Year: 1866

climbed far into the eastern heavens.


AS tull OF my design upon awakening, as
when l went to sleep, | took light breakfast,
and was soon at the Museum-bumlng, with
hate, that it cost great effort to conceal, yet
perfectly calm. To Wroe's surprise all my
efforts in the art that morning were decided
successes Before noon [ confirmed nay opin-
ion that he would not, that evening, omit his
accustomed jaunt to Sebastian Springs, and to
make assurance more certain, agreed to meet
him there about twilight, after having trans.
acted some business; which | feigned to have
in Washington.


That settled, l placed some provision on
board small skif, which | had bought for
towling, the winter previous, together with a
change of clothes, so as to be ready for all emer
gencies, and taking my double barreled gun,
game bag and accoutrements, l pushed OFT and
padded across the river, as l had often before
done, when cunning. A few hours spent in
shooting small game, to familiarize myself, yet
more thorougly, with the carrying and range Of
my plece,.and the time had come. had pur-
posely runsalong the shore towards the Eastern
Branch, and just before the sun set crossed
the river, padded up an estuary which makes
into the Potomac, within ten yards of Sebas-
tan Spring; run up my boat upon the beach
under shelter of thick copse, and moving for
ward to height near the spring, under which
runs the road between the two cities, l saw that
all was quiet. Even the nest of loafers at the
Spring was deserted, and save the distant hum,
that might have been the murmur OF city life
or the sound OF wind in the forest, all was ST.
lent aS the grave.


The road which connects the two cities and
over which, from the cliff, [ now looked with
eager interest, passed, before it reached the
neighborhood of the cliff, over rolling country,
now rising to hilltop and again descending into
deep valleys, so that the approach Of traveller
might be deserted for the distance of several
miles, as in tuln he reached the high points
After it passed the cliff and the springs-for
they we're close neighbors-the road ran upon
an embankment that crossed the estuary, | have
mentioned, land connected the main land with an
Island, which, IN its turn, was united to the
federal city hY bridge spanning the river. On
all this extent of thoroughfare, there was but
one sign Of life, wagon rumbling on the draw
Of the distant bridge; but that soon passed
from sight. The sun lit the domes of the city
with its last rays, but did not look that way,
for as its almost level beams shot athwart the
hills over which the road passed, distinct in its
gov, | saw Wroe walking on at his usually rap
id pace The sun fell behind The trees and he
disappeared in the valley of the roadway almost
at the same moment


| came short distance down the declivity,
and laying myself at full length behind belt
Of shrubbery, rested my gun upon the roots, so
as TO be invisible, and at the same time to COM
maud any object on the road for several hundred
feet Ere long saw the man cross rivulet
which ran at the bottom Of the valley. could
not discern either his countenance or his cloth
ing in the gathering shadows, but knew his
gait, and fired: He fell before the hill opposite
ech0pA the shot Il Z x =


[ dashed forward, and as I lifted the still
warm body, a golden locket dropped to the
ground, grasped it as it reached the earth and
near by, aud there hid my horrid burden. [
had not dared to look upon its features.


TO BE CONTINUED.