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LIFE’S TRODDEN PATH
—OR—
WEB, * WE
rite
F4TAL
CHAPTER VII
. jkkuton IN tub closet.”
a lati' hour of nigbt when
Ljford reached the spot where
w i8 to meet him. He stood
iM ol the grove. A soft
,1 softly through the
head. He did not
wait long—f°r the form of a
appro ich.d the oak w th
,,coping boughs.” It obeyed
ructions and he knew it
H
* WEAVE.
'b -T- 'K^F"=F, ^
1
If
I
move
Hinge over
was
jr s of the night were keep*
ch 0 ver the slumbering world,
many eyes, flaming with
L fire, seemed to peer into
fv hearts .of these men.
i Halford held in one hand a
ktitern and there was strapped
L shoulder a strong leatl ern
[nub swung down by bia side.
[ his waist, a well worn belt,
Lj by a short coat, held two
Us and a small loaded club,
til had taken tire precaution
.using himself the best lie
The night was dark, but not
|lly so. The two men, after a
Llnsptred conversation, moved
sly out of the grave and stood
public road, looking up aud
Land listening intently. A
venue opened up from the
|de of ihe road, and at its ter-
on a whi’e lenoe stood out.
Lectral array of ghastly seutl-
1 now proceeded up this ave-
|a large doable gate, which
Ireuiuspecllv opened, aud en
closed behind them. Here,
, lines of a stately building
but before them.
lurd moved • on and Randall
until they reached the steps
Iveranda. After a brief pause
Uber investigation the two
bed and circled round the house,
Lite directions. They met mi
|th a window in the rear of the
Not a light could be seen
I listened ami all was still,
lord opened the leatherd bag
Ircw th refrom a ueculiarly,
bed little instrument, which he
luieriouglv, in unfastening the
I blinds. After an unsuccess*
lempt, however, to raise the
Luther instrument was brought
With this, Halford’s skill
bd removed the glass while he
»ie precaution to drop the old
I that held it, into bis bag
[so. He then located the lock
I sash. The glass he removed
|near it, he now reached his
roiigli, and the sash was obe-
hjs will, Again they look-
I listened, but there was . not a
|U> deter them in their nela-
pideitakingg.
two men now landed safelv
| ruom—it was Mr. Coyne’s
Halford threw a gleaming
|rom the lantern, and locating
1 door, raised it, and descend-
jiiuit stairway down into the
The light was again thrown
|d Randall, approaching the
|f tnd of this musty apartment,
p*l a brick from its massive
I Re then threw his weight
a knob, pushing it with all
[Higtli he could command, when
h'y the tumbles of a lock olick-
I die holt that had secured this
[door, a frame of iron inlaid
j> r| ek and cement, yielded to
Toiler's ruthless hand and
jhack. A small iron crowbar,
lusted, lay at his feet, with this
l^d the door. It creaked and
1 on its rusty hinges, as though
ling posture, immediately under the
stringer of the steps. The suspense
was terrible and portentous.
I lie crickets chirp sounded like
the wild, mad threats of a mob but
Halford was more accustomed to
was a funeral gravity about tin- af* mm mu, h difficulties and being of a
fair that suggested the lust sad rites ua,fc * eB, > daring spirit proposed that
they meet the danger boldly. For,
said he, “If we have beeu discovered
we will have to fight our way through
sooner or later and at all hazards
Rut I think it was that youngster
who dropped in the room for ome-
thing having just oome in from town,
and us lie had no light he saw noth
ing. He has now, probably, gone to
bed.”
This solution was a great relief to
Randall, but be thought it prudent
to remain a while longer, minutes
seemed like hours—they waited,
listened, and finally, Halford think
ing it a waste of time to continue,
peremptorily ordered his criminal
vassal to arise and follow after him
as he moved up the steps.
Halford held his pistol in his hand
as he cautiously ascended, and reach
ing the top step threw the gleam of
the lantern across the room. The
sudden glare, as it happened, went
full into the face of the oat. “Jimp-
sy” sprang from the chair with such
force that it was thrown to the floor
and he shot out of the room as if he
had been disenarged from the mouth
of a gun.
Edward had 1 oaken himself in his
room and was deeply absorbed read
ing “Lalla Rookh,” when he heard
the noise below. He raised upstart-
led and advanced to the door, but on
opening it, be met bis favorite cat.
‘•Jimpsy” straightened out* stretched
his body aud legs complacently, arch
ed his back and begun to pur de
murely.
