The Holly chieftain., 1898-06-24

of this last robbery will ever be dis-
covered. There seems to be not the
slightest clew to work on. do not
say this to cause you pain, but simply
to warn you against entertaining hopes
which may never be realized"
CHAPTER v.
On the first evening of my occupancy
of the old homestead recalled Nj.
Morley's words and thought with sor-
row how much superior his Judgment
had been to mine.
A year had gone by. year Of heart
ache. disappointment and unfulflled
longing. and the cloud had not been
lifted from my life. And. oh. was SO
hoinesick for just a glimpse Of my dear
loves face.
A few days after my interview with
Mr.. Morley had received note from
Florence:
Dear Mr.. Conway: Father has informed
me Of your resolve not to call on me or at
tempt to keep up the friendship which made
me so happy. until you are freed from all
suspicion. appreciate the manliness
which prompts you to such a resolve. and
wish to assure you from the bottom Of my
heart that respect and trust you. know
you are innocent. and shall always believe
so. Keep up a brave spirit. The mystery
VIII be explained and you exonerated. Re-
member. believe In you wholly, and shall
always remain. Your true friend.
FLORENCE MORLEY"
took the worn note from the locket
which I wore around my neck and
pressed it to my lips, as had done
many times since its receipt, and won
dered if her heart was still true to the
sentiment expressed in it.
The harvest moon was resplendent
and the white beams came into the win
dow where sat in my night robe, flood
ing my white drapery with light There
were no sounds of human life; the
world seemed left wholly 10 the crick-
cts and katydids. With a sigh from
the depths of my lonely heart re-
placed the note in its receptacle and
arose.
Turning from the window, I saw
right opposite me, on the other side
of the room. tall white figure. What
was it? There it stood. while gazed
spellbound, motionless. mysterious. In
lightning fash of thought Sarah's
forebodings came to me.
Then I grasped my pistol, which was
lying on the table beside me.
"Now, then, If this is practical joke.
intended simply to frighten me, let
it STOP said. It was with some diff
ficulty, confess. that my voice was
kept steady.
Whoever you are, speak and ex-
plain, or I'll see il you have substance
enough to stop bullet!"
Ipaused for reply. but none came.
Speak out, say. or. as sure as there
is God in Heaven, I'll fire!" called
again. and again received no reply.
The white thing remained there. in
spite of my threats. After another
pause, during which the cold chills
chased up and down my spine, raised
my arm, took deliberate aim and fired.
A rattle Of breaking glass followed
the report OF the pistol, and dark
spot appeared in the center of the
white figure. The flash Of the pistol
had been reflected back, and in an in
slant realized the truth.
With scornful laugh and a con-
demnatory exclamation at my foolish
ness, I placed the pistol on the table
and got into bed.
Then slight scuffiing noise. SEEM
ing to come from beneath, reached my
ear, and said, aloud, and with laugh:
1--WE stirred up the rats, at any rate.
Hello, what's that?" exclaimed, as o
deep, muffied sound. accompanied by q
slight jar, Immediately followed. It
was as though heavy door in some
distant part Of the house had slammed.
For quite time sat up in bed and
listened, but no more unusual sounds
followed.
Mrs. Snyder's words concerning mys-
terious happenings in my house and
Sarah's unreasonable fears for my safe
ty, followed by the two events just men,
toned, did have an effect upon me, al
though the first event was due wholly
to an ordinary cause, and the second,
the apparent sound Of slamming door,
might be, and probably was, just what
it seemed. A gentle night breeze had
arisen, and some of the windows in the
upper part Of the house might have
been left open, thereby producing
draught and causing an intervening
door to swing shut. True, the sound
seemed to come from beneath me. But
then that was probably imagination.
In the silence of night sudden noise
is rather difficult to locate. How often
the most common events, under un-
familiar circumstances, become inex-
plicable mysteriesl
/ Lam not of a superstitious makeup,
and therefore Sarah's vague fears did
not produce in me feeling Of fright;
but there was watchfulness about my
senses as though there were funny
things" to use Sarah's term, about the
house, which would become apparent
in due time.
I Nesting my head down ON the pill
low, redolent with the grateful health
giving aroma Of spruce, closed my
eyes.
Sleep did not come as quickly ~ Ihad
boasted to my old nurse 1t would, and
it was some time before my conscious
ness began to wander into the domain
Of vague fancies and indistinct ideas
which characterizs the period between
waking and sleeping.
Then. almost before my eyes could
open, suddenly sat up in bed and
listened with hearing sharpened by the
sense Of expectancy which had come
over me.
Out through the silence Of my room
there came stealing the sound Of 9 voice
but such voice! Not possessed by