The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-08

| KnOck-knock-kn What was it
was some one making a coffin? Ham,
northumberland; No; it was
some one at the front door, and bell
was changing loudly in the empty
kitchen.
Kingsmark instinctively tore off his
coat and put on dressing-gown be-
fore he went down.
AS he shot back the heavy bolts of
the front door he was conscious Of
voices without.
"Well, what's up?" he was surprised
to hear himself say as he saw two po-
licemen standing on the doorstep. The
night smelled sweet of wet earth and
leaves.
"Mr. Mildenhall, sir-he's dead, sir
murdered"
"Good Godl" Kingsmark leaned
against the door-post, fighting for
breath to say, 81 killed him."
"Yes, sir. In his front garden-a
knife in his heart, sir" put in the other
policeman.
Kingsmark rubbed his hands across
his eyes and looked at it as if he ex-
pected to see something on it.
81 was asleep" he said.
"You see," went on the policeman,
apologetically, tive came to you through
you being 30 we'll known to be his best
friend-and having been seen with
him last of ALL"
"What?" said Kingsmark.
"Why, sir, sure you're heavy with
sleep, or you'd remember meeting US
as usual, and us giving you goodnight,
sir-don't you recollect?"
"You saw me walking with Mr.. Mil
denhall tonight"
"Yes, sir; of course 1 did. Come,
sir, rouse yourself" Kingsmark held
his two hands over his head and said:
"Tell me again."
"Again and again, SIR" answered
the man, with some temper. 81 saw
him and you as usual, and I saw him
leave you at your door; and l saw him
go back home and said goodnight,
but he never answered. And then we
saw the light and the window open,
and went in and found the poor gentle
man stone dead on his own lawn with
his head among the tulips"
Kingsmark's hands frightened their
clasp. The dead man had kept his
promise then, and had walked with
him that night. A ghost had paced
by his side-a ghosts arm had lain on
his shoulder ghost had come back
the murdered man had saved the
murderer. How curious.
Kingsmark burst out laughing, and
fell at the policeman's feet.
They reused him-or what was left
of him. The best part of him lay on
the lawn among the tulips.
A stupid sense of clinging to life with
both hands possessed him. Mildenhall
had saved his life; he dared not throw
it away. He was condemned to live.
He went through an inquest-or dream.
ed he did-answering questions me.
chanically with growing wonder to
find his answers believed What fools
people werel And he the greatest fool
of all. His old friendl
Kingsmark thinks he went mad @
little after this. They called it brain
fever. When he got better he tried to
tell himself Mildenhall was not dead
had gone to far country. But even
that last rag-the one thing that lei
any meaning remain to life-was torn
from him, for Mildenhall's widow came
to see him.
"My darling," she cried, throwing
her arms around him, show terrible all
this has been, but / am all your own
now"
He did not answer, but she felt the
repulsion of denial in the contact OF
him.
The commonplace, pretty face
framed in the yellow hair and widows
bonnet, darkened. Then she spoke
reasonably, softly, with the little LISP
Mildenhall had loved to hear.
slack, dear, of course its very shock.
ing and all that. But really it ought tc
bring US together. Why should it par
us?"-
He drew himself up and laid his dry
lips against her little red mouth. This
too, was part of his life sentence.
"Why, indeed?" he said, with 6
SILVER. And sat with his head bowed
in the shadow of the night coming
The Argonaut.