Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-05-06
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For more than Il month there
had been growing among the
men of Townsend's set Il sus-
picion that he was going to the
bad. Once he had been seen
coming out of house which
seemed to the eyes of Chadwick /.
who met him. to conceal posi-
bilities of faro To be sure,
il was found aftcrward that
| Townsend had been to visit his
"goody's" husband. who was
laid mp with IA broken leg but
the impression clung. never,
thrlcss.
Then Morton saw him one
day on the street in convcrSa-
tion with Il young woman of
somewhat llambovant archi-
lecture. and although it was
proved beyond i pcradvonturc
that she was the very reSpccta-
bile person who did his mend
ing. yet there were many who
believed that Townsend was
mashed.
Unexplained, however, was
his disappearance from his
usual haunts al / o'clock every
afternoon. There were rumors
of his having been seen in din
gv streets in the port bv men
who were walking out from
Boston and were taking Il short
cut through that region.
Such being the state of public
opinion. no one was surprised
to have Townsend To throw
his hand one day as the clock
struck / although the last jack
pot had been unusually eX-
citing.
I'm not coming in. he said.
In fact. I'm going out'-an
attcmpt at wit that was greeted
with dcrision.
With the shutting of the door
every hand was tossed upon the
table aS if by common consent.
Hes doing this every day to
my personal knowledge, said
Chadwick. land I'm going To
see II out this afternoon.
IN go with YOU - cried
Morton.
The rest had no theories. but
went from curiosity all except
Allen. who was senior and
W ho knew Townsend : mother
and WAS in love with his sister.
aud hence felt il incumbent
upon him to take the interest
OF an elder brother in his wei
fare
For % minutes he led them
at u smart pace through the
better part of Camnridgcport, !,
and then turned aside into IA
short bystreet that extended
toward the river.
There was no electric Iighr in
this obscure "ll"y and the early
dusk of the winter afternoon
concealed the group of spies in
its fast deepening shadows
Townsend passed the tcncmcntS
and went up the steps of a cot
tagc. the only detached house
on the street Ii was at the
end beyond il Il tin can strewn
vacant lot. extending To the
marsh
Allen looked grave as he saw
Townsend knock as If To warn
the inmates of his coming and
then take a latchkcv from his
pocket aud enter before :he
door could be opened from
within.
With one accord the caves
droppcrs moved toward the
vacant lot, where II shaft of
light strcamcd from II side
window. Once around the cor
ncr they did not see Il woman
who left The house almost as
Townsend had entered.
What they did see aS they
pressed to the window, whose
partly raised curtain allowed
them good view of the room
view of the room and It's occu
pants. was of IA nature to sur
| prise every one of them.
Before the fire sat an old
+, woman whom the novels of u
years ago would have described
as "bcidam. Wild eyes
indicative of Il diSordcrcd mind
hlazrd in Il face crowned by !
mass of unkempt white hair
I Her thin figure ever Swayed Il
the promptingS of an inner