The Connecticut labor press., 1920-09-04

The Great Shadow By A.Co Auho of" dvenures
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By A. CONAN DOYLE
Author of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"


[HXXXXXXXXXXXX And you a Presbyterian
 "He wished it to be in Catholic church."
 "When was it?'
 "On Wednesday week." I remembered, then, that on that day she had driven over to Berwick, while De Lapp had been away on long walk, as he said, among the hills.
 What about Jim ?" asked.
 "Oh Jim will forgive me-"
 "You will break his heart and ruin his life"
 "No, no; he will forgive me-"
 "He will murder De Lapp. Oh, Edie! how could you bring such dis grace and misery upon us?" "Ah, now you are scolding!" she cried, and down came the window. I waited some little time and tap ped, for I had much still to ask her; {; but she would return no answer, and I thought that I could hear her sob- ping. At last I gave 1t up, and was about to go into the house, for it was nearly dark now, when heard the click of the garden gate. It was De Lapp himself.
 But as he came up the path he seem ed to be either mad or drunk. He danced as he walked, cracked his fingers in the air, and his eyes biazed like the ewill-o'-the-wisps. "Voltigeurs v he voltigeurs de Ia garde !" just as he had done when he was off his head, and then suddenly "En avant! en avant!' and up he came, waving his walking-cane over his head. He stopped short when he saw me looking at him, and dare say he felt bit ashamed of himself.
 "Halloo, Jack!" he cried, '1 didn't thought anybody was there. I am In what you call the high spirits tonight"
 "So il seems !'' said I, in my blunt fashion. "You may not feel so merry when my friend, Jim Horscroft, comes back tomorrow"
 'Ta, ta, ta p cried De Lapp "I see that you know of our marriage. Edie has told you. Jim may do what he likes"
 You have given us a nice return for having taken you in.'
 "My good fellow" said he, "I have, as you say, given you very nice re- turn. I have taken Edie from a life which is unworthy of her, and have connected you by marriage with a noble family. However, have some letters which I must write tonight, and the rest we can talk over tomor- row when your friend Jim is here to H4r@ c%n ov.1 %ho door.
 And this was whom you were awaiting at the peel-tower cried, seeing light suddenly.
 'Why, Jack, you are becoming quite sharp" said he, in a mocking tone. and an instant later I heard the door of his room close and the key turn in the lock. thought that I should see him no more that night, but few miutes later he came into the kitchen where was sitting with the old folk.
 Madame" said he, lowing down with his hand to his heart in his own queer fashion. "I have met with much kindness in your hands, and it shall always be in my heart. You will ac- cept this small souvenir, and you, al so, sir, you will take this little gift which I have the honor to make to you" He put two paper packets down upon the table at their elbows, and then, with three more bows to my mother, he walked from the room.
 His present was a brooch with a green stone set in the middle and a dozen little shining white ones all round it. We had never seen such things before and did not know how to set name to them but they told us afterward at Berwick that the big one was an emerald and that the others were diamonds and that they were worth more than all the lambs we had that spring. My dear old mother has been gone now this many a year but that bonny brooch sparkles at the neck of my eldest daughter when she goes out into company, and never look at it that l do not see the keen eyes, and the long, thin nose, and the cats whiskers of our lodger at West Inch. AS to my father, he had a fine gold watch with double case,- and a proud man was he as he sat with it in the palm of his hand, his ear stopping to hearken to the tick. I do not know which was best pleased, and they would talk of noth- ing but what De Lapp had given them.
 Hes. given you something more," said I, at last.
 'What then, Jock?'
 'A husband for Cousin Edie," said I.
 They thought I was daffing when I said that. but when they came to un- derstand that it was the real truth, they were as pleased as If had told them that she had married the laird. De Lapp was for all we knew, steady and quiet and well-to-do; and as to the secrecy of it, secret marriages were very common in Scotland at that time, when only a few words were needed to make a man and wife, so nobody thought much of that. The old folk were as pleased, then, as if their rent had been lowered but I was still sore at heart, for it seemed to me that my friend had been cruelty dealt with. and I knew we'll that he was not a man who would easily put up with it.
 CHAPTER X.
 The Return of the Shadow.