The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-07-15

| hand the doctor led the boy down the
deserted street and through garden
to the river shore. They followed the
bank of the stream little time and
entered the rear end Of the spruce
thicket. They made their way to the
glade. On the side of it opposite the
trail leading from Miss Spenlow's
dooryard they fastened the camera
about breast-high to the trunk OF
small tree. They covered it with twigs
SO that only the lens was visible. On
a sheet of tim a little back of the
camera they poured the powder and
magnesium. Some twigs were scat
tered on the floor of the glade at its
entrance so that Shad would know by
their cracking when the two were near
enough to be photographed. The COM
municating wires, the battery and key
were carefully placed. Shad's station
was behind the base of large pine
tree.
1--WE are all right If 1t doesn't rain,"
said the doctor. "You are to come
here about nine o'clock and find your
place with the dark lantern and sit
down and wait. Y0u will hear them
coming. Get ready. When you are
sure that they are in the glade, touch
the key. They may come tonight. If
not we must shut our camera before
daylight and take up our flash mate
rial and when night comes again set
the works for another trial. We win
catch them soon. They are bound 10
come again. l would look for them
this very night. The time Is favorable,
the ground bare, the weather mild.
Such condition cannot last long, and
they know It."
Shad returned with his friend to the
study where, for an hour or more, he
amused himself with the doctors mi
croscope. At nine o'clock he set out
warmly clad with blanket on his arm
and the dark lantern in his hand.
The lights were going out in the lit
tie old-fashioned village of Amity Dam,
where almost every one went to bed
early and arose at dawn. Shad light
ed his lantern when he entered the
evergreen thicket at the water bound
airy of the Spenlow place. Mostly with
no light to guide him he made his way
through the dense growth of young
spruces to the big tree. There with
short flash he located his key, placed
his blanket, sat down and put out the
light in his lantern. He was in black
darkness. He sat for hours listening,
and hearing only the steady splash of
the falls, some three hundred yards
from where he sat, the barking of dogs
in the distant countryside and now
and then passing team or the crow
ing of cock in the village. Darkness
and silence are not agreeable COM
rades for boy of lively imagina-
ton. The hours were very long Some
small creature, probably wood-mouse
or a chipmunk, startled him with the
noise of it's movements in the near
thicket. He wondered If there really
was any such thing in the world as
ghost. The night grew stiller. He
dimly heard the familiar sound of
Miss Spenlow's tall clock as 1t struck
eleven. Long after that hour he heard
team cross the bridge. Slowly 1t
came up the road and passed. Some
where, not far away-perhaps in the
shed of the Smithers' store-it
stopped. Was it Royce? He now be-
gan to think that his waiting would
be rewarded. He was keenly alert. A
few dragging minutes followed. Would
they never come? Suddenly, the well
come sound of stealthy footsteps!
They were coming to the trap. Would
the mystery be solved in the next min
ute or two? The sound of their feet
was near. He could hear them brush
ing the bushes. Cautiously he picked
up the piece of board on which his key
was fastened. He heard the cracking
of the brittle twigs. The girl and her
companion stopped. She was speaking
in a low Tone Curiosity checked the
hand of the boy.
"Oh, 1 wish that had listened to
my father" the girl was saying.
In low tone the man spoke:
"You don't know how love you. !
would rather die than live without
you. When you are little stronger
We will go to Australia together and
be happy. My Cd! would kill any
one who came between us. get des-
perate thinking of you"
(TO BE CONTINUEDl