Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-10-18

dashed round TO the back of the house
! az bis heels He knocked as I did
but with a like result He shoutc,
through the open window. but only the
echo OF bis voice came back. and this
smote upon his heart and lined with
anxiety bis face
''Davie." he said. Il fear something
has happened. Don't blub." as clutch
ed him by the arm and turned ter
rified face up TO his. 1T may be moth
ing much. We shall see. Are you
afraid tn go In through that window
and open the back door for meY'
| was. but | had some pride. 50
gasped out NO"
Good lad" and he patted me en-,
rcouragipgly on the back. Come here
and ! will help you. There's nothing
/ TO be afraid Of" he added consolingly
Your mother ami the girl have evil
\ identity gone out together. We will get
/ In and wait until they return. Now.
then. one. two and up
The window was some five feet from
the ground. but with his aid quickly
4 scrambled across the sill and peered
into the room. Reassured by what l
saw. which was the scuIlery In It's
usual state Of perfect tidiness, got
through the window with little diff
Guilty and let myself down upon the
table which stood beneath. Then, with
nothing more than a hurried glance
about me. / dashed through the kitch-
en-. out into the passage and opened
the back door. My Uncle Jim imme-
L diately entered.
For a moment he seemed to hesitate.
looking about him for some sign or
token. Then he went along the pas
l sage to the front OF the house calling
'oudly. but receiving no reply sprang
TO the stairs and without a word
/ mounted to my mothers room Ar
\ irving there. he stopped for a moment
or two and contemplated the closed
door: then he knocked gently thereon
No reply coming he knocked louder.
! louder. and then he turned the handle.
Peeping behind him. I saw that the
1 room was still shrouded In gloom. the
blinds being closely drawn he called
her by name. but his voice sounded
I hollow and ghostly as II circled round
and round the oppressive chamber. No
sound came from the bed, no move
ment- He turned and drew up the
blind and let a food OF light into the
dark room. and as IL lit up the bed
saw IL fall upon tress of my mothers
hair, which dropped back over the pill
l low. She was lying there enveloped in
/ the counterpart. her form clearly cut
lined beneath the clothes; but she was
/ so still. so dreadfully still.
Uttering an involuntary cry sprang
across to her. and before my uncle
4 could prevent II bad snatched the COW
ering from her head. A CHASTITY white
! face met me, two vague. distorted eyes
stared up into mine-eyes In which
| glared too plainly the hideous placidity
l of death.
| "She is dead walled. "she is
dead" and. unable to look death In the
| face. fell upon my knees by the bed
and buried my face In my hands
Presently my uncle touched me on
the shoulder. AS | looked up at him
with blurred eyes IL seemed 20 me that
his erstwhlle Jovial face was CHASTITY
with pain or rage.
'Do you know what has happened2''
he said, his voice cold and cutting az
death itself. And not waiting for an
Il
query, Your mother has been muir
deredP'
"MurderedT' gasped.
Eyes. murderedr' be repeated. "LooSl
fDon't be afraid, she cannot hurt you
ILook-and remember"
He drew me close to the head OF the
Ibed. and once more / gazed upon the
| deathly pale face, the distorted eyes
| which, seen through a mist OF tears.
were awful in the extreme. AS stared
bdown at the pale face could not quite
lrealize that this was death or what
ldeath really was, but a vague, sicken-
ing sense OF loss numbed all my ener-
gies and filled the world with a vague
Idesolatiou. 1t was the first time | had
gazed upon death. and tried to learn
its meaning. She was there. my moth
er. the sweet soul had known so long.
had loved so dearly. Save for that I'M
Lwonted pallor. those fixed eyes, there
Twas no difference In her. Yet she
knew me not; she would know me no
more. l might weep, might pray, but
she would heed me not And though
in life was her all In all had passed
from her, as 1t were; j was that OF
which she knew not This was death
''See," said my uncle, whose voice
Twas low and charged with deep emo
Ition, ''she has been strangledT And
he pulled back the nightdress from her
Iwhite throat and l saw that 1t was
encircled with hideous purple band
1.-THE murderers had done their work
Sdeftly.
BY this time my eyes had cleared OF
1.-THE mist, and l had courage really to
Hook my mother In the face. Across
her forehead great lock OF loose hair
had fallen, and as with loving fingers
Imy uncle pressed 1t back he gave a
sudden start as though he had been
stung.
\ "Heavensp' he cried. "They were
not satisfied to kill. They have mutt