The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, September 22, 1909, Image 6
fcGATE
A story or
fensreRY.iiivoi.viNc startling
'COMPLICATIONS &? ADVCNTUP
iy ANNA KATtCRINC CRttl
-_. AATTMOR- OP*
W laSSSlSSIOSlM SfcHiND CLOS!
CHAPTER x.
Two Doors.
flS%\HE enthusiasm, the expects
I 1 I tloa In Urs. Deo's voice were
?HHfl unmistakable. ' This good
woman believed In this res
waif of turoulent caprices and
ways, and from this moment
began to believe In her too,
consequently to share some of the
lent which had now become
it all through the house.
His suspense was destined to bo
While he was straining his
to see what might be going on
the road, s small crowd of poo
round the corner of the
la their midst walked a vom
St* with s shawl or cape over hsr
I?a fl?Tce and wilful figure which
the hand kind lira. Deo laid
em her arm. and shrank as the great
it door foil open, sending forth a
of light which, to one less wed
to wild waye and outdoor living,
a hospitable cheer.
*t)eorgiaaa firm!" muttered Ran
?sen involuntsrl y to himself. "And
?aorglaa's face!" be felt obliged to
snti. as the Ugbt fsll broadly across
Isar. -Bat not Georgian's wsys and
as* Georgian's nature." he Impetuous
%y amJshed as ahi slipped out of eight
the myitery of the brother
rushing 01 er him and hs yleld
hJmself again to the wonder of the
till hi was reawakened to
by the shuffling of feet on
stairway anl the raised tones of
I Deo as eis tried to make herself
by her new and some
difficult guest
ft was a trylnj; moment for Ransom.
for au>thor glimpse of the
but 'eared to betray his own
11/ to the two women who so?
iled her. Should he be forced
%s allow her to enter her room un
aasaT alight hi not better run some
risk of detection? He finally
Used mutters by flinging his
aids open und then retreating to
end of the room, where the
NM appealed heavy enough to
hin. Fron this point he cast a
down the ball, which was in s
Uno fron i his present stand
and was fortunate enough to
^WlU ? tauen look tt Ucee about her.
a gllmpe? of the girl with her
turned In Ills direction. Her corn
on thi contrary, were stand
with their backs to him, one be
the door she had just thrown
the othet at his wife's door, on
ch she bad Just given a significant |
+~fjuca was tho picture.
The girl sbsorbed all his attention.
The shawl?a gay ons with colors la
* had fallen 'rom h?r head and wal
trailing, wet aid bedraggled, over an
ly bedraggled skirt Soused with
her balr disheveled, and all her
ents awry with the passion of
movsmens, she yet msde his
stand still as, with s sullen look
those about her, she rushed into
room prepared for her use and
?med the door behind her with a
cry of ningled rage and relief,
with all these drawbacks of man
and appearance she was the liv
picture of Oeorgian; so like her,
, that he could well understand
w the shoes which his darling re
red when, in the unconsciousness
possessing s living sister, she had
ntered n street or store, or
rever the/ had first met, this liv
reproduction of herself.
"No wonder she became confused
to her duti," he muttered. "I even
d myself becoming confused as to
a**
"Bring me ip something to eat." he
tow heard tils latest comer shout
from her doorway. "I don't want tea
aad I don't rant soup. I want meat,
sseat And I shan't go down after?
ward, either. I'm going to stay right
here. I've seen enough of people 1
don't know. And of my sister too.
Rhn was cross to me because I hated
the coach at d wanted to walk, and
She shan't come into my room till I
ball her to. Don't forget; It's meat I
mumm M*k?tt **A,wL''
want, Just meat and something sweet.
Pudding's good."
All shocking to Mr. Ransom's taste,
but mor 3 so to his heart. For not?
withstanding the coarseness of the ex?
pressions, the voice was Georgian's
and laden with a hundred memories.
