The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-01-14
CHAPTER Y.


CAPTAIN KINGSTON SETS SAIL FOR FOR
EIaN PARTS.
Reaching Chichester without further
mishap, ut length drew up before the
door Of our hotel, the windows OF
which were In complete darkness. Tho
good folk had evidently retired for the
night, but clamorous ringing of the
bell soon brought sleepy servant OIL
the scene. Pushing by him, left the
dripping machine in the hall and few
impat1ently toward the stairs, up
which I stumbled in the darkness But
having trodden them so often l knew,
as 1t were, every stair by heart, and in
few moments l was vainly endeavor.
Ing to turn the handle of our room, for.
as / have already said, we always used
one room when it was impossible to get
two which were connected by a door.
next knocked loudly and. waiting,
knocked again. Then impetuously
shook the handle the rattle resoundlng
through the quiet house. But still no
answer. Father! Father" l wills.
pered through the kcyhole, but might
as well have spoken to the air. No
sound, no movement The ominous
stiffness set me shivering painfully.
Ny wet clothes chung Jelly to my limbs.
My body was frozen, but my brain
burned like fire.
Fearing that something was amiss
and acting upon sudden impulse,
hurled myself violently against the
door, and the lock gave way. For a
moment stood upon the threshold and
called to my father once more, but re-
reiving no reply made my way
through the dark to the mantelplece,
where | knew / should find the candle
and matches. Striking one, ! instinc-
lively turned toward his bed, and in the
dim light created by the match l dis
tInctly traced the outline of his figure
there. / called again, Father" but he
did not move. Tremblingly l applied
the fame to the candle and then turned
to make closer investigation.
He lay perfectly still, entirely enrel-
pped In the bedclothes, and for little
while stood staring at him, not hay
ing the courage to lift the sheet from
his face. But the sound OF footsteps
in the passage outside suddenly recall
ed me to my senses, and with desper-
ate movement dung back the cover
Ing.
At first horrid mist seemed to blur
my sight; but quickly passing, IT show
I'd me a deathly pale face with wide,
distorted eyes and brow scared with
the purple sign Of the egg. 1t was the
same sign as that which had seen up
pm my mothers forehead.
With cry of horror turned aside
bnd confronted the landlord, who, can
die In hand, had come to investigate
the meaning Of the noise caused by my
breaking down the door.
He began to splitter, rs a landlord
naturally would, but my ghastly face
prrestcd the outbrrst.
"Cnd in heaven he cried. "1laye
you seen ghost:'
| beck uned for him to advance, and
be came cautiously toward me.
"My father" I gasped, my father
las been murdered. Lock-" and held
the light over the pale face and showed
The projecting eyes and the vivid sign
"Murtlcrtd" be echoed. Good Cod.
And to make sure he came close quite
close, and bent over the body ana
touched the pale, cold face. Inc ICY
rontact made him SILVER. He stepped
back with an involuntary cry.
"This is awful" he continued. when
rould II have occurred! | saw him oH
10 bed myself at half past D. he was
very worried about you and thought or
sending to the police, but guessed 1t
was the rain that caused the delay, ana
60 | sunthrd him. Half an hour later
he rang To know if you had yet return
ed, TErn he troubled us no more
| looked long into the CHASTITY race,
scarcely hocding the meanings or the
landlord though | seemed TO hear as
through tho nois" of the SURF roaring
sfur of his whining Of the misfortune
that had befnllen his house. But l
could now look on the face aud think
despitr the awful GOODNESS which en-
ycloped me. the deadly weight about
the heart, and some mention or sui
eide" In the landlords lamentations
cuused me to loosen the collar OF tile
dead man. and ] saw that his neck was
encirclcd by q ghastly purple line, ana
] thought that the fumes of ether OF
chloroform rose from his beard
The landlord saw and realized. He
too, smcllcd the heavy. sick!y odor OF
the anrsthctic, and in n dull way lie
continued to call upon the Deity. Like
most goddess wretches, the name OF
God was always on his tongue And SC
he wrung his hands and continued tu
ask blankly what he should do.
"rhe police must be communicated
with Mt once" said, Though they VIII
never lay their hands On the man who
did this"
"Why do you say thatT'
"Bccause know him.
"You know him.? The landlord open
ed his eyes a wide. incrcdulous look.
"Wcll, saw him tonight. He Is
dark faced, foreign looking man OF me-
dium build, with black hair and strange
little Sits Of eyes,
"Heavcnsw cried the landlord once
ogain. and his horid face turned pale
and his dull eyes seemed to start IRON
their sockets. ''rhat Is an exact de
scription of the stranger In o.
"IIe came
"Tonight about 10 o'clock. He wen'
direct to his room. was to call hin
earIv. AS he was going I'D to London.'