Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-02

ostensible errand my absence from the party
| rushed away toward the lonely road where
these brothers lived, meaning to leave such
fragments as remained on the old doorstep
Beyond which | had been told such suffering
existed.
1T was now late, very late, for girl like
myself to be out, but, under the excitement
of what ] had just seen and heard, l be
came oblivious to fear, and rushed into those
dismal shadows as into transparent day
light. Perhaps the shouts and stray sounds
of laughter that came up from the wharves
where a ship was getting under way gave
me a certain sense of companionship. Per-
haps-but it is folly for me to dilate upon
my feelings-it is my errand you are in
terested in and what happened when
came up to the labels dreary dwelling"
The look with which she paused, osten-
sibly to take breath, but in reality TO weigh
and criticise the looks of those about her,
one of those wholly Understandable ones
with which she was accustomed to control
the judgment of men who allowed them
selves to watch too closely the ever chang
ing expression of her weird yet charming
face. But it fell upon men steeled against
her destinations, and realizing her inability
TO move them, she proceeded with her story
before even the most anxious of her hear
efS COulu request ner TO 40 so.
81 had come" said she, very quietly
along the road, for my feet were lightly
shod, and the moonlight was too bright
for me to make a misstep. But as | cleared
the trees and came into the open place
where the house stands | stumbled with
surprise at seeing figure crouching on the
doorstep l had anticipated finding empty
as the road. 1t was an old mans figure,
and as ] paused in my embarrassment he
slowly and with great feebleness rose to
his feet and began to grope about for the
door. AS he did so l heard a sharp tink-
ling sound, as of something metallic falling
on the doorstone, and, taking a quick step
forward, | looked over his shoulder and
saw in the moonlight at his feet a dagger
so like the one | had lately handled in
Mrs. Webb's yard that / was overwhelmed
with establishment, and surveyed the aged
and feeble form Of the man who had
dropped 1t with a sensation difficult to de-
scribe The next moment he was STOPPING
for the weapon, with a startled air that
has impressed itself distinctly upon my
memory, and when, after many feeble at
tempts, he succeeded in graspng It,, he van
ished into the house so suddenly that l
could not be sure whether he had seen me
standing there or not.
"All this was more than surprising to me-
for had never thought of associating an old
man with this crime. Indeed, ! was so as
tonished 10 find him in possession of this
weapon that | forgot all about my errand
and only wondered how could see and know
more. Fearing to be observed where | was
| Slid in amongst the bushes and soon found
myself under one of the windows The shade
was down and / was about to push it aside
when | heard some one moving about inside
and stopped But | could not restrain my
curiosity, so uulling a hairpin from my
hair ! worked little hole in the shade and
through this | looked into room brightly
illumned by the moon which shOne in
through an adjoining window. And what
did / see there?" Her eye turned on Fred
erck His right hand had stolen toward his
left, but it paused under her look and re-
mained mOtlOnless. "Only an old man sit
ting at a table and" Why did she pause
ana why did she cover up that pause with
a wholly inconsequential sentence. Perhaps
Frederick could have told. Frederick, whose
hand had now fallen at his side. But Fred
erick volunteered nothing, and no one, not
even Sweetwater, guessed all that lay beyond
that and which was left lowering in the air
to be finlshed-when? Alas! had she not
set the day and the hour
Ito be COntinued)