The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-04

there slowly dying. He must have help
at once, If we be among civilized PEG
pie"
The young man hesitated. Sir"
h said, turning to the tall man ait
her side, Il will return with you to
h house. since I have found some
one who will perform my errand bet
ter than l."
Please do not hesitate" she con-
tinued, turning to Till Cannon; every
is an eternity to a suffering
and dying man."
Two hours is a short time for me
to return to the village and the doctor
to reach YOU, but / expect him to be
there in less time than that"
Lifting his hat, ne turned and toiled
UP the mountain, without casting a
look behind.
1t was shutdown when he reached h
office of DR.. Kobeisky. The alacrity
with which the old doctor got ready
for the journey a~stonished Till Gam
MOI and was a great Shock
to the easy-going colored servant wins
had been driving the doctors carriage
for twenty years.
Excepting a dim light behind dark
blinds, the old stone house was nearly
as dark as the valley when the doctor
approached the door. The rumble of
the carriage had informed the inmates
OF his approach and the gentleman of
military bearing appeared before the
doctor had alighted from his carriage.
A heightened conversation o. place
in low tones and then the servant was
told to return to the village and to
answer all inquiries with the single
: answer that the doctor was away not
to return until the second day. Both
the servant and Till Cannon were to
keep his whereabouts a secret.
The young man passed the first day
in a. fever of speculation. When the
third day was drawing d a close and
the doctor had not yet returned his
curiosity became intolerable. Taking
his field glass ne hurried on to the top
of the ridge.
The village behind him was covered
with the shadows of evening when he
steadied his glass on the topmost rock.
His long scare was disappointing.
There was no sign of life anywhere
in the valley; not even the color OF
smoke could be seen about the CHM
neys of the stone house. Under the
tall cliff west of the house a pile of
fresh dirt arrested his attention for a
omen Tt appeared more cOnSplcu-
Gus because of the dark rocks cover
ing h ground all around. Doubtless
it signified nothing and the darkness
coming on vas about to drive him
back to the village without any of his
conjectureS being satisfied when the
twinkle of a light coming arOund the
house attracted his attention. His
glass only enlarged the light. The val
ley had become too dark for other
objects to be seen. 1t moved along
c1nyylu thCOI OH thn trapc ma good nUQr
the little stream west of the house and
stopped at the pile of dirt under the
cliff. There it rested till the last YES
tfge of color had disappeared from the
dow clouds On the horizon and the
mountain tops were ii black darkness.
Then the light was taken back to the
house.
Tln Cannon looked down at the
Spechs of light dOtting the darkness
il the direction of the village n then
curiosity mastered and he began to
pick his way carefully down into the
black abyss of the little valley. After
a long and toilsome experience among
the rocks and ravines he came to the
edge of the old orchard, directly in
front of the old castle. The house was
in darkness. Scarcely had he mad up
his mind to the fact when he heard the
chatter of carriage wheels. Some one
was about to leave the valley through
the channel, He hastened on down
that way, reaching the channel just
ahead of the horses.
Near the ravine the horses were stop
ped and the young man, covered by the
intense darkness, came within a few
feet of the rear wheels. He a not
heard a word or sound of driver or
others, when a lantern was lighted,
revealing the doctor holding the reins.
In the rear seat were the young wo-
mar and military m a whom Till Gam
mon had encountered a few days be-
fore.
The doctor was about to drive on
when the woman caught UP the an
tern from the seat and sprang out of
the carriage. She ran toward the
house as fast as she could go. AS she
came by the e~mbankment over the
valley stream she threw the lantern
as far as she could send it. 1t crashed
down upon the rocks n disappeared
in the water.
The two men returned to the house
and got another lantern. They went
directly OWaTd the place where Til
Cannon had seen through his glass
the pile of freshly evcavated earth
He followed close behind them and q
shudder of horror ran through him