The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-02-23
PAGE TWELVE
What Happened at Thomson, Last
Week
{ CONCLUDED FROM PAGE ONE.)

culiar track which is there still, which is on
my lawn, opposite the room in which [ work
day and night, and which is also on the west
ern side of the house, near the windows OF the
room in which / sleep. It is the same track
that goes through the open field from the
pine thicket in the pasture: it is the same
track that lies there back of Mr.. Pearce's gar
den on my old home-place it is the same
track which goes toward the little cow-house,
and the path by which [ enter and leave our
old flower garden: it is the same track that
is imprinted on the ground in the place where
Stanley Lytle saw the man from the tank, OF
our printing establishment: it is the same
track that lies there next Mr.. Pearces garden
fence, where the man left the cow-house: it
is the same track which Ma or McGregor
located on both sides of the branch, which
flows out of the swamps in my pasture: it is
the same track which is imprinted so many
times near the little maple tree in front of my
work-roOm window, the tracks indicating
long waiting period and frequent SHIFT OF
position.
Only few days ago, intuitively felt the
approach of some great unseen danger, and l
requested my wife to curtain the windows and
DOORS I myself drew down the curtain of the
large glass panel in the hall, next the door
where / enter my private wOrkrOOm. L IN
stinctively felt that somebody was looking at
me from the outside as did so. 1t was Proc
tor. Had not Providence decreed that he
should be there at that very moment would
have been fully exposed, at close range, to the
lone watcher who stood so long IN front OF
the maple tree. Proctor's near approach over
grounds that were fully lit up by our electric
lights, made it necessary for that man to
retire from his position, and to hide behind
the evergreens near by. To have been seen
~. 4Lap4s NIX of tha Ohf stan n
my lawn, within thirty yards, watching the
glass door of the upper hall, where everybody
knows that | pass and repass, entering and
leaving my work-room, would have adver
tised the mans purpose too plainly, and Mr..
Proctor would have come to the house to re-
port to me-
What caused me to change my mind and
come back to the house after had started to
90 into the grounds of my own home place?
The reason did not recur to me until Sunday,
after Major McGregor had returned to War
renton. Before reaching the big gate at
the back of the old home-place lot, [ hap
pened to remember that Ma or McGregor had
told me over the 'phOne that he would be here
at four o'clock I recollect now that I took
out my watch and opened it to see what time
it was. 1t was so near four o'clock that /
reflected that I wouldn't have time to gather
any flowers and watch the squirrels play before
the Majors arrival; and that it would be dis
courteous to absent myself without any good
reason, when an old friend had told me, in
response to my request, that he would be at
my house at a certain fixed hour. So [ walked
back up the orchard path to the house, and [
hadn't been there two minutes when Major
McGregor arrived.
Remember, now, that Mr. John CARTRIDGE
and the two negroes saw the two men at the
pasture gate, near the plantation road, where
have been taking my evening stroll at or 4