The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-09-29

afforded glimpses OF the canoes-mere
blurred outllnes-and occasionally the
figure OF man. only recognizable as
/ he moved.
was still staring AZ this dim pic.
I ture when some noise, other than the
wind, startled me and | drew silently
| back behind 4 great stump 10 avoid
discovery. My thought was that some
one had left the mission house-Cas-
sion perhaps with final orders 10 those
on the beach-hut a moment later |
| realized my mistake. yet only crouched
lower in the shadow-a man was al.
vancing from the black concealment
OF the woods ana crossing the open
space.
He moved cautiously. yet boldly
| enough, and his movements were not
those OF an Indian. although the low
bushes between us and the house
shadow, prevented my distinguishing
more than his mere outline II was
only when he lifted his head into the
CLEAN OF light, ana took hasty survey
through the window OF the scene with
In, that | recognized the face OF
D'Artigny. lie fingered scarcely
moment evidently satisfied with what
he saw. and then drew silently back.
heSitating a brief space. as though de
batting his next movement
! waited breathleSs. wondering what
his purpose could be, half inclined to
intercept and question him. Was he
seeking 10 serve my cause? 10 learn
the truth OF my relationship with Cas-
sion? or did he have some other OBJ
ject, some personal feud in which he
sought revenge? The first thought
sent the warm blood leapng through
my veins; the second left me shivering
as If with sudden chill.
Even as | stood. hcsitating. unccr-
tain, he turned ana retraced his steps
along the same path OF his approach
passing me not ten steps away and
vanishing into the wood. | thought
he paused at the edge and bent down.
yet before | found voice or determn-
alton 10 stop him. ne had disappeared.
My courage returned, spurred 10y cur
iosity Why should he take so round
about way 10 reach the shore? What
was that black, shapelcss thing he had
paused 10 examine? | could see some
thing there, dark and motionless.
though TO my eyes no more than "A
shadow.
vcnturcd toward II, creeping be-
hind the bushes bordering the path.
conscious OF an odd fear as | drew
closer. Yet II was not until emerged
from the fringe of shrubbery that even
the faintest conception OF what the
object was | saw occurred 10 me.
Then | stopped, frozen by horror, for
| confronted a dead body.
For an instant ! could not utter a
sound or move n muscle OF my body.
My hands clung cOnvulsvcly TO n
nearby branch, thus supporting me
erect I'm spite OF trembling limbs and
| stared at the grucsome object,
black and almost shapeless I'm the
moonlight. Only part OF the trunk
was revealed. the lower portion con.
cealed by bushes, yet could no longer
doubt IL was mans body--a large,
heavily built man, his hat still crushed
on his head, but with face turned
away.
What courage overcame my horror
and urged me forward cannot tell;
| seemed lmpeled by some power not |
my own, vague fear OF recognition |
tugging at my heart crept nearer, |
almost inch by inch, trembling at |
every noise, dreading TO discover the |
truth. At last | could perceive the |
CHASTITY features-the dead man was
Hugo Chevet.
/ nerved myself 10 the effort. and |
turned the body sufficiently TO enable |
me 10 discover the wOund-he had |
been pierced by n knife from behind: |
had fallen, no doubt, without uttering |
a cry, dead ere he struck the ground. |
Then 1t was murder, foul murder. n
blow in the back Why had the deed |
been done? What spirit OF revenge. |
OF hatred, OF fear, could have led 10
such an act? / got again TO my feet,
staring about through the weird moon.
light. every nerve throbbing, ms I .
thought 10 grip the fact and find IT'S
cause. Slowly drew back. shrinking
in growing terror from the corpse,
until | was safely I'm the priests gar
den. There / paused irrcsolutc, my
lazed, benumbed brain beginning 90
grasp the situation and assert Itself.