Catoctin clarion., 1896-09-10
impaired by the healthful exercise SO
dear to his soul.

impaired py the healthful exercise SO
dear to his soul.
The only doctor now in the place, to
its honor and glory, was also relic Of
bygone times, who i'll summer wore
white kicksies and cutaway tweed
coat, and when he made professional
visits ut distance always rode ON
horseback with his only daughter
mounted on pillion behind him.
She minded the horse while he went
within, and thus with great simplicity
he combined economy, health and atfec.
tion, and many a pleasant hour did the
two little bodies spend jogging along
the Devonshire lanes, or climbing the
hogbacked hills, even enjoying now
and again springy gallop across the
ling and heather Of tho all embracing,
glorious Muttors moor.
He was abroad Oh one Of these pleas
ant expeditions when sent for to tho
scene of murder, and when he arrived
the police were i'll possession of the
place, if the sole custodian Of the Chud-
leigh Salterton safety, as represented by
ruddy faced and frightened young
man. could be so designated.
Tho little garden, choked with sum-
mer flowers, was crowded with peppers,
who pushed each other away to look
through the window at the dead man
huddled up in his chair, his open eyes
staring out straight before him with q
curious blending of mockery and sur
prise overriding the physical agony of
his DEATH
He had been taken at a disadvantage,
the peculiar shape Of tho chair holding
him down as in a trap, so that once
seized he had found it impossible to
rise, and he had evidently been reading
when Nemesis came up with him, for a
French book lay open ut his elbow, and
the table was heapod with others, while
the only furniture in the room consisted
Of IL long, lcculur]y shaped couch and
a shelf laden with what looked like the
chemical contents Of Il laboratory.
The little doctor looked at the man
and shook his head. 1t was case of
strangulation, Of course, but the marks
were so slight as to suggest that heart
failure had set in before tho murderer
had half dune his work, but the inquest,
of course, wonld decide that point
He heard all the frightened policeman
had to say, which was little; also the
charlady, which was much, but nothing
in the least relevant to the case save
that the good woman had left letter
behind her when she went away that
morning, and though forbidden to enter
save at stated hours had stolen in to
fetch it, and through the window saw
the old gentleman-but here came hys-
terics and Il full enjoyment of the sitn-
alton, SO sho was promptly suppressed
and led away weeping.
"Where is the young Lady," said DIR.
Martin.
a chorus of voices came from tho
window, "IShe do be with the great
lord, she be, and she says she's glad! j.
d. Martin shuddorcd. There was
something eerie, horrible even, i'll the
room and its belongings that he could
not fathom Does indeed the
earth, tho air record secrets that, close
hidden, were best left unrevealed?
He lifted book from the table and
glanced at it's subject, at another and
another. They were all the came. The
name written upon each was Silas
Grcgorias.
He investigated the contents Of the
shelf, glanced at the couch, shook his
head, and if he had been Roman Cath
olic would have crossed himself. As it
was, the color in his healthy old face
paled, and he muttcred "Nictim' under
his breath as he turned to the door.
"I'll see to the coroner, and SO on,
he said to the young policeman, land
send some woman III. You wired to
Sidmouth? Quite right. I'm going down
now to Miss GregOrias. y
He stumbled little over the name,
for he had never heard it before. In the
place the strange pair were known only
as the wizard and his daughter, and the
very landlord, who was paid week by
week in advance, was rs ignorant as the
rest of who his tenants were,
They received no letters, no visitors,
save tho single one who had come and
gone in such haste that day, The stran-
ger had been seen by u great many peo-
pie, as clamor of soft Devonshire
tongues fastened to inform the doctor
when he issued from the door, and they
all thought he had come after the poor
young lady, but she was out, and he
didn't stop half an hour.
Sounds Of quarreling had been heard.
but not very loud, and DR.. Gregorias'
voice had not even been raised, and then
out the young man had rushed and down
the steep path headlong.
The little doctor put them all by and
went slowly down, the royal blue of the
sea seeming to rise up to meet him as he
descended.
Strange, but he felt none Of the shock,
the revolt against the murderer that he
ought to feel, no pity for the murdered
man, whose evil perchance had ceased
with him, leaving the young shoots OF a
fresh life free to spring and thrive, now
his baleful shadow was removed.
To the man who lives in constant and
loving companionship with nature there
is always something pititul in the sight
of one who shuts himself closely up
with dead mems thoughts, however no.
BILE, for sole company, and one can but
think of that great one who had Ii
brary indeed, but "studicd in the fields" 4"
as his little maid said when she showed
the way to a visitor.
And what had this murdered man
done? Devoted his life to the study of
matters not meant of God to be med
died with by man, and God had pun
ished him in his own way, before
girls soul had been stamped out Of all
likeness to her Creator and another life
cacriGcnd To the Mnlnch of scienCa