The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-21

j
| stairs II there was anything worth see
/ ing. This was fortunate. as the initial
| step in the idea that had occurred 10 me
was that she should not omit 10 visit The
| Whispering Gallery before she left. Al
| O'Clock precisely she and my wife en-
| tered the cathedral. and /. who was
/ secretly watching for their appearance.
/ went up Immediately 10 the Whispering
I Gallery, for which l had taken a ticket
and entered into conversation with the at
[ tendant.
Two lady friends Of mine" I said are
| coming UP here presently. and I want %
| puzzle them a bit. You would not mind
my whispering 70 them instead Of you7''
Not at all" he replied. his fingers
closing upon the coin I slipped into his
/ hand.
I ought TO say here that as the success
| OF my plan partly depended upon not be-
/ ing recognized, I had taken the precaution
70 wear a different hat and overcoat from
tnose In which Miss Briggs had prob
ably seen me.
| Shortly after my conversation with the
attendant, she and my wife came into the
| whispering gallery. and l considered my
self particularly favored by fortune that
! no other persons were present. They took
| their seats upon the stone bench; I was
| In the opposite side, so placed that I
could, unseen by them. observe the ex-
| pressiOns Of their faces: the attendant
! was not in sight. I allowed them 70 sit
| there quietly for a few moments, and l
| saw my Wife's eyes close as though she
were tired. This she did in accordance
with the instructions 1 had given her
| Then I whispered:
| "Murderessr'
| And directed my gaze upon Miss Briggs.
/ Her face grew livid her teeth Chartered
/ and she raised her hands as though to
ward of attack. These signs of agita-
| ton lasted but for a moment; she cast
swift glance upon my wife who, with her
! eyes still closed and smile upon her lips
/ appeared to be In dOze. This seemed to
| reassure Miss Briggs; her arms dropped 10
! her side. and her features now assumed
| an expression of intense watchful cum
| ming.
! 'Murderessr' I repeated. only you and
! / know-only you and l will ever know.
You are safe: nothing can touch you.
/ was a wicked woman all my life, and l
am now suffering the penalty. You treat
/ ed me cruelty. but will forgive you If you
! viii perform an act Of mercy. Between my
/ house and yours on the road used to take
! when l came TO you to tell my fortune,
/ there are nine poplar trees standing in a
| triangle. In the middle of this triangle
] buried my money: there is a great deal
Of st. Dig II UP, and give half of 1t away
/ in charity; not in my name, in yours. The
! other half you may keep for yourself Do
this, and you shall be forgiven.
! All the time that these whispered words
]
fixed without movement, for the deepen
| ing Of the cunning expression on her face
could not be called one.
! had finished / had nothing more 70
say. Miss Briggs turned 10 my wife and
! touched her shoulder MY wife did not
| stir; then Miss Briggs shook her roughly
and she started to her feet. and opened her
! eyes, and looked round with a smile Some
words passed between them, and my wife
told me afterwards what they were.
Did you hear anything" asked Miss
Briggs.
Nothing at ALL" replied my wife. Il
have been fast asleep"
They went down the two hundred and
sixty steps and left the cathedral
Again at O'Clock on this evening Bart
| lett and l met again on Westminster
| bridge. l related him all that had occur
| red and he looked at me with admiration.
My wife behaved splendidly," 7 said.
| she had 20 pass through a trying ordeal,
for every word spoke reached her ears as
well as those Of Miss Briggs, but she never
finched."
"she knew what you were going to say"
Yes, / had prepared her beforehand,
having, indeed, written down and studied
my speech. My wife tells me that on their
| way home Miss Briggs gave pennies in
| discriminatory to every beggar they
met She was buying pennyworths of sal
walton. Now yesterday Miss Briggs in
formed my wife that she intended to re-
main In London for two weeks longer
What would you say If she went back to
Milford tomorrow or the next day."
Il should say that 1t would be our duty
to follow her
! BE ready then" / said "for II is nv
belief she will CO.
BE ready also" said Bartlett; I'VE must
wear some sort of disguise. If she has the
least suspicion that she is being followed
and watched. we shall lose the game in
| stead of winning It,"
was right. Early the next morning,
Jessie informed me that Miss Briggs was
returning home that day and that a cab
| wss to be at the door at IL o'clock to
take her and her box to the railway station.
At that hour she departed, and was fol-
lowed by another cab in which Bartlett
| and l were seated. We were both safely
| disguised and we paid each other the com
! pliment of saying that our most intimate
friends would not recognize US.
The train for Milford left at twenty min
utes past twelve. We travelled third class,
Miss Briggs travelled second class; and in
! the course of a couple of hours we reached
the village.
There is no need to hurry" said Bart
! lett, 'and no need just now to follow her
home. What she intends to do will be done
in the night, when there is less chance of
her being discovered"
| With moon and stars shining upon them
! Milford Woods looked very beautiful and
the trees near the nine poplars were so
thick that despite the light, we had no
| difficulty in fixing upon a spot for OBJ
servation. The scene impressed me power
| fully; the softly rustling leaves seemed to
have voices in them, and to be charged
with message of divine Justice.
People would never Deiieve," l said to
| Bartlett, that there was so much ro-
nance in calling which they regard as
vulgar and prosaic.''
"Ah," said he, they do not know. No
occupation in life offers such wonderful
! pictures of the real and unreal of the prac-
teal and the emotional. If what we are
engaged upon is successful, might we not
consider ourselves divinely- appointed
agents when, through our means, retri-
button shall fall upon the guilty and hap
piness is shed upon the hearts of the limo
| cent?"
1t was II o'clock by my watch.
1T is almost time 1 said.
Perhaps not for hour yet" he re-
Joined, there is magic in midnight, for
good or for evil"