Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-28
BY FLORENCE WARDEN

of which Zen started and turned
tot'a / is 81 fni1ns. His startled,
GUT II AZ i2ak vas answered by
t',ei aces
Ii vs. NJ 'son WHO hurried forward
and ilo IL :.iptcd Tie vain task of
withdr2w Wig nc body from It's horri-
lie position ''rcgaron had fallen into
the cleft bet, cen the hills at a point
where Two jagged rocks. rising up
from the he'd of little mountain
stream. formed n narrow and fatal
cradle. into which nobody could fall
without being horribly mangled and
crushed by the terrible contact.
Into this CHASTITY deathbed David
Tregaron had fallen, and the first
glance which Mason gave when he
got, with some difficulty. close to the
spot showed him that death must have
been instantaneous. The broken gun
lay in pieces within few feet of the
body.
With much difficulty. since Tom, at
the first suggestion that he should lend
his aid, ran away up the path at full
speed and disappeared, Mason and
Merrick extricated the bruised body
from its position and carried 1t up the
path. Although the farmer had been
short, spare man. the position in which
his body had been found and the steep
ness Of the ascent made the journey q
long and tedious one.
When at last they got on the little
tableland on which the farmhouse
stood, Mason was seized with
strange sensation of sick horror on
finding himself once more brought to
the place which he had hoped never to
see again.
The thought Of seeing Gwyn again
in these shocking circumstances made
him stop and hesitate and look at Coch
Tai with such an expression Of dis
tress that the peasant broke the ST.
lence In which they had done their
work.
you'd better come in. sir" said he,
with an apt appreciation of the doc
tors mood. you'd better by far hear
all about 1t, now you've come so farw
at that moment the lad Tom, still in
the same state of nervous excitement
as before, opened the farmhouse door
and came out. His eyes were red, as IL
he had been crying. and the expression
OF his whole face instead of being sui
len and downcast as usual, was wild
and disturbed. He came toward them
hurriedly. with a sidelong, stumbling
walk, as II he was anxious to reach the
two live men without coming near the
dead man they bore
Come round the back way" said he,
through the clubhouse"
Mason and Coch Tai. with their
burden, followed him to the south side
Of the farmhouse, making their way
with difficulty over the bits Of ruined
masonry with which this part of the
premises was especially incumbered.
Tom opened little rough wooden
door which had been inserted In the
massive old wall which had once been
that of the north aisle of the church.
This admitted them into the clubhouse,
where a rough trestle had been already
put up for the reception Of the body.
They placed the remains of the farmer
upon this resting place, and then Mas
son and Coch Tai, still In silence, turn.
ed toward the kitchen door, which Tom
held open for them.
But on the threshold Mason hest
tated. Standing still within the gloom
Of the clubhouse. of which he had al
ready such uncanny recollections, he
felt dread selling him of the story
that he should have to hear. He was
oppressed by the knowledge that the
key to the mystery of Monachlog
would within few minutes be in his
keeping.
Before him, sitting by the kitchen
fire, sat Gwyn Tregaron, with her head
back against her high chair. her eyes
closed and an expression of intense
agony on her pallId face. On the op-
posite side of the hearth stood the old
woman. leaning upon her stick and
pointing with lean finger to the door
of the clubhouse.
Tom, who was standing just inside
the kitchen door, made gesture to
Mason Of encouragement, of invita-
ton to enter, and us he did so he ut
tered in hoarse whisper these signifl-
cant words:
Come in, sir; come In. There's moth
ing to fear here; nothing now"