“Dont be so noisy, Jimpsy,” said
Edward. “You almost frightened
me. How am I to know whether it
is you or burglars in the house.”
Halford, however, observed the eat
and as there was uo time to lose the
trap was door hastily letdown. The
burglars crept to the window where
they had entered. Randall was in an
excitable haste to get away. So, with
out the loss of a moments lime, he
swung down from the window sill
and started off m a run, but Halford
was out, loo, and brought him to a
slop.
“Hold on!” whispered Halford,
“we are safe, but wait a minute
That glass is to go back, sash must
be let down and blinds closed.
Randall’s impatience was misery
but llalford was and expert. With a
facility that was incredible the sacred
room was left without a trace or
sign of sacrilege.
Out in the orchard, some distance
in the rear of the house, two dark
figures moved along, swiftly, from
the premises which their unhallowed
hands had dispoiled.
TO BB CONTINUED
over the grave.
Halford came up and threw the
gleaming light into its vaulted space.
Randall fell back in dumb horror,
while his companion stood motion
less, with his head inclined forward,
staring as<though some magic power
had fixed him to the spot. There,
in a sitting posture, supported by
the angles of the wall, was the grue
some skeleton of a man. In the
rear-right-hand corner of the vault
was a small iron safe, supposed to
contain treasure. Its bright, nickel
plated disc stood out in relief from
the japanned door, like the fierce eye
of a cyclop.
Halford entered, and taking a drill
from his tool bag, begun to bore in
ti the steel harries. After working
hard for sometime l.e succeeded in
makiug an opening and now placing
dynamite in the aperture and adjust
ing a fuse he withdrew, closing the
vault door behind him. A muffled
report told that the safe had been
blowu open, and again prizing open
the door he allowed the smoke and
fumes to escape, when he re-entered,
guided by the light of the lantern.
R tndall stood off at some distance,
ii the dark, and knowing that he
obeyed no impulse of his owu he felt
strangely bewildered. A chillness,
which he had never known before,
came creeping over him. He tried
to stand still and planting his feet
firmly on the ground folded his arras
over his breast in a vice like grip.
Halford secured the treasure, and Mr.
Coyne’s hoarded gold was now in
adept hands that could scatter it to
the four corners of the earth.
Halford withdrew from;the vault
aud called to Randall in a low whis
per. Then the huge door was .dosed
and locked, the brick replaced. All
signs, that could have indicated
depredation, were removed.
The light of the lantern was shut
off aud these two gentlemen prepar
ed to escape. They directed their
steps back to the short stairway and
had reached the lower step when,
quite unexpectedly, a key turned in
the look of the library door. Fright
ened at the probability of detection
and apprehending the dreadful crime
which Halford had determined on in
the event of discovery, Randall com
pletely lost all control of himself
The suspense became unendurable,
and bolding a loaded revoler in bis
hand, lie raised it slowly, placed the
muzzle to his temple and in au in
stant, a flash, a report, and he would
have fallen lifeless to the hard ground
if Halford had not, at that moment,
touched his arm and whispered to
him that he thought the person, who
ever it may have been, had left the
room,
It was foitunate for Edward that
he did not discover them. He bad
just returned from the village where
he had spent the evening, visiting
Miss Nellie Newell, and bad enter
ed the library for a volume of
“Moore’s Poems” which he had left
on a table, near door, sometime dur
ing the day. Not desiring to disturb
his mother and sister he had tip toed
along down the hali-way and secur
ing the book, proceeded to ascend
the stairs to his room on the second
floor. He left the library
The Albany Herald says that when
congress meets it will reduce the sur
plus all right enough by spending it.
On June 28, 1776, says the Patri
otic Review, a force of less than 100
Carolinians, under command of
Moultrie, protected by the rude for
tification on Sullivan’s Island in
Charleston harbor, made of the
trunks of the palmetto, repulsed the
attack- of a British fleet under com
mand of Sir Peter Parker, and when
the state of South Carolina was or
ganized, the state sesl, which was
first us3d in May, 1777, was made to
door | commemorate this victory. A palm
ajar, however, and now “Jimpsy,” J tree, growing erect on the seashore,
the large Maltese cat, knowing that j represents tbe strength <M the fort,
its presence was forbidden in that | while at its base an oak tree, torn
sacred apartment, but led by its way- f ro m the ground and deprived of its
1 a »•« * „ . i ll- .La D«Wiali
ward disobedient nature, deliberate-
r lj- marched in and fettled down in a
to ^ ‘ksturbed after all these j chair near the trap door, for a nap.
of silence. Aside from an] q^e tw0 m en remained quiet,
“ fr »U and vermin
| lo th«ir various holes
branches, recalls, the British fleet,
built of oak timber, overcome by the
palmetto.
