Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-10-25


which he shook OF with a great effort.
We rode and drove necessarily, and l
noticed that he always peered into the
eyes OF every stranger we passed
Sometimes he took me to town for
week. and together we haunted all the
most popular resorts Of the metropolis.
We tramped the great thoroughfares
from the Marble arch to the bank, from
st Paul's to Hyde Park corner. And
ali for what7 he never said, but
knew Il was for the man with the
strange eyes. Time after time he used
to say to me, 'Davie, are you quite
sure you would know him again ?"
And then would go through a minute
description Of the man as he appeared
to me In the garden that day. and so
often had I repeated the story that he
knew 1t az well as I, and II I omitted
any particular he would say, you for
got to mention the black tie with the
white spots" or His boots Were rather
square at the toes"
But nothing ever came of our wRn-
derings, though we had many false
alarms, for In London, where one sees
so many different faces, It would have
been strange had we not encountered
a few disappointments Men of for
eign appearance IN particular we mark
ed as our quarry. especially those who
have the brand Of the east or the far
east. But though at the sight of q
man / have sometimes felt my heart
leap to my throat a closer inspection
dissipated the hope. or, rather, should
say the fear. for there was more OF
fear than OF hope In It.
And so the time few on. and bitter
iy cold January was drawing to close.
A good six months had already passed,
and In that time the world forgets
much. | know that had reached that
state In which no longer experienced
any difficulty in Iulling my fears and
could sleep without dreaming OF try
Ing TO escape from man with strange
eyes who pursued me with a cleaning
knife and who was ever on the point of
stabbing me just as l woke. think
my uncle also was beginning to rest.
| though rest he would not while his sis
ter's murderer was at large. But he
was just a little more conteuted, less
given TO gloomy fits OF abstractivl.
when something happened that set us
| all In whiri again.
/ thought one night, waking sudden
ly, that some one was trying to force
| the window OF my room, but after ly-
| ing for many minutes listening intent
ly l came to the conclusion that it was
nothing but my fancy. So, secure in
the possession OF a well barred win
| dow, l soon fell asleep again. But
xxyha I ~,
retained a recollection Of my fright
and, rapidly dressing, went out to in
vestigate that side of the house, but
though l subjected 1t to a pretty close
scrutiny 1 saw nothing that led me to
suspect the presence OF an enemy.
However, on skirting the back of the
building 1 passed close to the stable,
upon the door of which / saw some
thing that made me sta$t. A step or
two closer assured me that had not
been mistaken. There, distinctly visi-
BILE, was the fatal egg shaped sign
drawn grimly with q red pencil.
looked and looked again and then
drew closer to make sure that there
was no mistake. Every nerve in me
was now trembling with excitement,
Il
! ing at the dreadful thing like one un-
able to realize its meaning. Then.
forcing my numbed limbs into action,
/ Turned about and hurried into the
house, bursting into my uncle's room
with: THE sign! The signP'
1.-THE signp he shouted excitedly,
| turning round with lightninglike ra-
pidity. "Do you mean tho
''Yes, yes; the same. Comet 1t is on
the stable door"
Without further words he dashed by
me, out through the back of the house
to the yard. at his heels. Before the
stable door he stood and very narrowly
scrutinized the tracing.
at Is the sameT he said. cit is like
the one you saw on the gatepostY'
Exactly, but bigger"
"Then," said he, "our enemies are
close at hand"
then told him how woke up In the
night faDcying heard some one at my
window. He started and looked very
| serious.
| why did you not call me?'
Because 1 lay awake q long time
listening, and, not hearing the sound
repeated, easily persuaded myself
that was dreaming"
at was wrong of you" he said. call
me always If you hear anything sus-
picious. We have a desperate set of
people to deal with, Davie. We must
lessen their number on every possible
occasion. Now run In and fetch me
the keys OF the stable. We must see IL
everything is ali right inside"
did as was hidden and on return
Ing found him closely examining the
door. But with the exception of the
sign there was nothing to show that 1t
had been tempered with. The lock
was intact, and when the key was In
serted into it the spring few back
with sharp click. But when the door
was thrown open we saw at once that
something had happened.
The horses (my uncle kept two OF
them) were stretched out In their stalls
stiff and cold. knew this at once by