The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-31
CHAPTER Xx1v-continued.

CHAPTER XXIv-Contntied.
. Those two were not the only warnings
i James Moore received. During the weeks
. Immediately preceding the Trials, the
danger signal Nus pcrpetually Haunted be-
a meath his nose Ss s rs
Twice did Watch, tile black cross.bred
\ chained in the straW-yard, liurl a brazen
d challenge on the nigh air. Twice did the
a Master, With lantern Sam'l.i and OVID
a Bob, sally forth and search, every hole and
. corner OH the preinlses--to find nothing
I One of the dary-maIds gave notice, avow-
4 Ing that the farm was haunted; that, on
several occasions In the early morning.
] she had sect, a bogie hitting down the
slope TO the NVastrel--a sure portent,
SAINT declared OF an approaching death
Il IN the house While once sheareij \ com
). Ing up from the Village, reported having
7 seen, In the twilight of dawn. little
j ,ghostly figure. haggard and startled,
stealing silently from tree toftree inHthe
4 slarch-corpse by the lane.aR rhe Master,
i However, lrrtatcd by these constant
4 alarms, dismissed the story summarlly.
One Ethlng I'm sartln or said he.
There's not a crittcr moves on Keninuiri
at nights but TIL OVID TN knows IT.
T. ct, cvcnyas he said at, asllttle man 4
4 3draEgled. weary.eycd, smcared with dew
land dust. was lImping In at the door III
house barely 5a mile away. Mao luck.
5lENFullle curse a. he cried. throwing him
self into q cl,air8and i addressing some
4 one who was not there-"fae luck, AM
4 yet I'm sureso't as i ain TINT there's a
Il God In Heaven 4 s3 i Z. f5
Madam had become an old man Of
late. But little more than fifty, yet he
i looked to have reached mans allotted
i Years. Ills sparse hairfw quite white ::
i Slits body shrunk and bowed: and his thin
hand shook like an aspen as 1t CROPPED TO
4 3the familiar bottle. ss
\ Lin 4 another matter, too he was alto
Igether chHnged. Formerly. whatever his
faults. thereshnd been no Misunderstanding
man ln$the countryside. At all hours,5lns
/ al! wea theirs, you might have seen him
vi til 4 his gigantic attendant going his
rounds. IN Now II that WINS fiifferent.3lla
i neyer5 put his hand & to the sploug)G and
withanone to help hin, he lnnd was loft
i wholly intended; SO tina men said that.
lSof a. surety there would be Al farm to let
| on the March Mere Els "a te come Michael
mas. sf fs i a5 }5 n u
| Instead Of working, the little man sat \
all day in the kitchen at. home. broodlng
| over his wrongs. and brewing Vengeance.
1 Even the Sylvester A rms knew him no
more; for he stayed where he was With
\ his dog and his bottle. Only. when the
| shroud ofsnights had come down 10 cover
him. he slipped GUITAR away m some er-
rand on which not even Red tNvul1 accom-
panied him. Il 33ss
So the time slded on, till the Sunday
| before the Trials came round. ga
5s317 All that day. 1'Adam satin his Kitchen,
gdrinking, muttcring, Matching revenge.
.ss'tGurse IT. Willie! curse It. The tines
slpp!n'-sippln'-sll ppin' !FS Thursday next
hut three days mair. and 5haena the
| sproof-I haena3 the proc l.'-nnd he rocked
lftofand fro. biting his nails iii the agony
of$ his impotence, s5s q ~ TX 5is 3s 4,
"a II day long he n ever & moved u Long
LATTER sunset he sat on: . long after dark
had eliminated the features 8 thc$roon,.
They're all agin us, Wnllle. It's you
and II Salane, lad. M'Adan's TO be bea II
somehow, onyhow; and Afoore's to win.
i So they've settled 1t, and 80 X twill be-
onless. Wullie, onless- bu t curse 1t! I've
no the pr>of! and he hammered the
table before him and stamped on the
| floor. sz
"a n,Idnightjhe arose, a mad, desperate
| plan looming through .his fuddled BRAIN. \
II swore I'd pay him. Wullle. and II
will. IL ] hang for8Sit I'll be even wi q
Thin. hae ma the proof, but / know--I
know" He groped his way to the inantci-.
piece with blind eyes al nd swfrlng. BRAIN
Reaching up withfumbling hands, altook7 1
down The old blunderbuss from above h
Fireplace Sf$s ME- ii sss 355;
"Nullie,,,' he whispered, chuckling hide
tously. lTullIe. como ont You and ] The.
he.. But the a;llessgryke was not there.
AT nightfall he had slouched silentlyBou
OF the house on business he best 5wol3of
So his master2crepts out OF tleSrooms alone
Ion tiptoe, still schuckling.
The cool night air refreshed him, and
he stepped stcalthiY along. Ills quaint
weapon over. his shoulder: lownSthea hill !;
across the. Bottom, sklrting the I'ikc:5till
he reached 5plankbridgcgo over the Was
strel.5N t:t 5s53 n
He crossed 1t safely. that Providence
whose caresis drunkards placing his foot
steps. Then he stole UP the slope like
a hunter stalking Ills prey.
II Arrived at the gate, he IA Used E himself
cautiously, and peered over into the
sound OF living creature. The little gray
house slept peacefully in the shadow of
the; Pike, all unaware q the man with
murder in his heart aloorlbnsly climbing
the yard gate. n. {ss3s s3s H U s3
The door OF the porch was wide, the
chain hanging linz " "a own, unused; and |
the little man could see wit thin the moon
shining on the iron studs Of he inner
door, and the blanket OF him who should
havo slept there, and did not.
He's no there, Wullie! He's no there!"
IIe JUMPED down from the gate. Throw
Ing all caution 10 the winds, he rcelcti
reclslcssly across the yard The drunken
dclriumH of battle was on him, The
fever of anticipated victory flushed his
Veins. At length hc would take toll fol.
Tho injuries of years. 5 IA q
ANOTHER moinent,fnnd he was In front |
ofthc good oak door battcrng atait mad
Is with dubbed weapon. yelling, dancing.
screaming Vengeance, a
Where is he? WHAT'S he at Come and
tell me that, James Moore Come doom. !
i say ye coward! a Come and meet me
Ike n mani VI as }
8. Scots wha5 lac vi Wa lace pled,
% Scots whan, Bruce has aften led ~
yf Welcome 10 your cory bed s IS
orsto $ylctorie!!' Il
The soft noonlight streamed down on |