Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-01-09

do you mean?"
There is an ancient opening in the
ground, drain, or conduit. just out
side the abbey, north of the aisle, we
can bury it there"
"Why bury it," asked Foster.
THAT we may have the chance of
escape you dream Of"
Yes, you are right" said Foster,
"the horse will give the alarm. II the
body is not found for day or two our
retreat will be covered by the doubt
and delay"
Come. then" said Parker, and the
two men proceeded to lift the body.
The moon came out from behind
scudding bank of clouds as II to bear
witness against the deed of blood; but
at the same moment it shone upon
the graceful figure of Mary Lockwood
as the heroine of the Star and Garter
hurried through the meadows to the
abbey-hurried not from fear, but in
order that she might pause in the ia
milliar ruin to think Of Dick, and more
particularly to think of him upon the
very spot where last they had sat to-
gether. and he had urged her to accept
his proposals Of secret marriage.
AS Mary entered the wide aisle,
shaft Of moonlight pierced the gloom
and disappeared as flash OF lightning
might have done. 1t startled her for
a moment; but hardly had she reached
the stone seat beneath the old elder
tree than the moonlight came stream
ing in upon her with calm and steady
radiance. She took this for good
omen, which may be noted as evidence
OF the utter unreliability of supersti-
tious interpretations Of natural phe-
nomena; for at that moment the awful
shadow of the murderers and their
victim had been struck by that same
moonlight right across the abbey foot
path.
The next moment Mary was holding
her breath and creeping into the fur
thest shadows of the elder tree. A
muttered curse had held her SPELL
bound. so strange. SO unexpected, so
ferocious was 1t. She turned to look
in the direction from which it had
-
come.
Two dark figures carrying helpless
burden met her startled gaze. She
wondered II this were some rude test
OF her courage, but this idea was
quickly dispelled by the tremendous
earnestness of the actors.
No two men could have played the
mart If baoiac thaca v,Ioyad
As they approached her she saw that
they labored with the weight of their
CHASTITY load.
She saw the dead mans arms swing
to and fro, and the poor head move
helplessly from side to side.
AS the first rufian bore his share of
the body. with his back towards her.
the other stopped low and muttered
curses not loud but deep.
The moon disappeared while the
awful procession passed her hiding
place. and it seemed to her a process
sion of magnitude. SO long did it ap-
pear to be passing.
Mary had never felt fear until then
Her heart stood STILL And yet it
seemed to her as II her breath came
and went with the noise OF 20 people.
She clutched the elder tree with a
silent prayer of gratitude for the sound
of the rustling ivy overhead, which
seemed to assist in shielding her from
observation.
The wind had stopped. as II to listen
to the tale Of blood; stopped dead, as
IL 1t had never rustled an ivy leaf.
much less uprooted an oak. But the
next moment 1t stormed through the
open spaces on the towers moaned in
the hollows Of the crypt. When the
moon once more emerged from the
stormy clouds the rufiians paused with
their load, and the foremost of the two
muttered: Course the wind" as his
hat was blown along the aisle. stop
ping almost at Mary's feet.
would he follow it," was the
thought that once more terrified her.
She shrank to the furthermost cor
ner Of her shallow retreat, and chung
to the trunk of the rugged elder in an
agony Of despair. But the second man
said with an oath: Come on; you can
get the cursed hat when the job Is
ended" and they took up their load
afresh and disappeared beyond the alb
hey walls.
The moment she could no longer see
the ruffians. the awful fascination in
which they held her abated.
She crept from her hiding place,
siezed the hat. and with the speed OF o
hunted fawn bounded into the open
and fed irrespective of dead or living.
She had recovered all her sense Of
freedom now that she was in the
meadows. She knew that she could
outstrip pursuit. even IL she were fol-
lowed. and. spite Of the possibility of
having to pass the murderers, she
made straight for the path to the mill
pond and few over the welcome
bridge.
They were too busy with their horri-
BILE work-Richard Parker and his vile
companion-to note the flying shadow
that fell upon them for a moment as
Mary rushed past. like Fate, with the
evidence Of their identity in her hand,
and with which token she staggered
at last, pale and breathless. into the
inn, standing in the midst of the
startled company unable to utter a
word.
The freight fell tenderly upon her,
as she leaned upon the arm of the in
gle-nook settle for support.
Both Taylor and Wilson rushed
toward her, but her uncle waved them
back. and. stretching his bony arm
about her. said:
What is it. lass? Have you seen a
ghost, you look so scared!"
Her lips moved as II she would an