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

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OF earth and flung II to ono aidu
a gasp 0l lrrCnrcssiblc dismay ultnr0ll
almost IN my oar warned mo to dqsist
and turning round saw two young
women stumbling not Gyc loot away,
with " dG staring Vyos and hands
cIntchOd OvGr thcir breasts that painted
with something moro than tho ellort OF
running.
Ono spoke ns looked up.
"Wllnt arc YOU doing here p shn cried.
You have no right TO dig in our
woods"
| hastoGod to apologize. ~ am sur.
Voyor." said !. II meant no harm.
assure YOU. meroly want to drive Il
stake hOrc."
"Brt why hcro?' crlod on. tho other.
rs thofO no other plnco Ia NIL these
woods that You should plant yonr spRdo
in-in--"
"A grave?" | dcmunled. dropping
my spade and advancing dolerminOdly.
WAS that what you meant 10 sny2 II
So"
| had struck tho truth. | saw it in
tho instant collap,c which took place
not only In their bodies but In tho spirit
which informed them, aud while | felt
tho nniDral satisfaction Of the successful
detective, | was also conscious OF deep
shrinking from the task imposed upon
mo, for those young women were no
common women aud iuCetta especially
Tor shO whom had fixed upon as Lu.
cettn) was exceedingly lovely, 80 lovely
indeed that l wondered how Miss Grant
could have mentioned hcr name with.
out saying how beautiful sho was.
"Who nrc you?" capped Miss knollys,
catching hold OF her slator'a hand. part.
ly to gain and partly to give the support
they both 80 evidently NODDED. "Bs.
cause there IL II crossed stick planted
hero, do you think our woods como.
teryW
81 think this spot grave" | M.
swcrcl. "and my thought is important,
Misa knollys, because while am not
ready to say that lied in declaring my.
sell 4 SuryoyOr, do not feel it incun.
bent upon mo TO inform you that am
also detective, sent hero TO ferret Out
the crimes which have made this place
n terror for the las. sixteen months"
Grimes murmured both the sisters.
falling with au impulsiye movement to
their knees.
"%hat are you sayiug?' shrioked
Lucetta.
"We know nothing about crimes"
cried the other.
"YeL crimes have beon committed no.
two hundred yards from thi, place." !
went on. Persons have come into this
lane who have never gone out OF it, aud
II thore ia one grave IN this tangled
forest, why should there not DO more?
Ladies', am going TO dig"
"Dig then: but first lot me tell YOU
what you will find. Six feet below tina,
turf you will strike q coffin. 1t is a
rude one, for we made it ourselves, and
on the lid you will see scrawled on a
piece OF common tin these words:
Alihea Arm knollys'. Born February
first, eighteen hundred and thirty.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 Miss knollys eve; in tho
stead y tirmness OF Lucetta's bearing
and her unconscious air OF dignitied re.
proach. Bowling profoundly. waited
for the explanation they could not help
giving.
1t was Lucc!ta'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 oil her whole expression which
made her the most spiritual.looking bo-
ing had ever seen.
II do not know you," were her frat
words, but you say you are Il detective
aud TINT your GRAND here is to ferret
out crime. iou have come to the wrong
place, sir, and il we consulted our pride
alone We would turn our backs upon
you and lot you desecra,e our mother j
grave and ascertain tho truth at YOUR
own cost. But We have other qualities
thau pride. we two desolatc orphan girls.
and so | will deign 10 tell you what |
hopo your sense Of Justice will prevent
you from repeating. Years ago our
mother left us. She had done II wrong
or what you will better understand,
committed criminal act against ono OF
our neighbOrs, tho penalty OF which-is
statn'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 oyerwhem her less
restrained sister. But her self.contrOl
was great and she went bravely on, che
,l,l,nasn "A
resolved OF women it had ever been my
lot 10 face.
1t was forgery" said she. Though
n cherished wife and beloved mother,
she longed for many things my father
could not give her aud in m evil hour,
she initiated tho name OF rich man
here and took the check thus signed 10
Hartford. The fraud was not detected
and sho received tho money. but ulti-
mately the rich man. whose money she
hHd spent. discovered tho use she had
made OF his name, and if she had not
escaped, would have had Ter arrested
But sho lett the country, aud tho only
revenge no took was to swear that il
ever sho set foot In Cushing again he
would call the police down upon hor.
Ios, ii she were dying and they had TO
drag hor from tho brink OF tho grave.
And he would have dono it. and know.
ing this, wo hayo lived under the
shadow OF this loar for eleven years.
Ny father died under it and my mot her
--al. she spent all her life under for.
cisn siics, but when sho found that
death was about TO lay its hand upon
hsr. hcr affection for her own llcsh and
blood triunphed over hor discretion,
and she came, secretly own. but still
with that horror menacing her, to her
childrcn's door. aud begging thoir for
giveness. lay down in tho room whore
they were born, and died. with tho hale
o! their love about her.'