The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1906-01-25


"A happy New Year TO you sir.
The man stopped glarcd half drew
I his rapler replaced It ana was passing
ON when the stranger added
"Can / get shelter la yonder houser
arhere Is no one there except q wo-
man. and she has not been used to
waiting even on herself"
Where are the menP
zone OF them Is before youi the other
well. the other was one too many, and
he has gone away"
"You speak in riddles, sir Do you
think the woman, or rather the lady
win be obliged 20 remain the night
aloneT
'AlnyhAp she Will"
Possibly then she may be glad Of
the protection even of a stranger"
'You had best go on and ind out for
yourself"
He showed no disposition TO further
converse and passed on, the stranger
continuing his journey toward the
house. On reaching the porch he threw
the relns on his horses neck, and in an
other moment a loud rap on the knock
or indicated his presence. No one re
piled to his summons, and be Knocked
again and again, still with no reply.
He turned and looked az the flying
snow, shyered and turning again,
tried the door It was unlastcned. Ell
tcrlng he passed through broad hail
and was about to go up ne winding
staircase when In one Of the rooms be
saw a woman sitting at a table her
hend resting 10 her hands, her elbows
ON the table. Surely the man she had
met was right She was a lady and
one endowed with a refined beauty.
She looked straight before her and
seemed no more Interested IN the stran.
ger than the other had been
MADAM" he said.
She did not turn her eyes, and he
tried again to secure her attention.
Madam, crave your pardon for en-
tering unannounced. am weary
treyeler and would gladly rest for the
night under your roof ! met a gentle
man without who told me you were
alone. May l not serve as a protector2"
The woman now for the first time mo-
ticed him, Turning her eyes slowly
upon him. she said;
You are welcome to stay here, but
not as my protector. I shall need no
protector"
Whether she forgot HE presence OF
not, she paid nc further attention 20
him He began to think that he had
stumbled on a haunted house; that the
man he had met and this woman were
not flesh and blood, but the wralths Of
departed occupants of what was now
deserted house. However, having re-
ceived permission to remain overnight
he went out and stabbed his horse Civ
ing him feed, then, returning TO the
house, went to the kitchen, where he
found sufficient cooked food to furnish
him a supper. Having eaten, be went
again to the room where the lady had
been sitting, She was not there.
A fire was ready on the hearth, and,
taking the flint from the mantel, the
traveller put sparks to 1t. then lighted a
lamp and sat down at the table. There
were books on IT, and he tried TO read,
but wonder prevented and somehow
he wished the lady, be she ghost or
flesh, would relieve his loneliness Then
he fell to thinking what had become of
her.
Might she not be of her head.
and II so she should not be left alonef
He resolved to go and seek her. TAX.
Ing candle, he went through all the
rooms on the ground floor and, not
inding her, mounted the staircase. On
the floor above he calledI
Madam
Inc only answer was In his lmagina.
non, which created myriads Of re, |
'ponses. He would have turned and
etraced his steps. but wonder spurred
i'm on He explored one bedroom an.
= another and at last came 70 one n |
Which his dim candle showed him a
igure on the door He shuddered lest
( be ne lady, bat Il was no woman
wing there Lowering the candle. Il
showed him the eead body OF a man
with fresh sword thrust ia the chest
With a cry, the stranger aed from
he room and the house. Getting out
bis horse, he rode 10 an Inn urba,.
ie spent the rest Of the night A few
lays later In the city he read in n
norning newspaper how Sir Richard
5Fde country baronet, returning
rom the city on New Years day aftef
laving seen the old year out wien
'arty Of convlyial friends fond tbera
me Herbert Steele. bis wifo's former
over. There had been murder after
which Sir Richard gave himself M
-ady Clyde had disappeared
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