Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-10-13

could see where the boards had given
way, and presently they entered the
mill by a low door. One of the great
sails hung just before it. One could
imagine what giddy spot it must have
been in the old days when the mill was
working, and the great sails came
whirling heavily downward.
Bows put the lamp down upon the
floor and warned his followers to be
careful. The interior was damp and
uncanny; the boards had fallen in sew
eral places, showing deep black holes,
but these were hardly noticed at first.
All eyes were turned TO corner OF the
chamber as Boys pointed to it and said:
Look
A woman lay there, her arms stretch
ed wide out, her eyes open and fixed.
and her lips parted. BY the light of
the dim lantern she was an awful pict-
ure. Death No, worse than death
murderl II was whispered in the 81
lence of the mill; it seemed to sign
through the dead womans parted lips
and 10 look out from her eyes.
"A fool like l am" said Boys. Look
at her. Can no one recognize her?'
He swung the lantern above his head.
Surely it's the face Wilmer drew
that night" said enc, bending over her.
1T is. What was she to Wilmer
and the question suggested another to
the speaker.
what was she to yOu?" he asked,
somewhat severely, turning to Boys.
Winners story of the quarrel had sud
denly occurred to him, and suspicion
that murdered and murderer were be-
fore him took possession Of him.
ITO me? What was she to me? All
the world-heaven, hell, death, life!
You think I'm mad-bahl / was sane
enough to love her until she was stolen
from me; yes and mad enough to go on
loving her afterwad. Now look at her.
Deadr'
"And who killed herr"
The man turned fiercely upon the
speaker, his shaggy head thrust for
ward, his arms Outstretched.
Tell me that, and in a moment he
shall lie there, too. These hands are
strong to do it. Look! Strong as
steel"
He clencheP his fists until his nails
must have ltered the palms OF his
hands. 81 lenly he stood erect.
Lister
Such a command under such circum-
stances and in such place was start
ling. At first there was no sound, and
then a low moan. HE Is here!
shouted Boys. He is here-mine TO
settle a last account with
He seized the lantern and peered
down, first into one and then into the
other of the holes in the floor.
"At lastw he said, setting down the
lantern by one of them.
He would have jumped down had not
the men stopped him; and while some
one held him the others succeeded IN
raising the unconscious form OF a man
from the hole.
Wilmer"
Bows had been inclined to become vio-
lent. and il was difficult to hold him,
but as soon as he saw the unconscious
man he grew quiet.
Here was a mystery, and no one pres
ont attempted to fathom ii. The dead
woman was removed to the cottage,
and Roger Wilmer was carried on a
hurdle to Ashton Manor. Martin
Halse was telegraphed for TO his club
early next morning, and arrived late
in the afternoon.
For weeks Roger Wilmer lay at
deaths door. One Of his arms and one
of his legs were broken, and he had re-
ceived severe internal injury, which
the doctors feared would have fatal
result. a strong constitution and care
full nursing cheated death, however,
and slowly but surely he recovered, al
though he would be lame for the rest
of his life. In the early days OF conva-
lescence he told his story. When he
&c. out of the the trap that afternoon
he wandered across the marsh to the
mill and climbed on to the gallery. His
only object was to study the light and
shadows on the marsh He went into
the mill, and was certain that no one
was lying there then. He was not In
the mill FIVE minutes, but in crossing
the floor to reach the doorway again
the boards gave way under him. He
really remembered nothing more.
Once he fancied two eyes looked down
at him. and then he half remembered
noise. and then Oblivion until he re-
covered consciousness at Ashton Manor.
OF the murdered woman little was
known beyond the fact that she was
the daughter of a small shopkeeper in
Medworth who had died some years be-
fore. Since then his daughter had
lived in London. Mrs. Boys bad known
her when she was a girl, and she had
come to stop at her lodgings. and on
the fatal day she Ind gone out in the
afternoon, saying that she was going TO
see some friends in Medworth and that
she might not return that night. Her
name was Nellie Garford.
During the time Roger Wilmer was
i'll Boys condition changed Tor the
worse. He was no longer a harmless
imbecile. but quickly developed into a
dangerous mailman. He was removed