Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-11-04

ire. After pause. be added in
voice Of loud and fervent entreaty-
Il pray you. gentlemen, raise me &C
the table that I may look him near.
or in the face:-my eyes are old and
dim" he continued. wiped away tn.
tear with his nd,-"this scared
and mained trunk holds me too near
the earth;-it hath placed me below
nv fellow man and taught mp spirit
% grovel-to grovel," he repeated
with q bitter emphasis-''in the
very mire Of the basest fellowship
1-Lits me on that table. | beseech
you'll have saved his lifel-the
saints be thanked. have saved his
lifel" he uttered with a wild gesti.
culation. Albert, l had made up
my mind TO save ii with loss of my
ownl-I had boyl
The strange frenzy that for the
time seemed TO possess the deform-
ed old man, the wild glance Of his
eye and the nervous tone, almost of
raviug laughter, with which he
CALCULATED these last words, gave
rise 10 an instant doubt of the sanity
OF bis mind; but in a moment he sub
sided into calmer state, and re.
sumed his original self-command.
Upon o sign from the Proprietary
his request was complied with, and
he was lifted upon the table that oc-
cupied the middle of the room.
Go on. boy" be continued. as
soon as he was adjusted in this posi-
tion; then suddenly checking him.
self for the familiarity OF the address,
II crave pardon-I forgot-Master
Verheyden," he added, choking
with the utterance OF the name, as
now within a few feet OF the Secre-
tary he still more narrowly gazed
upon his face-"I pray thee. go on!"
When the Secretary had conclud-
ed his narrative, a deep silence pre-
vailed throughout the room, and all
eyes were bent upon The Cripple,
In expectation that he had some
thing TO disclose which all were
anxious 10 hear. He. however, re-
mained mute. stlll fixing bis gaza
upon Albert; and when the Secre-
tary casually turned his back
upon him, he reached forth his
hand and caught the skirt of the
young mans cloak, with an evident
ly unconscious motion. as IL he
sought by this coustraint to pre-
vent the Secretary from leaving
him.
The Proprietary at length, as
much struck with the department of
The Cripple as the rest who witness
ed it. and hoping to draw from him
some history of himself, addressed
him in o tone in which the severity
OF rsbuke seemed to have been soften
ed oy the anxious interest he took
In the endeavor to learn more of the
singular person to whom he spoke.
1t was therefore with a grave,
though scarcely stern manner that
Lord Baltimore accosted him.
Master Robert Swale," he said,
the Secretary's narrative which
we have just heard has a dreadful
import; nor is it colored by dis
tempered fancy. We are all witnes-
ses to facts connected with this fear
full tale. that leave no room 10 doubt
the scrupulous truth OF all that has
been told"
True-in every syllable. truel"
Interrupted Rob. with quick assent.
As God shall Judge US, it is all
true"
1T is tale." continued the Pro
prietary, fraught with crimes Of
ruthless men, who, we find, have
lived in near companship with you.
Long has the province been fright
eued with stories OF wicked rites
celebrated in the Black Chapel, as
our people have been taught 10 call
that accursed house. The common
terror could solve the mystery only
by referring i, to the acts OF tn q
Fiend. and II has ascribed 10 you
some fearful inter course with evil
spirits.
1T hath-it hath, and with rea-
soni mea culpa, mea culpa, mea
mixima culpal" muttered Rob, as
he vehemently struck his bosom
with his open palm
More sober eyes have seen in
your sequestered life and rare com
munion with your fellow men. but
the evidences OF a mind soured by
adversity-a mind. il would seem,
not 50 humbly cast as your condi-
tion might infer. but stricken, as
the common belief has signifed, by
some heavy blow Of fortune"
A stified groan spoke the listener s
apprehension Of the Proprietary s
words.
"All have been deceived: you