Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-02-24
Continued.

Continued.
And when he stole out by the door.
way through which Stephen Hargraye
had SO often entered, closely mufied,
he still had the bag In his hand.
Even when he caught up spade
which was leaning just outside against
the step, and hid it under his coat,
he still held the bag, and with the
bag in his hand he stole along
waiting for intervals of darkness when
the clouds obscured the moon-along
the unfrequented ways of the Hut.
Arrived there, he crossed the gar
den and entered the shrubbery.
There he stood for while, listen
ing intently and looking round him
with keen and still unexcited eyes.
At last, fully assured that no listen
er nor spy was near, he drew out his
spade, which was sharpened like a
turf-cutter's, and neatly cut a square
of turf under the laurels.
This he laid carefully aside, and
proceeded to dig, working quietly and
deftly, like one acquainted with the
use of a spade, though in all proba-
biIity it was thefirst time he had ever
had the tool in his hand.
He worked steadily, pausing occa
sionally to listen, until deep hole
lay beneath him.
lowered it gently and tenderly into
its grave, and proceeded to fill in the
mold.
When that part of his task was fin
ished he replaced the turf, fiattened
1t with the spade, Strengthened his
back and smiled down at his work
omplished-smiled down as If he
could see through the earth the
bright sovereigns and the crisp notes
of Stella's fortune.
In that moment of his rest a slight
noise caused him to swerve on one
side as if bullet had struck him.
1t was the feeble cry of child.
He looked around and listened with
a scared look upon his face, such as
it had worn when he had heard SER
want at the Vale call Lucy" such as
it wore when he woke at nights from
his dreams.
Then he smiled, shook his head
with contemptuous frown at his own
foolish fancy; but nevertheless set
down his spade, and advanced eau
tiously farther into the shrubbery.
At his first step the moon was OBJ
scured, the shrubbery was dark.
A minute after, by the time he had
got into the middle Of the little plan.
tation, the moon broke forth again,
and poured down before him. He
raised his eyes as something white
seemed to have sprung into his path.
and he fell back with a gutteral cry
of horror.
Before him-risen from the grave
were the ghosts OF the woman and
child who had stood before him t"a'
cold, bitter Christmas Eve, Wnen La.
had spurned them from him with
cruel denial and a crueler mockery OF
charity.
Yes, horrible to see, there they
stood! In the same attitude. The
ghost OF the woman. was holding out
to him the ghost OF the child.
His face went livid, his eyes seemed
to start from their sockets. His
tongue Glove to the roof OF his mouth;
and that fear which hurls reason from
its throne had taken possession OF his
Dad, INSCRIPTIONS soul.
For a moment the earth spun
around him in the moonlight, then,
with mighty effort, he turned ana
fed
With the speed of a man pursued
by the demons OF a guilty conscience,
he bore to the wicket gate, opened it !
and dashed against something
something in the shape OF a man, de-
formed enough to add to his horror
something that went down before his
guilty flight like a feather.
He stopped for a moment, but the
next childs wall broke the stiffness,
and once more he fied-livid with fear
and almost mad.