Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-07-23

Shaking in every limb and feeling alt
along the courthouse wall like a drunk
en- man he made his way to the fur
ther deserted street 4 passerhy would
have shruuk al sight OF his face aud
his burning eyes
For these months he. the Rev. Henry
Sanderson. dlsgraccd, had suffered
eclipse. had been SINK out of sight and
touch and hearing like stone in
pool For these months-through an
accidental facial resemblance and
fortuitous concurrence of circum-
stanees-he had owned the name and
ignominy OF Hugh Stires And jos.
sica? Deceived no less than he. dat
Ing her piteous error from that mis-
taken moment when she had torn the
bandage from her eyes on her wedding
day, she had never seen the real Hugh
in Smoky Mountain. She must learn
the truth Yet how 10 tell her? How
could he tell her all?
AT any hour yesterday. hard as the
telling must have been. he could have
told her. Last night the hour passed.
How could he tell her now? Yet she
was the real Hugh's wife by law and
right He himself could not marry her.
IL God would but turn back the mi.
verse and give him yesterday!
His feet dragging as though from
cold. he climbed the mountain road,
AS he walked he took from his pocket
the little gold cross. and his fingers,
numb with misery, tied ii TO his thong
watch guard. 1t had been only n bau-
BILE, pocket piece acquired he knew
not when or how Now he knew 1t for
the badge Of his calling He remem-
bered now that, pressed certain way.
II would open. and engraved inside
were his name ana the date of his or
dination.
He might shut the cabin door. but
he could not forbid the torturer that
came with him across the threshold.
He might throw himself upon his
skin Of the couch. but he could not
shut out words that hlent In golden
lettered flashes across his throbbing
eyeballs Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbours Wife,
SO he eroached, man under whose
feet life had crashed. leaving him pin
ned beneath the wreck to watch the
fire that must creep nearer and nearer.
Curiosity held Jessica until the evan
Eellst closed his melodeon preparatory
to Il descent upon the dance hail. Then,
thinking of the growing dark with
some trepidation. she started toward
the mountain.
Ahead of her mufficd puff-puff
sounded, and the dark bulk of an auto
mobile was moving slowly In the same
direction, and she qulekencd her pace,
glad Of this quasi company.
= . way up the ascent a cum
bros ~hsdow startled her. She saw in
a moment that ii was the automobile,
halted Mt the side of the road. Her
footsteps made no sound. and she was
close upon it when she saw the three
men ii had carried standing near by.
She made to pass them and had cross
ed half the Intervening space, when
some instinct sent her to the shade of
the trees. They had stopped opposite
the hydraulic concession. where a side
path left the main road. 1t was the
same path by which she and August
Prendergast had taken their uncon-
scious burden on night long ago.
leading along the hillside, overlooking
the snakelike aume and forming a
sleeper short cut to the cabin above.
They were conversiug in low tones. and
as they talked they pointed. she
thought, toward It
Jessica had never In her life been an
eavesdropper. but her excited senses