Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-04

seemed tumbled together headlong, as II
some heavenly songsters had been caught
iuttering in a net, whence they sent forth
piteous appeals and wing-happings-all
gradually subsiding into the burden Of an
ancient psalm, slow, sustained and solemn
as a burial march.
The musician stopped, unscrewed his in
strument again and turned upon me.
There you have it-that Is my parable"
he said; you are a professional inter
prefer of such. What do you take out Of
that?"
you ave come here" I answered him
as quietly as l could, ION an errand the
purport of which ! can only imperfectly
guess at. But this l do know, that I shall
not let you out OF my sight till / discover
the mystery Of the disappearance of these
two poor innocent girls!"
"Innocent?" he cried, laughing. how
do you know they are Innocent"
81 would answer for 1t with my lifel"
l cried, starting as II an adder had Kissed
at me out Of a bush. Then sudden as an
Inspiration there came into my head a way
to answer him.
"You OIL all men," I said, drawing a bow
at a venture, have the best reasons for
knowing that they are innocent as children
newly born!"
NO" he said, quite calmly. my father
has better!"i
"or had!" he added. looking at his watch
while l was struck dumb by his assurance.
Now, p~arson," he went on, with the same
quiet insolence as before IA year ago l
should have smitten him In the teeth for
1t, but of late the Lord had begun to speak
to mel, now, most holy churchman, l will
tell you what / am going to do. You have
obtruded your company upon me-, but after
all blood is thicker than water. ] will not
turn you out, l am going to stay here an
other two hours-no more and no less.
Then, IL you will company me. why you
are at liberty to do so-if you can. Good
night, John Knox"
So saying my brother dettly pushed q
chair under the calves Of his legs SO that
the little silver spurs on his heels might
not embarrass him, drew a lace-edged
pocket handkerchief over his face and APP
peared to go to sleep.
From the kitchen OF the inn / heard the
measured rack rack Of the old woman's
nursing chair and her low moaning Groom.
After about an hour she came in and looked
keenly about, Then, having lit another
farthlng dip, she went as noiselessly out
again.
l must have iozed from that point on
ward. for the next 1 knew was Rupert
standing over me. tapping my shoulder
with the key Of the stable door.
"You are but a poor spy" he said; mo
detective force would employ you for a
week. For all you knew l might have
been six long miles away by this time, with
a Sabine maiden over each shoulder and a
scalping knife between my teeth. But
was kind to you, my good, stupid police
ofhcer. Take a glass before we go and
will try the mettle of your cart horse along
the road. There are eight miles between MS
and the ancestral towers OF Cover. Come,
l will give you a mile start and beat you
at the gates for 100 guineasi"
How long he had been awake and watch
ing ne asleep l could not tell. But Il did
not take much penetration TO see how be
had been employing his time. There was
already one empty bottle upon the table
and as he spoke he poured out another full
tumbler for himself, together with a glass
for me, which Of course / did not touch.
Yet all that he had drank seemed to have
no effect upon him that night save for the
extraordinary lightness and vivacity It i'm
parted to his motions and the b~rilliancy OF
his eyes. which at times burned with a
lampeht sloW' as ii the nres OF nell were
already slight behind them
1T is no use waiting longer" he said,
with mock gravity. The friends whom
have been expecting have evidently played
me false. Yet ! have spent the evening
agreeably enough with the 'Newgate Cal
endar' and In the society OF my dear and
only brother. Tonight l have read OF
twenty men-robbers and bloody murder
ers-and yet / take my oath every red
handed one Of them died penitent-certain
OF their election and e~difying the specta-
tors. l should think Peter would get tired
OF SO much belated repentance. and I ash
for a little consistency as a change. You
need not rattle your keys for me, old fab
erman. / will say, keep them At your belt
AS / lived / died. and now ask no better
than TO be treated according to the record.
And I wager that the pilot Of the 0alilsGE