The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-19
LOST MANS LAME.
By ANNA KATHERINE GREEN.
copyright 1895. by Irving Bachellcr.l

| that night. Suddenly I heard rustic;
1t was very faint, but as the sun sank
at that moment, l raised the cry that
had been agreed upon between Miss
Knollys and myself. and In so natural
a tone that Mr.. Trohm looked up with
astonishment into the trees above. At
the same instant Lucetta Knollys ap-
peared at the gate, and calling his
: name. drew his attention to herself,
evidently to his great surprise and in
ward agitation.
"Lucettar he exclaimed. What does
this mean? You are not in the habit
of visiting me-" And a peculiarly eager
look crossed his face as he came down
the walk. and stopped before her just
where the sweep of the old well have
mentioned cast its long shadows over
the shaven lawn.
Her answer was brief and decisive.
mo" she said, II make few visits.
When do come 1t Is to utter either a
protest or a warning. This time it Is
q warning. Mr.. Trohm, your evil prac-
tees are discovered; tomrrow you
will have the police here in earnest;
they did but play with you today"
you child" he gasped. striving.
however, to restrain all evidences Of
shock or terror. what do you mean,
and to what practices do you allude?-
that of my gardening and housekeep-
ing? l never heard them called evil be-
fore"
But murder Is evil, and gardening
and housekeeping do not employ all
your time. Where is Silly Rufus. Mr..
Trohm? They have asked me, but If
any one in Lost Mans Lane can an
swer that question 1t is your
And then / saw that the instinct of
this grl had led us where mere acumen
would have failed to take us. For the
old man cringed and the wrinkles came
out in his face till he was dlabolically
ugly.
You viper" he shrieked. "How dare
you accuse me Of crime-you, whose
mother would have died in Jail but for
my forbearance! Have you ever seen
me tread upon worm even? Lucetta,
you are mad"'
Mad or sane. my accusation will
bear fruit, Mr.. Trohm, l believe too
deeply in your guilt not to make others
do So"
You do?" he sneered.
II do
And why?" he criad.
"Beoause your heart is wicked. Be-
cause your face
MY face? Take care. Lucetta, take
care; yiu will bring trouble on yourself
If you go on"
Though ! bring death, l will de-
ncunce you. l have the honor of my
own household to defend. Besides, the
earth should be rid of such a monster
as you"
Such a monster as l! Well, my pret-
ty one" (his voice grown suddenly
wheedling, his face a. study of mingled
passions), 1--WE will see about that; we
will see about that Come just a step
nearer, Lucetta; want to see If you are
really the little girl used to dandle on
my knee"
His hand was on the curb Of the old
well; his face, so turned that it caught
the full glare Of the setting sun, leaned
toward the girl, and seemed to exert q
fascinating influence upon her. She
took the step he asked, and before 1
could cry out to her to beware saw him
bend forward with sudden quick mo-
ton, and then start again upright,
while her form, which but an instant
before had stood there in all it's frail
and youthful beauty, tottered as If the
ground were bending under it. and in
another moment disappeared from my
appalled, sight, swallowed in some
dreadful cavern, that for an instant
yawned in the smooth, shaven lawn
before me, and then vanished again
from sight, as If it had never been.
Shouting out my horror, I bounded
from my place, but stopped again for
an instant, dazed by the sight Of the
old mans demoniacal delight. He was
leaping to and fro over the curb, hold
ing up his fingers In the red sunset
glare "Six!" he shrielked. six! and
room for two more! o. it's merry life
l lead. And now, where Is my pretty
Lucetta? Surely she was here a mo
ment ago. How could she have van
ished. then, so quickly?"
This last question was uttered in
such different tone of voice that 1t
gave me a cue to the whole situation.
saw, even while / bounded to the
rescue of the devoted maiden, that he
was one Of thoge maniacs who have
perfect control over themselves except
in the moment of triumph; and netting
his look of sinister delight perceived
that half his pleasure and almost his
sold reward for the horrible crimes he
had perpetrated was in the mystery
surrounding the loss of his victims and
the surmises which it naturally called
UP. I could therefore understand his
letter to the police and the eN.rerae sat
isfact1on kn took in playing with my
efforts and contemplating his own fan
cied immunity from suspicion.
Meanwhile had covered the wretch
with my pistol, and reaching the spot
where Lucetta went down tried to lift
the moss covered lid / could family
discern there. But found this impos7
sible with the glaring figure of the raw
ing maniac ready to spring upon me,
and ] should certainly have failed in
my efforts If at that moment young
Knollys had not come into sight, anx-
iously looking for his sister.
Urging him to hasten, / thrust the