Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-02-14

The Uan had already twice given
his call and was about e give Il q
third time. when the parior door 1t
the front Of the house rather noisily
opened, and a man came down on the
porch and across the yard. Az he
walked over the brink of the slight
decline where the yard dipped to the
creek. he passed In outline for q brief
moment against the southern sky.
II was the preacher.
His glasses were on. the stoop gone
from his shoulders and his step
showed not sign of mincing. He was
partly dressed. partly in his night
clothes-precisely as one who had
Weakened naturally from sleep and
gone into the yard for some trifiing
purpose or other. There was a light
spot at his hip which the watcher
under the clump Of shrubbery sur
missed to be the ivory handle of the
six-gun that had thudded against the
bottom of the skiff. M
He went straight 10 the spring. took
down the dipper and dipped himself
drink. making deal Of noise In the
act-eyen an unnecessary amount Of
1t, as 1t seemed to the critical sears
under the shrubbery.
The drink over, he hung up the dip
per, with another clatter; sauntered
past the man crouched by the. rustic
seat; snatched something that was
reached out to him; hid 1t In the
bosom of his shirt, whispered very
hurried word or two; strolled back up
the yard; crossed the porch: re-en-
tered the parlor door and locked 1t be-
hind him.
The man crouching by the seat half
rose and slipped back the way he had
come, the frogs, as before, falling al.
lent as he came even with them and
resuming their croak again after he
had passed. Jack tried hard to make
him out as he stole by. less than q
dozen steps away. but he was 20
stopped and so shrouded In gloom that
the effort was In vain. M
And so they had come-and gone.
A burden seemed to be lifted from
the night clean breeze came down
out of the cool dells Of the serene
woods as II TO sweep away the faint
OF their presence @8
Il The woodsman lay long time liz
tening. and reviewing the astonishing
pantomime Not a sound did he hear.
He glanced up at the red-roofed cot
tage From porch step to gable II lay
as peaceful as Its background of placid
sky 1t was hard to think that at that
moment II might be standing at the
danger-center of some intangible web
OF evil that was being woven about II.
He knew the lay OF the house m
well as he knew his ewn small cabin
along the south and fronting the
road the. seldom used parior, with
the spare bedroom opening on from II
on fhe east back Of these the sit
ting-room. and the old bankers bed.
room adjoining II, with the small
room containing his safe opening on
1t on the west and extending some
distance e.sond the main wall; back
Of these rooms the dining-room and
back Of It sthe kitchen. I,
Front entrance to both parloe and
sitting-room was from the wide porch.
which filled up almost the entire Jog
between the parlor and the small
room that served as Office.
Mrs. Curry and Texie both slept up
stairs, the latter over the old bankers
bedroom. the former over the Office.
There were no rooms above the par
ior and spare bedroom, these. with tho
porch. being a later addition to the
original building.
With every possible caution Jack
slowly crawled up the yard, around
back Of the house. and under the part
~ open window Of the parlor bed.
room lay listening for guarded mo-
ment; then rose, noiseless a the
night. and peeped within.
On "a chair just under the window
hung the somber frock coat; ON the
bed man breathed even and deep.
apparently sleeping az TRANQUILITY ~ .
triad afhiafo
(TO BE CoNTINUED)