The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-05-17

THE SILENT WITNESS.
Continued from page }

Dut 1 fancy ne WOuiu not nave Deen 4
blooming spirits had he been In my place.
Go on, Davis" commanded the fudge
80 l win. sir. Wal, l seen the body {
around the belt q timber land off ito to ' th
right-prhaps an eighth O. mile away,
seen, sir-I seen woman -
poured a glass of water from carafe tina
stood there, and drained it at singl
"A woman" repeated the judge. well
"She were runnin--or almost on tn
rum" resumed the tramp slowly and thought
fully. "She were about mejum height
neither htt too s.i t, nor too short, and she wor
Look at this woman" commanded tn
judge, turning sharply toward Ruby Wardour
SHOULD you think that this Is the sam
woman you saw
Davis turned his beary eyes upon tn
white face of the girl, and scanned 1t atten
Il cant swear to it," he returned, refiec
lively. "She were about the same size, ant
! could not see her face from that dis
pOr the color of her hair :" interposed thu
Judge, sharply.
Davis shook his head.
Likewise the color O. her hair, he an
swered. "On'y did think it were not blacl
like hers, nodding in the direction o.
Ruby.
danger which threatened and hung like 6
black pail over my darling. My heart was
beating fast and furious; felt strange
ungovernable rage against the man Davis
this foul affair No; would die first.
WAL" resumed Davis, slowly and DELHI
so asfonlshed at the hull thing that l didn'l
take no steps to stop her-or anything. AnG
TO tell the truth at first thought. took thu
man lynn there to be hurt only, and moi
He was dead, though-dead as door nail
and there a layin' on the sand was big
diamond ring, and title further onTa aon 10,
go TO deny 1t, took 'em, and l don't b'lievt
nobody can blame me. l was poor enuff, and
If l didn't take 'em, somebody else would
the very next -mornin they was the cause Q
Mr.. Duane yOnder clappin' me into jail
But / tell We all-what / have sworn to Is
the truth-b'lieve 1t or not ~
: His story sounded straight and reasonable
enough. So Davis was remanded to jail on
the charge Of theft At least he would be
safe whenever the authorities wished to find
him.
Ruby wardour was next examined The
result was to the effect that Paul Erns Gin
donr selfaccused, and an early date ap'
pointed for her trial.
At this announcement lifted my head
and saw an unexpected sight, an awful sight
Standing just before me was the terrible ap.
partition / had seen on the boat. the face and
figure of the dead man. glaring at me with
awful eyes.
CHAPTER TX.
Afterward
Yes IL was there, staring into my face
with its horrible eyes, which seemed to chain
my faculties and to speak with dumb &C
cusing-of some awful hidden secret
could not bear Ii. | put up my hand ia
shut out the sight, but stili the figure stood
there Nobody else seemed to see 1t.
alone was the one singled out to be the re-
cipient of those supernatural visitations.
Colonel Lyell observed the look of terror
upon my face, and made his way through the
crowd of spectators, for even In secluded
place like this great crime has power to
bring together a large number of people, and
the colonel with some difficulty reached me
and stood at my side.
''Dorrance,' he said. in a half whisper.
"what in heavens name ails your Tell me,
won't you. old felowY Surely you will not
keep anything from your old friend. -
All heaven, had he known the awful Sc
cret was hiding he would never have stood
there pleading with me for the knowledge
which would bow his head In shame and sOr-
row.
II am not we'll, / confess" / returned,
briefly. THAT is all that troubles me. Col
onel. many thanks for your interest and
kindly friendship. l shall be all right d.,
purely nervous"
AS 1 spoke Colonel Lyell stepped aside and
1 saw to my horror and CONSERVATION that
he passed directly through the figure, the
appariti6n of Paul Ernsclffe. And one
else saw Ii or dreamed of its presence, IFS
was haunted That seemed the real
state of the case. The dead man had seen
ut to haunt me, to come back from the dark
some tomb and dog my footsteps. Would the
tor are ever ceasei Must l be doomed TO a
lifelong persecution? The very thought made
my heart sink and the clammy Precipitation
ooze from my brow.
Well no one should know or suspect the
truth. I would keep my CHASTITY secret while
/ lived and would die and make no sign,
Before returned to the hotel and my pa
tient, l sought and obtained an Interview
with Ruby Wnrdour. found her. pale and
calm In her great dark eyes a look Of stern
resolution
''Ruby-Miss Wardour." began as soon as
the warden had locked me into the room with