The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-27

xpfrit was greater thar MS strength
Tut what shocked ne more than any
~frr~ Of physical weakness was that
his face was groteSaueiy cTssS-crossed
with sticking-pla>ter. ana that one
large pad OF IL was fastened over MS
mouth. !.
Have you the slate. Harold , cried
4 the older man. as this strange being
fell rather than sat down into q chair.
Are his hands loose Now. then.
give him the pencil. You are 10 ask
the questions. Mr.. Melas. and he viii
write the Ask him first Of
/ all whether ne is prepared 70 sign the
.The mans eyes flashed fire.
Never, he wrote IN Greek upon
the slate.
Ion no conditions ] asked. al the
/ bidding Of our tyrant.
"'onlv II / see her married in my
presence by a Greek priest whom
know.
The man gigg'ed in his venomous
You know what awaits you,
~ care nothing for myself
These are samples OF the questions
and answer which made IN III
strange half-spoken. half-written con-
yersatiou. Again and again | had To
ask him whether he would give In
q rAit 80 49, ~NS@tt 1850
again / had the same indignant reply.
But soon d happy thought came to
me. / took to adding ON little sen
fences of my own To each question.
innocent ones at first. to test whether
| either OF our companions knew any
thing OF the matter. and then as !
found that they showed no sign |
played a more dangerous game. our
conversation ran something like this:
You can do no good by his OBJ
stinacy. Who are YOU
! ARE not, am a stranger IN
London
Your fate Will be on your own
head. How. long hay you been
hcre2'
Let it be 50. Three weeks
The property can never be yours.
What ails vou?'
1T shall not go to Williams. They
are starving me.
You shah go free if you sign.
What house is this?'
Il viii never sign. do not know.
You are not doing her any ser
vice. is your Nance
Let me hear her say 50. Kra-
tides
shall see he: if you sign.
Where are you FROM
Then | shall never see her.
Athens
another five minutes. Mr.. Holmes.
and | should have wormed out the
Whole story under their very noses.
My very next question might have
cleared the matter up. but at that in
slant the door opened and a woman
stepped into the room. | could not
see her clearly enough to know more
than that she was tall and graceful,
With black hair and clad in some sort
Of loose white gown.
Harold said she, speaking
- / - l.
could not stay away longer. 1t is 50
lonely up there with only-Oh, my
God, it is Paul.
"TheFe last words were in Greek.
ana at the same instant the man with
z conVulsive effort tore The plaster
from his lips and screaming out so
ply, Sophy,,' rushed into the woman's
arms. Their embrace was bet for an
instant however. for the younger man
seized the woman and Dushed her out
of the room. While the elder easily
oVerpOWered his emaciated victim,
and dragged him away through the
other door. For q moment / was left
alone in the room, and | sDrang to my
feet with some vague idea that /
NIGH tin some way get q clue to what
this house was in which | found my
self. fortunately, however. / took no
for looking up | saw that the
older man was in tho door
" SN VIZ lis tN % lIhttI OIoJi ne.
THAT will do, Mr.. Melas,' said he.
'4ou perceive that we have taken you
INTO our confidence over some very
private business. We should not have
troubled you. only that our friend who
speaks Greek and who began these
negotiations has been forced to re-
turn to the East. 1t was quite neces-
sary for us 10 find some onc to take
his place, and we were fortunate in
hearing of your powers
II bowed.
There are five sovcreigns here,
SAID he, walking up to me, which will, f!
[ hone, be sufficient fee. But remern-
Der he added, tapping me lightly on
the chest and giggling, if you speak to
a human soul about thiS-One human
soul, mind-well, may Cod have
mercy upOn your soul,'
Il cannot tell you the loathing and
horror with which this insignificant
looking man inspired me. j could see
nm better now as the lamp-lIght |
shonc urCn him. His features were |
peaky and salloW, and his little point |
ed beard was threadY and iii nourish- |
He pushed his face forward as !
spoke, and his lips and eyelids were |
twitching like a man with
st. Vltus's dance. | could not help
linking that his strange, catchy little |
laugh was also a symptom Of some |
nerVou malady. The terror Of his |
lay III his eye however, steel |
and ~Slistening coldly with a
malignant inexorable cruelty in their
I've shall know if YOU speak Of
this said he. We haze our own
Of information. Now YOU will
hnd the carriage waiting. and my
friend will see YOU on vour way
= was hurried through the hall
and into the vehicle, again obtaining
momcntary glimpse Of trees and
a garden. Nj. Latimer followed close
~ at my heels, and took his place
opposite me without a word. In 81
we again drove for an internin-
able distance with the windows rails
ed, until at last. just after midnight.
carriage pulled in.
GU viii get down here, Mr..
Melas SAID my companion. I'm cor
~ TO leave you so far from YOUR
house. but there is no alternative.
Any attempt upon Your part to follow
the carriage can only end in injury
to Yourself
He opened the door as he spoke.
and | had hardly time TO spring out
when The dashed Tho brrca