The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-17

b ass.
| way, and he wrung his hands together
Of doubt and misery.
IT was doing no harm, sir. Was hold
ing a candle to the window.
And why were you holding candle to
the Window"
Don't ask me, Sir Henry-don't ask
me! give you my word. sir, that it is
not my secret and that I cannot tell it.
L 1t concerned no one but myself would
not try to keep it from YOU
A sudden idea occurred to mo. and I
took the candle from the trembling hand
of the butler.
'He must have been holding it as sig
| nall said I. Let us see If there is any
| answer" I held it as he had done, and
stared out Into the darkness OF the night.
Vaguely could discern the black bank
of the trees and the lighter eXpanse of
tho moor, for the moon was behind tho
clouds And then I gave cry OF exul-
| tation. for a tiny pin-point OF yellow light
had suddenly transfNed the dark veil
and glowed steadily in the center OF the
black square formed by the window.
There 1t isi' cried.
mo. no, sir. it is nothing-nothing at
all!' the butler broke in: II assure you,
sir
Move your light across the window.
other moves also! Now. you rascal. do
you deny that it is a signal? Come. speak
upI Who is your confederate out yonder.
and what is this conspiracy that IS going
on
The mans face became openly defiant.
ut Is my business. and not yours. I
will not tell
Then you leave my employment right
away!"
.And you go In disgrace. By thunder,
you may well be ashamed Of yourself
Your family has lived with mine for over
hundred years under this roof, and here
I find you deep in some dark plot against
me-.
mo. no, sir; no, not against you"' It
was woman's voice, and Mrs. Barry
r-ore. paler and more horror-struck than
her husband. was standing at tas door.
Her bulky figure in a shawl and skirt
might have been comic were it not for the
intensity of feeling upon her face.
I'VE have to go, Eliza Thi. is the end
OF it. You can pack our things" said
tho butler.
ooh, John. John. have I brought you to
this? It is my doing, Sir Henry-all mine,
He has done nothing except for my sake.
and because asked him. "
"Speak out then What does It mean?"
my unhappy brother is starving on the
moor. We cannot lat him perish at our
very gates. The light IS a signal to him
that food Is ready for him. and his light
out yonder is to show the spot to which
to bring it,
Then your brother is"
1.-THE escaped convict, s:r-sslden. the
criminal"
"rhat's the truth. sir" said Barry
| more. 'I said that it was not my secret
and that I could not tell it TO You. But
now you have heard 1t. and you will see
that il there was a plot it was not against
you
This, then, was the explanation of the
stealthy expeditions at night and the light
at the window. Sir Henry and I both
stared at the woman in amazement. Was
1t possible that this atolidly respectable
person was Of the same blood as one or
the most notorious criminals in the coun-
try.
eyes, sir. my name was Selden. and he
is my younger brother We humored MIN
too much when he was lad and save
him his own way in everything until ne
came to think that the world was maoe
for his pleasure, and that he could DO
what he liked in 1T. Then as he gre"
older he met wicked companions, ana
tho devil entered into him, until ne broke
! nv mothers heart and dragged our na1ie
in the dirt From crime to crime he SANK
lower and lower. until 1t ts only the mercy
of God which has snatched him from the
scaffold; but to me. sir, he was always
the I.,tIe ourly-headed boy that I had
nursed and played with, as an elder sister
would. That was why he broke prison,
air. He knew that I was here ana mat
ye could not refuse to help NM w hsa
| ba ORA eyed himself here ore niSnt. weary
-. +,r,-ire with the warders hard at
Iis heels, what could we DO? We took
1 hin ' in and fed him and cared for him.
TIVE, Won returned, sir. and my brother
thought he would be safer on the moor