The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-08-13

mittent nor faint. to-, my boots of
! and lay down upon the hard horsehair
! antiquity which was TO serve me for
bed. Strange 70 say. in half an hour
! fell into dreamless sleep. FOR was
/ heavy with fatigue. and had walked
/ many hours upon the Kennett's bank:
but when I awoke, tho room was ut
/ terly dark. and the screams of dying
man rang in my ears.
In moments of emergency ones in
dlviduality asserts itself I'm curious
actions. | am somewhat stol4d, and
poor subject for panics. and l re-
? member on this particular occasion,
that my first act was to draw ON my
boots with del,beration, and even to
/ turn in the tags carefully before
struck a match, and got a sight OF
the scene which 7 remember so well
though many months have passed
. since its happening. When I had
/ light, I found Ladd' standing by the
door of his safe which was open, but
there was a deep crimson stain upon
his shirt. and he no longer had the
voice to scream. In fact, he was
dying then; and presently he fell
.
that he was dead In the same In
slant a black shadow. as OF a man,
passed between ne and the flicker
OF the light; and as the match went
out the door OF the chamber swung
upon It's hinges, and the assassin
passed from the room.
Now, LAID had scarce fallen before
! was IN the dark passage, listening
with great tension of the ear for
sound Of the hiding mans footstep
But the place was as still as the
grave: and then there came upon me
the hCrrid thought that the fellow
lurkod with NE about the rooms
door. and presently would serve
me as he had served the other
Cold with fear at the possibi.
ity I struck n match, and advanced
along the passage, using half q box
Of lucifers in the attempt At the
corner I came suddenly upon Gran
ny; and as the light died away.
two cleaning eyes shot up glancee
10 mine, and man sprane' out flash.
ing blade in the air, but rushing past
me. and fleeing like the wind towards
the southern w'ng-the unfinished
one. So swift did he go that I saw
nothing of his face. and it seemed
scarce n moment before / heard a
door open, and another great cry. fol-
lowed by a splashing OF water and ut
ter silence
This second cry took, think what
little nerve I had left; and while the
echo of it was still in the passages
my last match went out. The place
was now black with unbroken dark
ness; every step that I took appeared
10 reach mysterious stairs and to send
me staggering; but at last a sudden
patch Of moonlight from a corner en-.
couraged me to so on, and reached
the spot where the man had disap-
peared. At that point a door creakcd
and banged upon its hinges, but the
white light coming through It saved
me from the fate of him who had
gone before. II showed me at q
glance that the door was built in n
side Of the unfinished wall OF the
wing, and that the man, who evidently
had mistaken 1t for the entrance to
the back staircase, which I saw n
few feet farther on, had crashed down
, 90 feet into the moat below, carry
ing, as ! supposed, his plumber I'm his
hands. Then I knew the meaning of
the Surgiing cry and the horrid thud :
and terror seemed to strike me to my
very marrow.
How 7 got out of the howse / do
not know 10 this day. Thrice made
a circuit OF winding corridors only to
find myself again before the room
where Ladd's body lay In the circle
of moonlight which the window TO
cused upon the safe; thrice / reached
doors Hhich seemed to give access to
, the yard; but led only into gloomy
shattered chambers where curious
shapes OF the yellow rays came
through the dusty crevices At last,
, however, I reached the frOwsy kiteh-
en-, and the yard, and stood minute
. to breathe the chill night air, and TO
lhlnk what was to be done; whittier
first 60 50; 10 whom to appeal. The
Whine OF a voice from the stable
seemed to answer me. I entered the
rooGcss shaLty. and there found the
dark-eyed girl sitting upon rottlng
garden roller and quvcrlng in every
limb. She too was dressed ready 10
accompany the man who then lay in
Tie moat, ! cid not doubt; but at The
first sight of me she startedvup with
blanched face, and clinging to me she
cried,-'Take me away, OH my Cod,
take me away from it," and rather
incoherently she muttered that she
was Innocent. and protested it in a
score of phrases | saw a flush OF
dawn-light upon her babyish face as
she spoke, and It occurred to me
when / was putting the horse to the
dog-cart that she was Enthusiastically
pretty and that her customary occu.
patton was not that of q housemaid.
But only said to her.
Keep anything you have to say
for the police. am going to fetch
them And with that / drove off.
and the last 7 saw Of my lady showed
her as she sat moaning on the straw.
her hair tumbling down her shoulders.
and her face buried in her hands.
The trial Of this woman. and her
acquittal by the jury. are well re.
memberod in Caversham: nor is tho
mystery OF Jabez Ladd's Jewels and