Middletown transcript., 1915-05-22
cHAPT En- XVIII-contInued.

He was in no better mood than N.Y.
self to encounter insult, and what had
been simple difference between us
famed into quarrel which reached
it's elimination when he mentioned
divers name with taunt which the
boy. for all his obstinate clinginR to
his journalistic idea, did not deserve.
Knowing my own temper ! drew
back into the Hollow.
He followed me.
tried to speak.
He took the word out of my mouth
This may have been with the intent
Of quelling my anger, but the tone
was rasping. and. noting this and not
his words, my hand frightened insen-
sibly about the stick which the devil
Tor John Scbville) had put in my hand
Did he see this. or was he prompted
by some old memory of boyish quar-
rels that he should give utterance to
that quick. sharp laugh of scorn!
shall never know, but ere the sound
had ceased The stick was whirling over
my head-there came crash and he
fell. My friend! My friend!
Next moment the earth seemed too
narrow. the heavens too contracted
for my misery. That he was dead
that my blow had killed him. never
doubted for an instant knew 1t, as
we know The face of Doom when once
It has risen upon u.s. Never, never
again would this lump of clay. which
a few minutes before had filled the
Hollow with shrillest whistlng.
breathe or think or speak. He was
dead, dead, dead!-And |? What was | q?
The name which no man hears un
moved. no amount of repetition makes
easy to the tongue or welcome to the
ear! the name which | had
heard launched in full forensic elo
Quence so many times in accusation
against the wretches had hardly re.
garded as being in the same human
s class as myself rang in my ears as
though intOned from the very mouth
OF hell. could not escape 1t. should
never be able to escape 1t again
Though ] was standing in a familiar
scene-a scene had known and fire.
quented from childhood, felt myself
as isolated from my past and as com
pletely set apart from my fellows as
the shipwIecked mariner tossed to
precarious foothold on his wave
dashed rock forgot that other
criminals existed.
In that one awful moment | was In
my own eyes the only blot upon the
universe-the sole inhabitant OF the
new world into which had plunged
the world of crime-the world upor
which had sat in judgment before
knew
What broke the spell? God knows
all can say is that, drawn by som'
other will than my own, | found my
glance travelling up the opposing bluf
till at its top, framed between tht
ragged wall and towering chimney o
Spencer's Folly, saw the presence
/ had dreaded, the witness who wa'
to undo me.
1t was woman-a woman with
little child in hand | did not see he
face. for she was just on the point o
turning away from the dizzy verge, bu
nothing could have been palmer thai
the silhouette which these two mad
against tho flush of that early evening
sky.
AS long as l could catch giimps
of this wornan's fluttering skirt as sh
retreated through the ruins. stoo
there. self.convicted, above the man
had slain. staring up at that blotch o
shining sky which was as the gate o
hell to me, Not till their two figure
rad disappeared and it was quite clea
again did The instinct OF self-preservs
tion return. and with 1t the though
of fight
But where could l ny! NO spot
the whole world was secret enough t
conceal me now. was a marked maj
Retter to stand my ground, and TAX
the conseauences than to act the Gov
ards part and stink away like thos
other men OF blood hao SO olteh sS
in Judgment upon.
Had | but followed this impulse
Had but gone among my lelIo"'
shown the am the mark of Cain upo
my forehead and prayed not lot
diligence, but punishment, what day
of gnawing misery shoulo nave Dee
spared!
The horror OF what lay at my Ie'
drove me from the Hollow. AS m
stens fell mechanically into the trs
down, which | had come in innocenC
and kindly purpose only few minute
before. startling thought sh'
through my benumbed mind. TT
woman had shown no haste in h'
turning! There had peen naturs