* Ransom now decided that if he
must keep up his watch?and nothing
now could de'er him from doing so ?
he must take a position consistent
with his assumed character. Detec?
tion by Georgian was what he now
feared. Whatever happened, she must
not get the smallest glimpse of him,
or be led by any Indiscretion on his
part to suspect his preeence under
the same roof as herself. Yet he must
see all, hear all that waa possible to
him. For this a continuance of the
present conditions, an open door and
no light, were positively requisite.
But one expedient suggested itself. He
would light a cigar and sit in the win?
dow. If questioned he would say
that he waa engaged In deciding
how he would end the story he waa
writing; that such contemplation call?
ed for darkness but above all for
good air; that had the weather been
favorable he would have obtained the
I latter by opening the window; but it
j being so bad he could only open the
door. Certain eccentricities are al?
lowable in authors.
This settled, he proceeded to take
a chair and envelope himself in
smoke. With eyes fixed on the dimly
lighted vista of the hall before him,
he waited. What would happen next?
Would hla wife reappear? No; sup?
per waa coming up. He could hear
dishes rattling on the rear stairway,
and in another moment saw the maid
coming down the hall with a large
tray in her hands. She stopped at
Anltra's door, knocked, and was an?
swered by the harsh command:
"Set It down. I'll get It for myself."
The maid set It down.
Next instant Mrs. Ransom's door
opened.
''Don't be too generous with me," he
heard her call softly out "I can't
eat I'm too ejpset for much food. I
Tea," she whispered, "and some nice <
toast. Tell Mrs. Deo that I want
nothing else. She will understand."
The maid nodded and disappeared
down the hall Just as a bare arm was
thrust out from Anltra's door and the
tray drawn in. A few mlnutee later
the other tray came up and was car?
ried into Mrs. Ransom's room. The
contrast in the way the two trays had J
been received struck him as showing
the difference betwen the two women, |
especially after he had been given an (
opportunity, as he was later, of seeing
the ferocious way in which the food j
brought to AnUra had been disposed
of.
But I anticipate. The latter tray had .
not yet been pushed again into the '
hall, and Mr. Ransom was still smbk- j
ing hl? first cigar when he heard the
lawyer's voice in the office below ask- ?
ing to have pen and ink placed in the '
small reception-room. This recalled
him to the real purpose of his w!fe'3
presence in the house, and also as- (
sured him that the oprcrtvnity wovM ,
soon be given him fo?* cnoihei" sjUsnpia
of her before the evening was over, j
It waa also likely to be a full-face one,
as she would have to advance sev?
eral steps directly towards him be?
fore taking the turn leading to the
front staircase. I
He awaited the moment eagerly.
The hour for signing the will had I
been set at nine o'clock, but It was
surely long past that time now. No, ,
the clock in the office is striking; it ,
is Just nine. Would she recognize the
summons? Assuredly; for with the I
last stroke she lifts the latch of her
door and comes out.
She has exchanged her dark dress
for a light one and has arranged her ?
hair in the manner be likes best But
he scarcely notes these changes in the
Interest he feels in her intentions and
the manner in which she proceeds to I
carry out her purpose, 1
She does not advaace at once to the
staircase, but creeps first to her sis?
ter's door, where she stands listening
for a minute or so in an attitude of
marked anxiety. Then, with a ges- i
ture expressive of repugnance and 1
alarm, she steps quickly forward and
disappears down the staircase with?
out vouchsafing one glance in his
direction.
His vision of her as she looked in
that short passage from room to stair?
case was momentary only, but it left
him shuddering. Never before had l.c
seen resolve burning to a white heat
In the human countenance. The Inno*
cent, affectionate young girl, whose
soul he had looked upon as a weeded
garden, had become in a moment to
his eyes a suffering, determined, deep?
ly joncentrated woman of unsuspect?
ed power and purpose. What was she
going to do? Sign away all her prop
! erty? Beggar her heirs for ? He
I could not say what. No! There was
in her distracted mind something of
more tragic Import than this; and he
i dared not question what. What if she
I were about to will away her fortune to
the man she called brother? He him?
self had no use for her wealth. Her
health and hnppincss were all that
concerned him, and these possibly de?
pended on her being allowed to go her
I own way without interference.