, For Sris-class job work, call at the
scampering awa ,tlng further developments, hav-
soles there lnir concealed themselves, m a sq is.- Searcu Lg
la n a "Uniformity" Ftgt.1
"The atiemp to prejudice the people
of Georgia against tne stale school
commissioner will fail,” Slid a prom
inent school official in the arcade last
night. “An increasingly large num
ber of people "are aware tint
the commissioner has been the object
of much political persecution ever
since he announced himself opposed
to slate uniformnity of text books.
He was threatened last year with los-
of his office if lie did not withdraw
hia opposition to this measure. Back
of all this war on the commiasioner
are two or ihree text book companies,
and about a dozen secret * agents of
ihese concerns. These companies
and their aides are spreading abroad
many misrepresentation* about the
commissioner. They are endeavors
ing in every way possible to drag in
to their schemes some good men who
are expeoted to be the catspaws to
rake oertain chestnuts out of tbe fire
—but their plaus are doomed to fuil.
At the proper lime the people will
be made acquainted with all the facts
and the whole scheme will be expos-
sed.”
“Do yon think there was a pre
meditated soherao to injure the com
missioner?” I asked.
“Undoubtedly there was, and there
is still such a scheme. Borne of the
schemers were in couference here in
Atlanta last Saturday. They eame
from several suctions of the statu-at
whose expense those who know Ihe
purpose of tbe war ou the commis
sioner are at no loss to understand.
There is little doubt that the trial of
the commissioner for libel will reveal
to the public the true origin of this
political persecution, and make prom
inent the names of publishers aud
others that have not yet been heard
of. The plot to prevent the comm i
siouer’s re-eleotion is one of the most
iuieiestiug ever eoncouted iu Geor
gia, and it will certaiuly arouse the
indignation of all iair-minded peo
ple.”
The Bavarian Postmaster General
has just concluded the installation of
a system of wireless telegraphy be
tween tbe meteorological observato
ry on top of Lugspitze, and the pos
tal station, Elbsee, at it* base. IIco-
tofore during the winter months the
meteorologist has been practically
isolate from Lite rest of tbe world; as
the roads use irapassrble and the tele
phone system has not been saliafac
tory, owing to the liability of the
cables to become damaged. Tins
station, on the highest peak in Ger
many, has an altitude of 9,870 feet.
Many difficulties were encountered
in carrying out the installation, oue
being the lack of powerful electric
generators at either end. Fortunately
it was found )>o-sibl6 to carry
areial Iran-misiou between the two
points with a battery of dry cells.
Tbe deflections of the waves due to
the nature of the slope, which it was
feared would seriously itilerfeie with
the signalling, have not proved im
portant.’ The whole installation is
said to havo satisfied' all require
ments, and has been declared work
able by the Bavarian postmaster
geueral, wiio, according to the Lon
don Electrical Engineer, is now turn
ing his attention to a proposal to
connect the observatory with Par
tenkircben, a place about three times
as far away as Ribsee, at the base of
tbe peak.
TOT CAUSE* NIGHT ALARM
"Oue ni ht my brother's baby was
taken with Croup,” writes Mrs. J, C.
Snider, of Crittenden, Ky., "it seemed
it would strangle before we could get
d'Jctor, so we gave it Dr. King's New
Discovery, which gave quick relief aud
permanently cured it, We always keep
it in tbe house to protect our children
from Croup and Whooping Cough. It
cuffed me of a chronic bronchial trouble
that no other remedy would relieve.”
IiifcUible for Coughs, Colds, Throat and
Lum troubles. 50c and 91.00. Trial
botefn bee at K. L. Hicks.
A POSTAL
AN
INCIDENT Of REVOLUTIONARY
DAYS IN CONNECTICUT.
A Letter From the Frost That Caase
•ad W«ul sail Came Avals ta Stay.
The First llnral Free Delivery Is
Mansfield Tows,
The arrlvnl of the^first batch of let
ters after the establishment of rural
free delivery In MnnaOeld, Conn., re
called to an aged Indy of that town a
postal Incident remembered in her
family for 120 years. “My mother al
ways cried when she told tbe story,”
■be sold.
