. tho other.
rs thoto no other place IN nil those
woods that yon should plant yonr spauo
in-in-n
"a gravo?" | demanded, dropping
my spade and advancing detcrmincdly.
"Was that what you meant 10 sny? Ii
hO---
| had struck tho truth. | Jaw 1t in
tho instant collapse which took place
not only in thoir bodies but in tho spirit
which informed thcmi, aud whils felt
tho natural satisfaction Of tho successful
detective, | was also conscious OF deep
shrinking from the task imposed upon
mo, for those young women wore no
common women aud buceita especially
Tor she whom / had fxod uuon as Lu.
cettn) was exceedingly lovely, 10 lovely
indeed that | wondered how Miss Grant
could have mentioned hor namo with
out saying how beautiful shc was.
"Who nro you? ga,pod Miss knollys,
catching hold OF her sIs,or's hand, part
ly to gain aud partly TO give the support
they both 30 evidently NODDED. "Bs.
cause there 10 II crossed stick planted
hcrc, do you think our woods GENE.
terv?"
81 think this spot n grave" ! au.
swered. "anl my thought is important,
Miss knollys, because while | an not
ready tosay that | lied in declaring my.
sell q surveyor, do not feel Il inCuIn-
bent upon me TO inform you that ! am
also detective, sent here TO ferret out
tho crimes which have made this place
terror Tor the last sixteen months"
"CrimeI murmured both tho sisters,
falling with au impulsive movement to
their knees.
What are you sayiug?' shrioked
Lucetsa.
"Wo know nothing about Crimes"
cried the other.
Yet crimes have beon committed not
two hundred yards from this place." |
went on. Persons have come into this
lane who have never gone out OF it, and
il thore is one grave in this tangled
forest, why should there no. be more?
Ladies', am going to dig"
"Dig then: but first let me tell you
what you will lind. Six feet below tha,
turf you will strike q coffin. II il a
rude one, for We made it ourselves, and
on the lid you will see scrawled on
piece OF common tin these words:
Althea Arm knollys'. Born February
first, eighteen hundred and thir.y.six.
Died December twenty-second. eighteen
hundred and ninety.ihree. 1t is our
mothers grave, sir"
She spoke the truth. saw it in the
clear regard Of Mis-, kuoIlys cye; ia tho
steady tirmuess OF Lucelta's bearing
and her unconscious air OF dignitled re.
proach. Bowling profoundly. waited
for tho explanation they could not help
giving.
Ii was Lucctta's voice which frat
broke the silence. and as she spoke |
noted again her clear brow with its line
OF trouble, and the delicate sensitive.
ness Of her whole expression which
made her the most spiritual.lookius be-
ing l had ever seen.
81 do not know you," vera hor first
words, "but you say you are detective
aud that your errand here is to ferret
out crime. lOu have como 10 tho wrong
place, sir, and ii We consulted our pride
alone we would turn our backs upon
you and let you desecrate our mothers
grave and ascertain the truth ut your
own cost But we have other qualities
than pride. we two desolatc orphan girls,
and so will deign to tell you what |
hope your sense Of Justice will prevent
you from repeating. Years ago our
mother left u.s. She had done wrong.
or what you will better understand,
committed a criminal act against ono OF
our neighbOrs, tho penalty OF which-is
atatc's prison.
With difficulty the words came ont;
with difficulty she kept down the flush
OF shame which threatened TO over.
whelm her. and did overwhelm her less
restrained sister. But her self.control
was great and sho went bravely on, she
pales,, the most delicate and tho most
resolved OF women il had ever been nv
lot to face.
at was forgery" said she. Though
u cherished vile and beloved mother,
she longed for many things nv father
could not give her and in an evil hour.
she initiated the name OF rich man
here and took the check thus signed to
Hartford. The fraud was not detected
and aha received the money, but uti-
mately the rich man, whose money she
had spent. discovered tho use she had
made OF his name, and il she had not
escaped, would have had her arrested
But she left the country, and tho only
revenge no took was to swear that il
ever sho set foot in Cushing again he
would call tho police down upon hcr.
ios, il she Were dying and they had TO
drag hor from tho brink OF tho grave.
And tho would have dono it. aud know.
ing this, wo havo lived under the
shadow OF this fear for eleven years.
My father died under it and my mo, her
--ah. she spent all her life undcr for.
oi.n skies, but when sho found that
death was about to lay its hand upon
her, hcr affection for her own ilcsh and
blood trinnphed over hOr discretion,
and sho came, secretly own. but still