His suspense presently became so
great that he could no longer control
himself. Throwing up the window,
he thrust his head out into the rain
and felt refreshed by the icy drops
falling on his face and neck. But
the roar of the waterfall rang too per?
sistently in his ears and he hastily
closed the window again. There was
something in *he incessant boom of
that tumbling water which strangely
disturbed him. He could better stand
suspense than that. If only the wind
would bluster again. That, at least,
was intermittent in its fury and gave
momentary relief to thoughts strained
to an unbearable tension.
Afterwards, only a short time after?
wards, he wondered that he had giv?
en himself over to such extreme feel?
ing at this especial moment. Her ap?
pearance when she came quietly back,
with Mrs. Deo chatting and smiling
behind her, was natural enough, and
though she did not speak herself, the
tenor of the landlady's remarks was
such as to show that they had been
conversing about old days when the
two little girls used to ransack her
cupboards for their favorite cookies,
and when their united pranks were the
talk of the town.
As they passed down the hall, Mrs.
Deo garrulously remarked:
"You were never separated exeept
on that dreadful day of the school
houBe burning. That day you were
sick and?"
"Please!" The word leaped from
Georgian in terror, and she almost
threw her hand against the other's
mouth. "I?I can't bear it."
The good lady paused, gurgled an
apology, and stooped for the tray
which disfigured the sightliness of the
neatly kept hall. Then, nodding to?
wards a maid whom she had placed on
watch at the extreme end of the hall,
she muttered some assurances as to
this woman's faithfulness, and turned
away with a cordial good night. Geor?
gian watched her go with a strange
and lingering intentness, or so It seem?
ed to Ransom; then slowly entered
her room and locked the door.
The incidents of the day, so far as
she was concerned, appeared to be at
an end.
CHAPTER XL
Half Past One in the Morning
NOTHING now held Mr. Ransom
to hin room. The two women
in whose fate he was so
nearly concerned, his sister
in-law and his wife, had both retired
and there was no other eye he feared.
Indeed, he cotirted an interview with
the lawyer, if only it could be natural?
ly obtained; end he had little reason
to think it could not. Bo he went
down-stairs.
In a moment he seemed to have
passed from the realm of dreams to
that of reality. Here was no mystery.
Here waa life as he knew it. Walking
boldly into the office, he ran his eye
over the half-dozen men who sat there
and, picking out the lawyer from the
rest, sauntered easily up to him and
sat down.
"My name is Johnston," said he.
"I'm from New York; like yourself, I
believe,"
The lawyer, with a twinkle in his
light-blue eye, answered with a cor?
dial nod; and in two minutes a lively
conversation had begun between them
on purely impersonal subjects suited
to the intelligence of the crowd they
were in. This did not last, however.
An opportunity soon came for them to
stroll off together, and presently Mr.
Raneom found himself closeted with
this man who he had reason to be?
lieve, was the sole holder of the key
to the secret which was devouring
him.
"Did my w fe sign the will?" Ran?
som asked. "All pretense aside, this
is a very important matter to me, Mr.
Harper; not on account of the money
Involved, but because the doing of this
simple act loomed to require such an
effort on her part."
"You are mistaken," was the quick
reply, harshly accentuated. "She did
just what she wanted to do. She was
not in the least coerced, unless it was
by circumstances."
"Circumstances! But that is what
I mean. They seem to have been too
much for her. I want to understand
these circumstances."
The lawyer honoied him with his
first direct look.
"t don't understand them myself,"
said he.
"You don't?"
"Mo."
Mr. Ransom feet down the wineglass !
he had ral?eil half way to his lips. 1
"You have simply followed her or*
ders?"
"You have said it. Your wife is a
woman of much more character than
you think. Hhe has amazed me."
"She is amazing me. 1 am here;
she is here; only a feU boards sepa?
rate us. Bi t iron bars could not be
more effectual. I dare not approach
her door; dare not ask her to accept
from me the natural protection of a
lover and husband. Instinct holds me
back, or her will, which may not be
stronger than mine but is certainly
core dominant,"
"Lawyers do not believe much in in
B?nct as a utsual thing, but I should
advise coufidence in this one. A wom?
an with a tremendous will like that of
Mrs. Ransom rhould be allowed a
slack tether. The day will arrive
when she will come to you herself.
