Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-12-15
a TAL=
OF
MYSTERY.

Ia IT, 6rst phase" sa.d COch TAT
! caught Cp With b;n about a cl.lc
tro1 T:rcOed oa this ss,le, making flr
'Lr hs!ls here"
-Ie had gnSacgi yo1 bcro-rhlc !. ''
tA'-grvGts~ MaSsoG. The Clan garp
s!,l quick. tacg'-,as Glaa,c. Oh
know iAIC Zoe he wrote 60 tell ue
~"
A 5! -tt erowu cruss-i &c face Il
Ccch Tai. who was s:ler, moment. -
&c apparently triei 10 Ct u t5ls STATE,
ecu; with the facts Ia bis possession
arr 70 consider II rvor1 ttc Tn!1t o:
! view % his owo advantage. 4, last
! c. said abruptly:
'Oh. be wrote that. d. be- Ani
! wAat else did he U.riteT'
Not much nnre. heycat say,ag hat
/ yOu were TO s,'a hin safe through the
t.i!s; sdte. urlni.'
Il saw hIai safe a. far ~ saw L!m
81 al" rctortcd Coch Ia, SGlieuly.
As there was q pause, Mason ssSed,
AID under what circumstances lid
Ge kave your
Instead CT replying Straightforward
! ly aihl .; once, as. in spite Of himself.
Nassou Ind teSun 10 hcHH that he
/ would DO. Coch Tai for she frst time
hooked 1T tim ashluN,. and. turning n
little to the len. suowt-i his profile
only tn be scer.
he wanted to c.in1 wI,rrr / tnl,l
him there w"S Go safe footing" De
answered at last. n i slightly cvaStyp
tone
And then Eo stopped
Well. you reasoned VITA TIN. OF
course? And. OF course, he w0uld trust
70 your experience sai take your 81.
vice.
NO b. would2't." rctorted Coch
Tai roughly. and turning 10 face his
qucstioner agaI0. IL Er had. he'd
have been alive this day"
An exclamation Of horror burst from
Aasson's lips as BIZ sPrlnS forward
and, regardless OF the mountaineers
superior stature and OF the open knife
In his hand, seized hin By the throat.
Alive! He would have been alive.
Then he is dead, You know It! And
YOU know low he died! You saw hin
die"
AS the young doctor blurtei out
these short seutencrs, In 4 low. throh.
biRg voice that seemed to come
straight from his heart. the other mau
turned a curious purpiish white and
seemed for tie moment 10 he stunned
By this fierce and unexpected attack.
AT last, however, he made a sudden
effort. drew long breath and wrench.
ed himself out Of the grasp OF bis com.
paniou. who. however. returned 30 the
attack.
Then Coch Tai raised his right hand.
In which was the knife be bad been
holding. Ard with his left hand be
made an impPrious gesture OF warning
Don't touch me-" said be hoarseiy.
"pont touch me. IL you're a wise man.
You can squeeze lies out OF a man. but
the truth don't come out like that"
Mason stepped back aud staggered
though he was not conscious Of the
fact.
The truth CAPPED be, the truth:
What Is the truth?'
TO which Coch Tai answered. With
solemn earpestness, ms hs dropped the
hand which held the knife sud raised
the other higher In the air:
"That. s;r. neither you nor nc viii
ever know while the breath remains In
our bodies"
His eRrncstness made so great an
impression upon Mason, excited as
the latter was. that be made no imme.
date retort or inquiry. But after q
few moments Of uacaany silence be
said. 10 low voice:
Can you expect ne 10 he content
with that? You have told me nothing
nothing. But you know more"
Not much mere" retorted Cceb T:! |
grizzly. But | can make guess. I
And II yculi come With NE. ynuu he !
able 10 do as mrch yourself Your |.
brother, as you may say be was-the |
clergymaE-let me In the valley 70
climb up this blu b. = wsy told him !
was not safe. never saw GiIn sea!u." |
But Mr. Trcgaron saw lin after |
thaty'
80 be says, BOT know nothing Of |
that cnp only tell you what |
know. what I saw" retcrted Cocb Tsl !
stubborDiy.
There was always behind the ruan'.
strangely honest and res assuring man.
ber tits suspicious updcubted retI.
cence.
And that ~sa she iass you d'd see
Of my brcther-Gead or ALVEY
That was the Mst ] Eaw @! h.n,
dead or alive"
yet you took II for sEspte5 BE was
dead! How WIS th0t?"
The man vas silent
Had you any reasoE 70 suepact FOIL !
play?'
mo more than wheD @ man who
cant swim throws himself into ne rta
where It's ten fstboms deep." ~
spondel Coch Ia! grinly.
You meao that wien &c left yen.
you never expected TO set D}n alive
sgainT
- may ray DO mean tA2t-.ye,
mcy say that. sir"
There vas terrible pure.
TN fact, you gave him up foy dead
when. In spite Of all your warnings, be
persisted tn having his Own wy and
IL going up In spite O: yoUr"
Aye. ] may say that"
'Net, when you missed him, when be
never came beck, yen CID DOT even !oqA
for bis hcd9T
After moments tiEnce Ccxh Tai
uttered short laugh
IL don't thiuk, ST.. ss yeu Q1lre I'd.
derStand," said be 10 o s3uve tore.
This phcc Isn't LordCp. sp3 the
mountain ways aren't quite the sane
as your paved streets. Come With me"
Although the ladder by Which they
bad both assembled TITO The Icft hsG