When my mother was a little girl,
the narrator went on. to have one’s let
ters regularly brought and banded In
at th* door would have seemed a
miracle of privilege, and to get them
without pnyiug postage would have
been another. Mails were so slow and
uncertain that the safe arrival of an
expected letter by any means was an
event lu a country family, with the
postofflee mil.'- away.
Sometimes the .delivery was helped
along by volunteer carriers—a farmer
going home from the grist mill. ,a
housewife returning from market town
with her - bin gains of lamp oil. West
India molne-e., am' green tea, or even
a. passing peddler with bis load of tin-
wure and corn brooms. In the old war
time th*r army bud |K>st riders, but
they were few aud far between.
My gruudl'iiiher was a soldier of tbe
Itevo.lut!on. uml grandmother kept the
home tire burning here, aud provided
for their tltn *■ children ns well ns she
could white tie was at the front. AU
summer sire bail heard no word of him,
and when one uutuniu day a uiuu lu a
military cloak rode to the door on a
white horse l.er heart beat quick.
“Does llntii Fuller live here?" he
says, holding u thick letter In his hand.
“Yes. I ant Ituth fuller,” and grand
mother readied eagerly for the letter,
for she saw the nddress In her hua<
baud's handwriting.
“The postage Is 2 Hbllilu’8.”
Grandmother's eouutouuuce fell, fot*
there wasn't so much money Id the
house.
“Guess you don’t know me.” remark
ed the mail, opeulng Ids cape and lip
ping hack his cocked hat. hut still hold
ing the letter, She knew hint thou—an
enemy capable of a mean revenge.
“Ah, yes. you remember Tom Turner
and bow iir qsketl you to marry him
atui you give him 'No. I thankee.' and
took John Fuller. 1 wasn't good Enough
io marry ye. lull I'm good enough now
to bring ye letters from the limn that
did. nml I'm good enough to charge ye
a steep price for gain' out o’ tuy wny.
Bo hand over your 2 sliillln's and tali*
your letter."
The poor wopinn told him she had uo
money. To lie held up In this lien riles*
and insulting wny was it bitter hurt to
her. Her grief watt deeper than her
resentment, hut she was too proud to
let the cruel fellow *»' her weep.
"I will get you a good dinner." she
said, "and feed you-- horse and give
you a pain or idee long slocking;!."
It was u humiliation to plead with
Tom Turner, l.ut she eon Id do no less.
“Money or notUm'," he says, and he
put the letter In bis pocket and rod*
awny.
Grandmother went Into tbe bouse
and sat down and ei'led. and her chil
dren. clinging about her, cried too.
During her long mouths of waiting, at
odd hours she Imd spun and woven
doth and sewed garments a-.rs knitted
woolen stockings' for John's winter
comfort, trusting to find some wny to
■end them to him. Now the messenger
had come and gone who could at least
have carried word, and he hail refused
even to give Iter her husband's letter.
“Mo, God knows wlmt the had man
did,” sobiied out* of. the little ones.
“He knows wlmt nice tilings you’ve
made for pa. anil he'll send a good man
next time.”
Tbe lathy's thought relieved the moth
er's despair, nml the three lonely hearts
prayed and waited anxiously for thf
“next time." ami. sure enough, before
winter eunte they saw the sutne white
horse galloping toward ihe house. '“He's
brought the li'tter Imck!" they all cried
out together, for they ladleved tbe rid
er to be the snute mao.
Grandmother rushed from the door
with all her children. The horseman
held out the name letter, and as he
gravely put It Into hrr bands she
glanced up to his f.-ice and screamed
for Jcy.
“John! It Is you!”
It did not take her husband long' to
tell the rest of the story 'lout Turner
had returned to headquarters, and one
night, made talkative by an extra ra
tion of rum. he hail brngget) bow. he
“got even" with au old sweetheart
who Jilted him. His exploit reached
the ears of tils commaidlng officer,
who took assy hi* commission and
put my grand rather In his place, Tbe
new post rider bafl brought bla own
letter to bis wife. It was the first rural
free delivery In ; Mansfield •: town.—
Youth* Companion. \ V
■ * v
It la easy enough to smllewhon you
tread upon rose leaven, but.try It wlieii
each step leaves blood prints upon th*
thorns. Some «f tbft Uo*. In you? Cac*
mi. Jwwwrt!