This I have said before; I can say
nothing more to you to night."
"Then there is nothing in the will
you have drawn up to show that she
has lost her affection for me?"
The lawyer drained his glass.
"1 have not been given permission
to declare Us terms," said he, when
his glass was again upon the table.
"In other words. I am to know
nothing." exclaimed his exasperated
companion.
"Not from me."
And this ended the conversation.
Ransom withdrew immediately up?
stairs.
At ten o'clock he retired. The last
look he cast down the hall had shown
him the drowsy figure of the maid still
sitting at her watch. It seemed to
insure a peaceful night. But he had
little expectation of sleep. Though
the wind had quieted down and the
rain fell with increasing gentleness,
the roar of the waterfall surged
through all his thoughts, which in
themselves were turbulent. He did
sleep, however, slept peacefully till
half-past one, when he and all in the
house were startled by a wild and
piercing cry rising from one of the
rooms. Terror was in the sound and
in an instant every door was open
save the two which were shut upon
Georgian and her twin sister.
CHAPTER XII.
"Georgian."
HR. RANSOM was the first one
in the hall. He had not un?
dressed himself, expecting a
totally sleepless night. It
was his figure, then, that the maid en?
countered as she came running from
her post at the end of the corridor.
"Which room? which?" he gasped
out, Ignoring every precaution in his
blind terror.
"This one. I am sure it came from
this one," she declared, knocking loud?
ly on Anitra's door.
There was a rustle within, a cry
which was half a sob, then the sound
of a hand fumbling with the lock.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ransom had bent his
ear to his wife's door.
"All still in here," he cried. "Not
a sound. Something dreadful has hap?
pened?"
Just then Anitra's door fell back
and a wild image confronted him and
such others as had by this time col?
lected in the passageway. With only
a shawl covering her nightdress, the
gipsy-like creature stood clawing the
air and answering the looks that ap?
pealed to her, with wild gurgles, till
suddenly her hot glances fell on Rog?
er Ransom, when she instantly be?
came rigid and stammered out:
"She's gone! I saw her black figure
go by my window. She called out
that the waterfall drew her. She
went by the little balcony and the
roof. The roof was slippery with the
rain and she fell. That's why I
screamed. But she got up again.
What is she going to do at the water?
fall? Stop her! stop her! She hasn't
steady feet like me, and I wasn't real
ly angry. I liked her; I liked her."
Sobs choked the rest. Her terror
was infectious. Mr. Ransom reeled,
then flung himself at Georgian's door.
It resisted but the silence within told
him that she was not there. Neither
was she in Anitra's room. They could
all look in and see it bare to the win?
dow.
"You saw her climbing past there?"
he cried, forgetting she was deaf.
"Yes, yes," she chatted, catching his
meaning from his pointing finger.
"There's a balcony. She must have
jumped on it from her own window.
She didn't come in here. See! the
door is locked on her side."
This was true.
"I woke and saw her. My eyes are
like lynx's. I got out of bed to watch.
She fell?"
The noise of a breaking lock snap?
ped her words in two. One of the
men present had flung himself against
this communicating door. Immediate
The gipsie-like creature s'.ood clawing
the air.
ly they all crowded Into t*e adjoining
room. It was empty and bitterly cold
and wet. An open window explained
why. and possibly the letter lying on
the bureau inscribed with her hus?
band's name would explain the rest.
But he stopped to read no letters
now.
"Show me the way to those falls."
he cried. ro-'keting the letter as he
rushed by the disheveled Anitra Into
the open hall. "I'm her husjand.
Roger Rnnrom. Who goes with me?
TTo ?'ho flr?cs is my friend for li"e."
71.0 i and one or two others
rushed for their coats and lanterns.
He waited for nothing. The roar of
the waterfall had told him too many
tales that day. And the will! Her
will Just signed!
"Georgian!"
They could hear his cry.
