Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31

This unsecmly procession came into the
kirkyard with levity and jest, stumbling
over gravestones, the most part Of them
being well touched with strong drink. The
six bearers in especial went forward cursing
and swearing, like men not in love with
their work, who would have out their anger
upon the very stones beneath their feet.
Presently they came to an open grave,
where was a man still busily piling up the
red earth along the sides, a lanthorn shin
ing down from the grave head upon his
! bare hairy arms and besweated brow. This
opening was not made in the walled family
vault of the Stansfields, but rather in the
sunny corner where the poor folk lie. And
this by special order Of the dead mans son.
Philip Stansfield walked beside the body,
not robustly and noisily like the others, but
rather dull and sullen, like a devil from hell
whose leave of absence is almost expired.
SO when the two woman stood near the
grave, and with their feet detached some
of the mold back again into the yawning
deep, he turned upon them, condemning
their souls to black perdition forever and
threatening to kill them if they stood not
where he had ordered them, without NOV
ing so much as a little fryer. Then he
babe the gravedigger, Saul Mark, to come
'AN v Nbt lbl ht lbl lltl'iN " q lAHF
good-for-nothing, swearing that it was deep
enough for all it had to keep from the crows,
and called to the six bearers to cast in
the carrion and be brisk"
But these men, ignorant ]cottier5 and
ditchers about the great house, had yet
hearts kindlier for the poor clay than their
master. For very gently they lowered the
poor harried body till it rested on a bed
Of kindred soil.
But at the grave foot Philip Stansfield
stood silent, with his arms folded, and at
the head the two i'll women spat upon the
face of the noble dead and cursed him with
voices like to the croaking of ravens.
Cover up" cried Philip stansfeld, alb
ruptly, waving his hand to the bearers and
Saul Mark, the grave digger. And they
would have done it too hastily, like men in
fear of their lives, some with spades and
shovels and some with nothing better than
a piece of ancient coffin and lidplates, and
some with their naked hands. But at that
moment Umphray Spurway stepped over the
kirk dyke and commanded them to stop.
II charge you in the kings name to mind
what we are about. For this is a hanging
matter for all of you-to bury one concern
ing whose death there is grave suspicion OF
black murder having been committed
What have we to do with how | dispose of
my father?" cried Philip Stansield. Eng
lish dog, get to your kennel. Ye will hear
enough of murder or all be bygane yet"
Like and very like" said Umphray Spur
way, composedly. Il speak not to you,
Philip Stansfeld. l know better. But l
warn these men whom We would lead into
treason. Hear, Saul Mark, and you that
are with him, l promise you l will make
such "a mutiny that the parliament of the
estates and the kings high majesty shall
hear of it, if We put away this mans corpse
without either fscal's examination or color
of crowner law"
But at that the young man, Philip STAINS
field, flashed a paper before his eyes with
an insolent gesture.
"There-what think we of that" he cried,
There is an order from Sir James Dali
rymple of Stair TO bury the body mmedi-
ately!"
Umphray Spurway took it, and. calling for
a Ianthorn, perused it, looking well
and long at the signature. But,
though he shook his head and doubted, he
could make nothing of it, and so, much
dashed in spirit and astonished, there re-
NAMED nothing for us but to retire and
betake ourselves homeward.
And as we went the two women laughed
and waved their torches over the grave
which the bearers were now fast filing up
under the direction of Saul Mark. But
Philip Stansield stood silent with folded
arms at the graves foot, watching the clods
shifting the face Of the dead.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Grny-Eycd Man.
II was once more in the midmost deeps
of the night. Two restless, eXpectant days
had come and gone, when a second time
was walked out of my first sleep by a
knocking at our chamber door. My mother
said in a pitiful voice that she desired to
know who was there. Whereto Umphray
~Spurway answered that he must have mi
as a witness to tell what | knew. For that
a great man from Edinburgh who had come
to Moreham to make perquisition into all the
circumstances of the killing.
Alas, when will all this cease and we
live again in quiet" said my mother, sadly
kissing me. But take him. Only bring
the lad back to me safe!"
with my own life!" cried Umphray Spur
way from without the door, BE sure OF it.
madam"
At this my mother arose and helped ia
array me-, which | suffered gladly enough.
There was nothing but night. alarms al
this time, and, though my heart beat, the
turmoil and the strangeness made it all
nightly taking to a boy of my age and dis,
positions.
A. the stairs foot | found a party OF -four
assembled, eagerly scrutinizing a paper with
the aid of a dark lanthorn.
Presently | gathered from their talk tina,
this was an order from the privy council
for raising and examining the body OF Sir
James. Further, that the one produced at
the first burial had been forged. Three Of
the four We're Outrageous, or Cas they began
to be called surgeons.
The fourth was a man the like Of whom
for native dignity I had never seen-not OF
outstanding stature or greatly noticeable
but OF a quiet port and with such a NAH
Of eyes, forthlooking eyes. as / had neve,
seen in any couutenancc. Then all of us
went to Moreham kirk, but not this time by
the ford-there being, said the leader. no oc.
casion for hurry. SO we took a cast about
ana passed over by Moreham Brig. under
which ] could see the black water flowing
fast In the snow-bound narrows of the linn
as we turned the corner, and so came in due
time to the Kirk Yeti.
Here, to m. mingled trcpidation and joy
were real kings soldiers keeping guard.
could see the star-shinc glitter faint on their
bayonets, no brighter at The brightest than
print seen by the light Of glow worms-and
the sight gave me a curious prideful feeling