The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-01-10
Rose
AyleSWOrth's
Low er

1t was clustering winters night. TIL
rain beat furiousFy upon the windows Q
house situated in the very heart O
partmoor. the residence Of George Chap
u!an, bachelor and magistrate.
At the present moment he was seatet
in comfortable easy chair before j.,
blazing fire Ind was apparently quite in
different to the stormy elements without
He was .iandsnme man, seemingly
about forty years of age, but there wa:
something cruel in the expression of hi:
thnly compressed lips, and from time t.
time his cold gray eyes would glitter like
those of a snake; yet, withal, George
Chapman was highly respectable anG
respected individual
Presently he took up daily paper, AND
his eye fell upon a column headed "Es
cape From Dartmoor-A Criminal al
Large"
Mr.. Chapman appeared to be deeply
interested in the following account:
about 3 O'Clock yesterday afternoon
when some patches OF prisoners who had
been working in the farm grounds were
being taken back to the prison. heavy
mist suddenly envelopcd the whole party
Three cCnvicts in the front rank made a
dash for liberty, overturning a civil
guard in their mad rush.
Matters became exciting. and chase
ensued. Close to where the prisoners
bolted there is strip of ccpse. and II
was thought that the men had made fol-
it. The place was searched. and two men
were discovered. One, on being sighted,
turned and ran in the opposite direction.
At this two officers fred simultaneously
One of the charges lodged in the prison.
er's back He threw up his arms and.
with groan. dropped dead. The second
prisoner was captured after desperate
struggle.
"In the meantime the third had got
clear away. AS many officers as could
be spared from the prison. both mounted
and on foot, secured the moors for miles,
but night closed in without the fugitive
being sighted. The escaped man is under
sentence of penal servitude for life, hav-
ing been convicted of murder. He is Of
splendid physique. tall and muscular and
goes by the name of Joe Curtis"
Mr.. Chapman laid down the paper with
a sigh of relief. then leaned forward and
rang the bell.
"See tho house is well locked up to
night, Jenkins" he said to the servant
who appeared in answer TO his summons
'for | see by the paper that one Of the
convicts from the prison is still NJ large:
So take extra precautions. | shall not
wnrt you again tonight" he concluded.
When the servant had gone. Mr.. Chap.
man rose and crossed over TO his writing
taLle. Unlocking n drawer. he took from
it an old copy of The Standard. 1t was
worn and crumped and dated ten year
back. He turned to one Of the leading
paragraphs. headed Mysterious Murder
o. Sir John Graham" He had read the
account hundred times, but each time
1t seemed to afford him fresh interest.
"CoDvicts always make one think Of
this" he muttered to himself. Then, re
placing the paper in the drawer, he sat
down once more before the fire.
Two hours later he was OH the point of
retiring fer tie night. He heard pc
culiar scraping sound outside one Of the
windows. He listened att2ntivcly and
distinctly heard a noise az of the falling
away of some Of the stone masonry. He
went cautiously toward the window, but
a loHd bang. mingled with the noise of
shattered glass. caused him to start
back. The next moment the shutter fell
Into the room. and behind this appeared
the figure of 4 man in convict'S garb.
"Silence. DO not speak or give the
alarm. or you are a dead man the new.
conner said in n quick. low voice. for
Chapman had made hasty movement
toward the he'll lie rpcoiled. howevc".
on seeing IL barrel of revolver in Close
proximity TO his face.
Lock the door" continued the unwel
come visitor in hard. metallic tones. and
ii any one comes do not in any way re
veal my prcscnrc--that Is. if you va!u;'
your life. ! am desperate man and
mean every word | say"
Chapman had no choice but to obey
but h" was closely followed by the con
Wet who still kept his revolver ON Il
level with the others head
''N"w. put III" shutter up. 1t will hold
together with the help of some pieces OF
furniture" continued the intruder, and
again Chapman oh9yed mechanically. He
seemed under some sort of spell.
81 want a change of elnthcs-quick.,
said the convict after his orders had
been executed.
But began Chapman. his courag
gradually retkrnTg.
'No butts please" interrupted the 9th
or sharply. Il give you two minutes.
YOU arc not back by then, | will
Chapman did not stay to hear more
He hurried off in obedience to his strange
visitors command. His first impulse was
to arouse the household. but something
held him back.
When he returned to the room he had
recently quilted. he found the convict
knec.ine on the hearth rug. He was
burning his clothes.
81 think this suit will fit you. It once
belonged to some one about your own
height and build" observed Mr.. Chap
man. handing the convict the suit Of
rough gray tweed he had brought.
With a sudden change of expression the
convict started to his feet.
by Jove." he exclaimed In astonish.
ment, these are my old tweeds. How
well | remember them. and, see here, in
the pocket is an old letter from Rose
Ay- But. great heavens, what are these
dark stains? Blood" And he fixed
pair Of piercing eyes upon Chapman.
who started as if an electric shock had
passed through him Then the color of
his frrt changed to sickly green.
Richard Graham! he gasned, clutch
ing the nearest chair for support.
YES, George Chapman. | am Richard
Graham, alias Joe Curtis. the convict,
the man who ten years ago was charged
with the murder of his uncIe, old Sill
John Graham. OF course, | knew you
would recognize ME sooner or later,
though doubtless l am changed bit
since the old days" And he gave bitter
laugh.
Il was found guilty, as you know" he
went on, but owing to eXIemating cir
cumstanccs the judge kindly spared my
meek and sent me to life which to me
was worse than any death"
Your tone implies that the sentence
was unjust" observed Chapman, now
quite himself again.
And so It was" was the Gcree re
Spouse. "God knows vas innocent OF
20 foul a crime, and you know ii. too,
George Chapman he said. advancing
few steps nearer the latter. who recoiled