"Georgian! Georgian! Wait! wait!
hear what I have to say!" thrilled
back through the mist as he stumbled
on, followed by the men waving their
lanterns and shouting words of warn?
ing he probably never heard. Then
his cry further off and fainter.
"Georgian! Georgian!" Then silence
and the slow drizzle of rain on the
so^fry walk and soaked roofs, with
the fur-off boom of the waterfall which
Mrs. Deo ind the trembling maids
gazing at the wide-eyed Anitra shiv?
ering in the centre of her deserted
room, tried to shut out by closing
window and Mind, forgetting that she
WM deaf and only heard such echoes
as were thundering in her own mind.
CHAPTER XIII.
Where the Mill
Stream Runs Fiercest.
IWO o'clock.
Three o'clock.
Two men were talking be?
low their breaths in the
otherwise empty office. "That 'ere
mill stream never gives up anything
it has once caught," muttered one into
the ear of the other. "It's swift as
fate and in certain places deep as
hell. Dutch Jan's body was five
months at the bottom of it, before it
came up at Clark's pool."
The man beside him shivered and
his hand roamed nervously towards
his breast He rose and walked rest?
lessly to the window.
"Half the town is up," he muttered.
"The lanterns go by like fire-flies.
Poor Ransom! It's a hopeless job, I
fear." And again his hand wandered
to that breast pocket where the edge
of a document could be seen. "I
have half a mind to go out myself;
anything is better than sitting here."
But he sat down just the same. Mr.
Harper was no longer a young man.
Then all the men looking up, stared.
A girl stood before them in the door?
way. Anitra, with cheeks ablaze and
eyes burning, her traveling dress
flapping damp about her heels, and
on her head the red shawl she pre?
ferred to any hat. Behind her shoul?
der peered the anxious face of Mrs.
Deo.
"I'm going out," cried the former in
the loud and unmodulated voice of
the deaf. "He don't come back! he
don't come back! I'm going to see
why."
The lawyer rose and bowed; then
resolutely shook his head. He did
not know whether she had appealed to
him or not. She had not looked at him,
had not looked at any one, but he felt
that he must protest
"I beg you not to do so," he began.
"I really beg you to remain here and
wait with me. You can do no good
and the result may be dangerous."
But he knew he was talking to deaf
ears even before the landlady mur?
mured :
"She doesn't hear a word. I've
used every sign and motion I could
think of, but it's done no good. She
would dress and she will go out; you'll
see."
The next minute her prophecy came
true; the wild thing, with a quick whirl
of her lithe body, was at the front
door, and in another instant had flash?
ed through it and was gone.
"It is my duty to follow her," said
the lawyer. "Help me on with my
coat; I'll find some one to guide me."
"Here is a lantern. Excuse me for
not going with you," pleaded Mrs.
Deo, "but some one must watch the
house."
The New Yorker nodded, took the
lantern offered him, and went stoical?
ly out.
He met a man on the walk in front
He was faced his way and was panting*
heavily.
"Hello," said he, "what news?"
"They haven't found her; but
there's no doubt she went over the
fall. The fellow who calls himself
her husband has just been reading a
letter they say she left on her bureau
for him. It was a good-by, I reckon*
for you can't tear him from the spot
He says he'll stay there till daylight
I couldn't stand the sight of his mis?
ery myself. Besides, it's mortal cold;
I've just been running to get warm.
Who was the girl who just went scur?
rying by out of here? It's no place
for wimmen down there. One .lost gal
is enough."
"That's 7>hat I think," muttered the
lawyer, hurrying on.
He was not a very imaginative man;
some of bis best: friends thought him
a cold and prosaic one, but he never
forgot that walk or the sensations ac?
companying it. Dark as it still was,
the way would have been impassable
for a stranger, had it not been for the
guidance given by the noisy passing
to and fro of the awakened townspeo?
ple. A ring of lanterns marked the
spot. It was near, very near where
the heavy waters fell into a deep pool.
No one now spoke of Anitra; she had
evidently been warned by her first en?
counter to move with less precipitan?
cy.
