Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-05-17
r Of" The house on thc Nar5h." etc.
tcoryrght. ise. ly Eoosr: Bonner's Sons.l


surely. For I'm sure by the noise you
church atire.'
But the shiverng man was begin.
! ming TO feel that dry clothes and fire
outweighed everything else in his
mind.
Let me get inside" stammered he.
land when I'm dry again. I'll talk to
you
But this speech caused Claris TO look
at him with more attention. and he
then perceived that Lowndes was
dressed.
There's something to be explained
here" he exclaimed. with sudden sus-
J picion. You haven't been to bed.
| Who are you:" he asked. in different
tone. barring the entrance to the house
with his burly person. WHO are
you: And what did you come here
for? Now. our with it, Were You
sent here to lay traps FOR honest folks:
Speak out man. or back you shall &c
| into the river again.
And Claris seized the unfortunate
Lowndes in his powerful grasp and
forced him backward in the direction
of the little river.
By this time Nell had partly recov.
cred her composure. She now spoke
10 her uncle in n calmer voice
"Let him come in. Uncle George"
she said. let him come in and
change his wet clothes. And then
make him give an account of himself
IL he can
With apparent reluctance the inn
keeper took his nieces advice. led
Lowndes up to his room as if he had
been a prisoner. locked him in. and
kept watch outside the door until he
was ready.
Jack Lowndes could hear the uncle
and niece in whispered conversation
on the landing. and murmured some
imprecations against the "artful little
hussy." rs he detected by the rising
: anger in George Claris's tones the fact
that the girl was working him up
\ laundering knock at his door.
which threatened to bring il down as
easily rs Lowndes himself had brought
down the door OF the upstairs room.
warned him that ii was time for him
TO come out and face the indignant
pair.
Now. SIR roared Claris. barely
leaving Lowndes the time TO get down
stairs before beginning his attack.
what have you to say for yourself?
| 1t seems YOU had the - impudence
10 batter in the door of my niece's
room. and that you went flying out
through the window like Il mailman.
Now. what have you To say for your
self? Do you remember anything
about it. or not
And George Claris. who had lit
candle the pale rays of which looked
sickly in the struggling light OF the
dawn. peered curiously into the bag
gard face of Jack Lowndes.
Remember? OF course l remember.
How should | know 1t was your
niece's room? | only came into the
house last nigh, for the first time.
followed the woman and she went in
there. She turned the key in the
lock. so | had to burst it OPEN
As he mentioned the word woman"
4 cry burst from Nell's lips. cry so
pi;eous that Lowndes turned TO look
1T her. and was struck with bewilder-
ment. Believing thoroughly in her
guilt as he did. having come down rs
he had come To unmask her. he was
M that moment converted to an abso-
lutte belief in her innocence. And yet
lie could not have explained how it
was that the sight OF her face. the
sound of her voice as she uttered the
cry. had this instantaneous and de-
cided effect upon him. SO deeply alb
sorbed was he in contemplation of this
new aspect of the matter that at first
he did not hear. or did not heed. the
innkeeper's next words.
Woman. What woman You said
nothing about 4 woman"
Il don't know myself what woman
it was" answered Lowndes. in tone
in which change TO doubt and hest
fancy could be detected. But some
woman came into my room in the
night'-George Claris moved impa
tiently. Il don't say l was unpre.
| pared for this. but | can swear that
| Sle anu W.tH size IOOk uD UlN
| clothes and I heard the chink of the
| loose money in my pockets | started
up. and she ran out of the room.
was not unprepared. as | say. and
| ran after her. saw her go into the
back room 1T the top. heard her lock
IL. burst il in. ana saw her getting out
of the window just rs | got into the
room. | got out after her. saw her
once more when got to the ground.
and the next thing knew was that |
was in the water
We'll. it sobered you. AT any rate"
said George Ciaris. shortly. And
now there's nothin. left TO do but to
tell us how much money she took
Don't be bashful: make it n hundred
or say two. We've been bled before.
no doubt we can stand bleeding
again."
There seemed 10 L0wndes to be
something pathetic in the rough irony
of the mans tone: he began to feel
heartily sorry and ashamed that he
had allowed himself to be persuaded
into this adventure. The pretty. pale
girl. standing mute behind her uncle
the uncle himself with the dull per
plexity in his eyes. seemed to him In
the ghostly light of the early morning