Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-02-28


~spssk oct, say. III nrei-
longing, and the cloud had not been
lifted from my life. And, oh, was so
homesick for just glimpse of my dear
loves face.
A few days after my interview with
Mr. Morley had received a note from
Florence:
Dear Mr.. Conway: Father has informed
me of your resolve not to call on me or at
tempt to keep up the friendship which made
me 50 happy, until you are freed from ali
suspicion. appreciate the manliness
which prompts you to such a resolve, and
wish to assure you from the bottom OF my
heart that respect and trust you / know
you are innocent. and shall always believe
so. Keep up a brave spirit The mystery
WIN be explained and you exonerated. Re-
member. I believe in you wholly. and shall
always remain, Your true friend,
FLORENCE MORLEY"
1 took the worn note from the locket
which L wore around my neck and
pressed it TO my lips, as L had done
many times since its receipt, and won
dered if her heart was still true to the
sentiment expressed in il.
The harvest moon was Respondent
and the white beams came into the win
dow where 1 sat in my night robe, flood
Ing my white drapery with light. There
were no sounds of human life; the
yorld eemed left wholly to the crick-
cts and katydids. With a sigh from
the depths of my lonely heart re-
placed the note in its receptacle and
arose.
Turning from the window, saw
right opposite me, on the other side
Of the room, tall white figure. What
was it? There it stood, while gazed
spellbound, motionless, mysterious. In
lightning fash of thought Sarah's
forebodings came to me.
Then l grasped my pistol. which was
lying on the table beside me.
Nov, then, If this is practical joke,
intended simply to brighten me, let
1t STOP" said. 1t was with some diff
hculty, confess. that my voice was
kept steady.
Whoever you are. speak and ex-
plain, or TIL see If you have substance
enough to stop a bulletl"
1paused for reply, but none came.
Speak out, I say, or. as sure as there
In God in Heaven, I'll firei" called
again, and again received no reply.
The white thing remained there in
spite of my threats. After another
pause, during which the cold chills
chased up and down my spine, raised
my arm, took. deliberate aim and fired.
A rttle Of breaking glass followed
the report OF the pistol, and a dark
spot appeared in the center Of the
white figure. The flash of the pistol
had been reflected back, and in an in
slant I realized the truth.
With a scornful laugh and a con-
demnatory exclamation at my foolish
ness, | placed the pistol on the table
and got into bed.
Then slight scuffiing noise. seem
ing to come from beneath. reached nv
ear, and 1 said, aloud, and with laugh:
tive stirred up the rats. at any rate
Hello, what's thar?'' exclaimed. as a
deep, muffied sound, accompanied by a
slight jar, Immediately followed. 1t
was as though heavy door in some
distant part of the house had slammed.
For quite time sat up in bed and
listened, but no more unusual sounds
followed.
Mrs. Snyder's words concerning mys-
FERROUS happenings in my house and
Sarah's unreasonable fears for my safe
ty, followed by the two events Just men
toned, did have an effect upon me. al
though the first event was due wholly
to an ordinary cause, and the second,
the apparent sound of slamming door,
might be, and probably was, just what
1t seemed. A gentle night breeze had
arisen, and some of the windows in the
upper part of the house might have
been left open, thereby producing
a draught and causing an intervening
door to swing shut. True, the sound
seemed to come from beneath me. But
tnen that was probably Imagination
In the silence of night "a sudden noise
is rather difficult to locate How otter
the most common events, under un
familiar circumstances, become mex
plcable mysteries!
l am not OF a superstitious makeup
and therefore Sarah's vague fears die
not produce in me feeling of fright;
but there was watchfulness about my
senses as though there were funny
things" to use Sarah's term, about tn,
house, which would become apparen
in due time.
Nesting my head down on the pil