Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-20


 l could not initiate his voice iind manner closely enough to deceive her, and moro j than likely when the husband and wife talked they employed their own Ian guage instead of English. Besides in l what possible way could I gain the I chance to make the test? Another question presented itself were this strange couple i'll fear of na- si tives of their own country or of Ameri- il can officers?
 I These and . multitude of similar ] queries ran through my brain on the starlit night when left my temporary home at Nathan Bridges and strolled along the highway in the direction os the dwelling where the interesting con- ple spent a portion of their time.
 The bluff which l had in mind was to go to the house during tho day, rep rcsenting to the old lady that I was a 1 county officer who had called to assess the property. and it was nccc .,ary for me to examine the premises. It was simple artiiiCc, but l did not doubt I could make it work. Perhaps would try it on tho MOTION.
 Careful inquiries of my landlord gave 1 the gratifying information that his 1 brother was not the owner of a dog That disagreeable factor was eliminated from the problem.
 It seemed to me, therefore, that no harm but considerable good was likely 1 to come from q little investigation dur 1 ing the favoring darkness Perhaps i something might he seen through some of the lower or upper windows that would throw light upon the mystery. If I failed, it would be nevertheless an interesting way uf spending n few hours.
 At the entrance to the lane 1 paused to look and listen. Far i'll the distance 1 heard the faint sound of a locomotive whistle, SiEie one c@llrd to another, an odd eddy in the air bringing the voice so ncar that l instiuctivrly glanced to my right to SEQ the speaker. though | knew he was mile away. Tho soft wind moved mournfully through tho poplars, and the lights from the houses \ here and there twinkled across the sleep ing landscape.
 Everything invited the essay had in mind There was no dog and plenty of shadow No one could he aware ot my pI4L bN'0C- A@IDhlLIS up N4iC iNllS "NVHUNs all was gloom, with the faint twinkle of lights at tho upper end. There was no sound of carnage wheels i'll either direction and
 When l turned my head and lnukcd into th" darkness toward my temporary | hOma 1 faucicd .Iw thu figure of a ! znan. silent and mutluntr!~. Ilr upI. rrcd ] 10 be III tho miGd.o of t4o highway, and if living person lio lnust have uH- ! served me.
 Raze'l intently :.nl suspected wai III istaken.
 We all know thI: v'.nn our ;,l. !. w;A idcrinS over tE heavens, first lt> >ts on the P:riadcS the s,~'rn S;arS shu>: disti nctly. but surv, yi.::t them clu>cl,- | and attempting to cl'Iur tAlll E:lrrr are | but six. Ono modcSzly Withdrew, from | view.
 It nay h;vv ll,. somewhat tio >Au,. 1 ill this ca>'. l h.h En rNIt :t,;tIuu >,' ! stCing any person Wh,Y thu shaGOwy I outlines appeared. ami wA,l l studivu | tho situation all l,tGl.,N hlal;tl t:..EhnC>A It WAS ta>N tn s,'iNC t'V QU. >ti,cL mghf m:.ke H sudden n~!~il and Iu upon l tho sts'aut,,r h.lnr, h" Ms .l<r;;1,'. hut | if Il" Were !iu lnl. )c''.' ,.,g>,'u ', i.,t tN- l plamat1ru si Iall i utl' tur @,y cou,il., 7: luto.d of t:.l'. l !. ,;:,u stealing l slowly toward him. Ii,.t.m!t, Iii >, ur | hear n!e until i made surr Ns.lrtlIrr lie | was reality CT 1isuvuG If the imagiua- | tiun.
 l took possibly live stops in this l guarded InAum'.r. when | lau ;n. l silent i ly. No Isrs III Was there.
 II shouldn't feel nervo2s muttcr- l ed, for thc.e's roih!nS in tAiS l u=iucSs to compare N iih tho r>k~ 1 have run many q tune.
 | Nevertheless 1 remained standing for several minutes, pccrlnS into ,Gu gloom and Ii aening. No suspicious sound reached m. nor could ! mako out the shadowy heure that had gwen me such l a start Common sru.e told rac Was mistaken. but an otd feeling whispered l that l had never more neel 0f being on l my guard than at that moment
 Walking softly back to the entrance of the avenue. l again paused. with my senses on tho alert Onco moro the faint whistle of passing engine nearly q mile away fell upon my car, but that was all From the trees surrounding the house at the end of the lano shono dull light, the whole being so similar to that which greeted mo tho night bcforo that it was hard to believe 1 was not stand ing on the sano ground that had then stood on.
 | One of the worst failinSS aman of my profession can havo is impatiencc. It has brought many a we'll laid scheme 70 naueht,
 So profound was the stiffness that l heard the door of tho house open and close.
 "Now- if some ono comes out with d cigar and walks up and down tho porch, the resemblance will be complete" "
 had turntN into tho Ianc and began walking iowa rd tho dwelling. My steps were nuSeleSS. the soft earth makin.. such preoaution easy. There was no req son seemingly for this extreme care but was unmistakably nervous.
 looked behind n,o as often as to tho front and never took . dozen steps without stopping to listen. The deep stiffness was unbrcken. If any one was shadowing mo, he could be as noiseless as myself
 had passed about half tho distance from tho highway to the house when 1 received my second shock. There was no mistake this tirne. A man was in front of me, standing AS motionless as l.
 The PoplArS at the sides of the avenue threw him into such deep shadow that could not make out the figure until within 6 rod of it. There it was in the middle of tho road like q statue carved out of the night itself,
 A creepy feeling came over me, and I
 
 was at instant command.
 We must have seen each other at the same instant, so that tho halt was si- l Ee TvaS SDSnicin0S I