The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-04-22

me. She must die in her bed. and her
friends shall find her there. and not IN
the we'll"
Creeping after Fan. and unseen by
her, Hammond saw her give the note
to James Greene. who. all unsuspectins
of assassination. read 1t with smile.
poor little Katy" murmured james
Greene. as he kissed the beloved name,
how she must suffer here. But l will
soon make an end Of her little ankle
ties. Lead on. Fan.
Fan seemed half asleep. He shook
her and made a gesture toward the
door. He thought she was deaf.
Poor James Greene!
Fan clasped his warm and honest
hand In her cold. dry claws and led
him from the parlor into the pitcny
darkness Of the dining room. She
knew that somewhere in the gloom q
fierce and desperate assassin held eye
and ear ready to detect the slightest
sign Of treachery. and a sudden. gnaw-
ins pain seemed growing between her
shoulders as she remembered Ham
mond's threat. She remembered. too.
the reward she was to get-she felt
half Of that reward In her pocket.
When In the basement, where
burned a dim light. filling the place
with gloom. she paused In terror. She
bud never had q hand In murder. and
she was slxty.seven years old. A very
late age to commit so dreadful crime.
As she paused. trembling. as James
Greene imagined. with the palsy Of old
age, she heard the clicking Of pistol,
clear and sharp. in the dense darkness
behind her. james Greene heard It.
too. and be started.
what was that?' he said. close to
Fans ear. and grasping her arm hard.
something snapped"
- rat trap" said Fan. We've
caught q rat, l guess. Come on"
She spoke loudly that some one else
might hear.
An explanation so simple at once dis
armed the slight suspicion Of unfair
play In james Greene's mind, and smil-
ing at his fears as he felt his strong
muscles subside from their sudden
swell of alarm. he said to himself:
~ ann as nervous as poor Katy was
last night"
They reached the entrance CT the
storeroom and here old Fan paused to
still the beatings Of her heart.
Click! click! in the gloom again.
Come onr' said Fan, and pushed
open zoe door. There's old lumber
piled up In here" she said. II must
step slow and careful, too. sir. This
way leads to flight Of stairs that goes
up into q hall where Miss Elgin prac-
tees music"
Lead on, Fam" said James. smiling
at his strange situation, and wondering
what Hammond would say to find him
there.
Old Fan began to count her steps.
long and slow. feeling the floor with
her feet before she rested her full
weight upon the floor. She was not
sure that Hammond believed her story
about q woman friend.
Ten steps! all taken with an icy
sweat deluging her face. neck and bo-
som. Ten steps! She knew she stood
upon O trap door over dark and mol.
some pit fully thirty feet deep!
She halted.
swat! must get q keyw said she.
and letting fall her victims hand hur-
ried straight on until she reached the
other door.
That instant Luke Hammond. who
had crept after them, turned on jet
of gas. till then burning dim. almost
unseen spark near the ceiling. and pis-
tol in hand. appeared at the door
through which James Greene had
passed.
Move q single step and FIRE" said
Hammond. aiming his weapon at the
head Of the lover. Young man. you
are caught"
James Greene was pale and motion
less, and his eyes were fixed In sur.
prise, not fear, upon Hammond.
Luke Hammond held O pistol In his
right hand. while his left grasped a
rope which passed through a hole In
the floor Mt his feet. That rope was
made fast at the other end to q bolt.
which was all that divided Greene
from the well below.
.Tf shoot you. James Greene. you
would die the death Of q burglar caught
In the act" said Hammond.
A gleam In the calm. brave eyes OF
James Greene warned the assassin that
his pistol was about to be dared by a
rapid spring.
You'll see your Katy no more" ex.
claimed Hammond. jerking the cord
with all bis strength.
A clash, a sudden cry Of despair. and
thea q dark. yawning chasm remained
where the young man had stood!
The trap had fallen! James Greene
had disappeared!
"The rat is caught" said Hammond.
with q bitter. exulting laugh. SO fend-
like that old Fan almost screamed with
horror.
Pull at that rope near you." said
Hammond. 1T lifts the trap back to
its place"
He dared not. with all his bardlhood.
gaze Gown into the well. In his brain
was fearful picture Of what was
there. Fan heaved at the rope to
/ which he pointed. and the trap door
rose slowly to its level. Stepping brisk