The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-25

hope. or. rather. should say tho fear,
for there was more Of fear than of hope
I'm IT,
And 30 the time few on and a bitter
ly cold January was drawing to q close.
good six months had already passed.
and In that time the world forgets much.
know that I had reached that state In
which I no longer experienced any diff
Guilty In lulling my fears. and could
sleep without dreaming OF trying to es-
cape from a man with strange eyes who
pursued me with a cleaning knife and
who was ever on the point Of stabbng
me just as woke. I think my uncle also
was beginning to rest. though rest he
would not while his sisters murderer was
at large But he was just little more
contented. less given TO gloomy hts or
abstraction, when something happened
that set VS. all In q whirl again.
/ thought one night. waking suddenly,
that some one was trying to force the
window fmy room. but after lying for
many minutes listening intentiy l came
20 the conclusion that II was nothing but
my fancy SO. secure In the possession
of we'll barred window. soon fell asleep
again. But when ! awoke In the morning
i still retained recollection of my fright
and, rapidly dressing. went out 10 invesu-
gate that side OF the house. but though
/ subjected II TO a pretty close scrutiny
Il saw nOtninB tnat le0 Llo 10 susptCt tuc
presence OF an enemy.
However on skirting the back Of the
building passed close to the stable. upon
the door OF which saw something that
made me start A step or two closer as
sured me that / had not been mistaken.
There. distinctly visible was the fatal
egg-shaped sign drawn grimly with red
pencil.
/ looked and looked again and then
n1n 70 ma a a
10 mistake. Every nerve In me was now
trembling with excitement and for sew
eral moments I stood looking at the
dreadful thing like one unable to realize
it's meaning. Then. forcing my numbed
limbs into action, I turned about and
hurried into the house, bursting into
my unclc's room with: THE sigh The
signr'
"rhe signi' he shouted excitediy, turn
ing round with lightnins-like rapidity.
do you mean the
Yes, yes. the same. Comet II 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.
1T is the same?' he said. 1T Is like
the one you saw on the gatepost"'
Exactly. but bigger"
Then" said he. 'our enemies are close
at hand"
night fancying i heard some one at my
window. He started and looked very
serious.
why did you not call mo?"
Because I lay awake a long time
listening and. not hearing the sound re-
peated, easily persuaded myself that
1 was dreaming"
1T was wrong Of you," he said. Call
me always IL you hear anything suspi-
cious. We have n 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 SEQ II everything Is
all right inside"
did as / was bidden and on return
Ing found him closely examining the
door. But with the exception OF the sign
there was nothing to show that IL had
been tampered with. The lock was In
tact, and when the koy was inserted into
II the spring flew back with sharp click.
But when the door was thrown open we
saw at once that something had hap
pened.
The horses (my uncle kept two of them)
were stretched out In their stalls stiff and
cold. knew this at once by the look OF
them and so did he, for. with a cry. no
sprang into the stable and began closely
10 examine them. There were no streams
Of blood TO trace to their fount but just
at the back OF the ears awound nbout half
an inch long was discovered. The pierc-
ing OF thevertebrae had at once paroiyzed
the brain, and the poor animals had fallen
dead without q struggle.
For long time my uncle stood look
ing at the two beautiful horses that
had been his pride. his face white and
drawn, his lips working convulsively.