As he approached the place of cen
tral interest, he moved more warily
too. He saw Ransom crouched on the
wet earth, star ng down at a slip of
paper he held in his hands. A lantern
set in the sand at his feet sent its
feeble rays over his face and possibly
over the paper: but he was no long?
er reading it, he was simply so lost
in its sorrowful contents that all pow?
er of movement had deserted him.
Harper approached to his side, but
he did not address him. Something
stirred in his own breast and kept
him silent. But there was another
;<erson near wiio was not so deterred.
I As Harper stood watching Hansom's
I crouched, almost insensible tigure. he
I perceived a slight dark form steal
I from the shadows and lay a hand on
the Stooping man's shoulder, then as
he failed to move or give any tokeu of
feeling this touch, he heard Anitra's
voice say in accents almost musical:
"You will get ill here; you are not
used to the cold and the night air.
Come hack to the house; Georgian
would wish It."
(To Be Continued.)
Walter Streeter, colored, was shot
land Killed at Bennettsvtlle by Dave
McNeill, also colored.
WHITE MEN CONVICTED.
lyonnie Hu!! und .lohn White Gfvea
12 und 10 Years for .Manslaughter.
Columbia, Sept. 16.?I>>nnin Hall
and John White were sentenced to?
day to twelve years and ten years and
one month, respectively, at har I 'a
bor in the State peritentiary for the
killing of young Eber Ashford, tor
which they were yesterday found
guilty of manslaughter. Sta-ri".^ at
he bar. Kali, In or effort to obtain
the mercy of the court, told of the
attempted jail delivery some lime
ago, which he discovered and report?
ed to Jailer Shannon. Toward the
end of his speech his voice broke and
tears came to his eyes as he begged
for mercy.
White was very composed. He sim?
ply said: "Be as light on us as you
can, Judge." Judge Memminger In
passing sentence said that he took in?
to consideration the character and
past reputation of both men. Neither
one's reputation was anything to be
proud of, said he, but White's was
possibly the better of the two. He
would therefore take this into con?
sideration in imposing his sentence.
He then pronounced his sentence. Af?
ter the judge had finished, Hall broke
down completely and sobbed like a
child. White kept his nerve well.
- ,1
A Crum of Comfort.
It was April 1st. Little Genevieve
was suffering from a painful abscess.
The doctor had lanced it that morn?
ing, and she had cried fot an hour.
Now her mother was putting on the
hot poultice which was so hard to
bear. The little girl could not help
crying. "Mama," she said between
her sobs, "who is that behind you?"
The mother ins .Inctively looked
around, though she assured the child
that no one was there. "April fool!''
was the reply, in a small, tearful
voice.
TEACHEKS EXAMINATION.
The next regular teachers' examin?
ation will be held at the Court House
<>n Friday, Oct. 1, beginning at 9
o'clock a. m.
S. D. CAIN.
County Supt. Education.
9-18-25-30; W. 22-25-29.
Just as
Good as
The Stief f
Is getting to be one of the
great talking points for
many dealers and agents.
It's a great advertisement
for the artistic Stieff
piano, but we feel sorry
for the fellow who thinks
when he buys the other
he is getting just as good
piano.
Buyer, don't be fooled
into taking the piano said
to be just as good as the
Stieff. Get the artistic
Stieff and you will, have
the best piano made
without running any risk.
Write Today.
Chas. M. Stieff
Manufacturer of the
Artistic Stieff, Shaw and
Stieff Self-Player Pianos.
Southern Warerooni
5 West Trade St.
OIL\HLOTTE, - - N. C.
C. H. Wilmoth,
Manager.
(Mention this paper.)
Glasses
and Glasses.
Some people seem to think that If
tiny only wear Glasses it will be al?
right with their eyes. There would
bo just as nueh sense is prescribing
the same medicine for every ?iis
saae.
We give mi Examination that can
Leave no Defect UaeHecoveteel,
l have a graduate optician in
charge of my Optical Parlor. All
work guaranteed.
W. A. Thompson,
,1ew?icr and Optician.
ft S. .Main Street
Sumter. S. C