The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-18

yea axayGGf1 a EffS,1. 1.-TWO spa en- VIII
do. In fact. they'll be bettef. ] was
merely sticking to the text of my
Hamlet"
His shoulders siumped. his Jaw
siackened. and, as his figure warped
into the pose of the grave digger he
wheezed out the couplet again. The
cold thought froze around Sedgwick' $
| heart. He visioned the wet soil of
Apnaiaka buryirg ground, heaped
fabove a loose hasped pine box. within
which went forward the unthfnkable
processes of earth retaining its own.
Good God! is 1T that?" he NUT
tered.
The hummer Strengthened up. "In
plain prose, do you possess two
spades?" he inquired.
Speeches., Sedgwick went out Into
the dark, presently returning with the
posed them in the car.
Get in." he directed.
III we had to do this. Kent" said
Sedgwick. shuddertng In his seat
why haven't we done 1t before?"
The other turned on the power.
You're on the wrong track as usual,
he remarked. at couldn't be done
before"
well, 1t can't be done now" cried
the artist in sudden sharp excitement.
Il
Kent's voice took ANONYMOUSLY de-
liberate measure. Listen" said he:
II am going through with this-now---
tonight. If you wish to withdraw
That's enough" growied the ar
list mo man alive can say that to
me"
The car slowed up. IT beg your
nardon. FRANC" said Kent. Were
both OF us a little on edge tonight.
This is no time for misunderstand-
ings What is on your mind?"
Just this Annalaka burying-
ground is watched. Lawyer Balm said
as much. Don't you remember? He
told us that the house next door Is
occupied by an old. sleepless estimate
who spends half her nights in her
window overlooking the graves"
The car shot forward again. rs
that all?" asked Kent.
isn't 1t enough?"
Hardly. We're not going within
miles of Annalaka-"
Then our nights work is not
Kent could feel his companions re-
volt at the unuttered word. and sup
piled it for him.
Grave robbery It Is"
"Where?"
I'm private burying ground on the
Blatrs' estate"
"Wilfrid Blair's grave? When was
the funerai?"
This morning. I was among those
present though don't think my name
will be mentioned In the papers.
why should you have been there ?"
"Oh. set it down to vulgar Curl
osity," said Kent
probably you'd say the same II /
asked you the motive for this pres
ent expedition. / suppose you fully
appreciate the chance we are taking ~
"Didp't tell you that it was rather
more than a life-and death risk 2"
Something cold touched Sedgwick' s
hand in the darkness. His fingers
closed around a flask. mo, no Dutch
courage for me. Where IS tnls
placer
ION Sundayman's Creek. some four
teen miles from the Nook as the motor
car flies"
Fourteen miles," repeated Eedg-
thought that suddenly giowed. bea-
con light of hope. And these Biairs
have some connection with the dead
woman of the cove, the woman who
wore her Jewels" His fingers grip
ped and sank into Ken's hard-fibred
arm. "Chet, for the love of heaven
tell me! Is she one of these Blairs?'
the other sternly. You're to act
yes, and think--under orders till the
nights job is done"
There was silence for nearly halt
an hour, while the car slipped, ghost-
like. along the wet roadway. Present
ly 1t turned aside and stopped.
'Footwork now" said Kent. rake
the spades and follow"
He himself, leading the way, carried
a coil of rope on his shoulders. For
what Sedgwick reckoned to be half a
mile they wallowed across soaked
meadows. until the whisper OF rain
upon water came to his ears.
Keep close" directed his guide, and
preceded him down a steep bank
The stream was soon forded.
Emerging on the farther side, they
scrambled up the other bank into a
thicker darkness, where Sedgwiek,
colliding with q gnarled tree trunk,
stood lost and waiting.-A tiny bar
of light appeared. 1t swept across
huddled and half-obliterated mounds,
marked only by the carpet of myrtle
that faithful plant whose mission 1t
is to garland the graves of the for
saken and the forgotten-shone white
Iy back from the headstone of the
old slave-trader. came to rest upon
a fresh garish ridge of earth, all pasty
and yellow in the rain, and abruptly
died.
rnurmured Kent. Take the near end
and dig"
Delving, even in the most favorable
circumstances, Is fairly stern test
of wind and muscle. In the pitch
blackness. under such nerve-thrilling
conditions IL was an ordeal Both
men. fortunately, were in hard train
ing. The heavys oil flew steadily and
fast Soon they were waist deep.
Kent, in a low voice, babe his fellow
toiler stop.
Mustn't wear ourselves out at the
start" he said. Take Ave minutes
rest"
At the end OF three minutes Sedg-
wick WAS cropping for his spade. I've
got to go on, Chef" he gasped. 1.-The
silence and idieness are too much for
me-"
"Its Just as WE'LL" assented his COM
mander. The clouds are breaking,
worse luck. And someone might pos
sibly be up and about In the house.
Go to it!'
This time there was no respite until.
with q thud which ran up his arm to
his heart, Kent's iron struck upon
wood. Both men stood, frozen into
attitudes OF attention. No sound came
from the house.
Easy now" warned Kent. after he