Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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J&GATE ^ A 5T0RY Or HYSfreRY. INVOLVING STARTLING COHPUCATION& tV ADVgNTUR U ANNA KATMCRINt GREth ? ^"^ AUTHOR. OP ^Sg ?OAWcirWCwTH CAM*. Be HIND C.LOS6 "?AxUtre will prosper without your annra,* replied Ransom, overlooking Ban) Imartlesaness of the man In the unaccountable sense of relief which he listened to hie with from concerns for which ha an little sympathy. "There re who will be glad to do all asm ha dona for Georgian's for an. That la all right, hut?" Haaen squared himself acroaa aap of the table before which ha anting; "1 must ha made aura asm fhota hare bean rightly repre so ma and that the girl now la Georgian's deaerted rm not yet satiafled that ahn 0\ amd I must ha convinced not only em ones point but on many. others, be thJe day la over. Buainaan of Importance calls ma hack to the It may be, out of the ooun I may never ha able to spend day on purely person al al? so this one must tall. 1 ham (It la a eery eimpl? one) If carried out an I bar? plan will aatlafy ma an nothing alee an to the identity of the girl we anU? from lack of positive itnowl ?nitra. Will yon help me in Ita T It Man with yon to do 5T? nmmt be list ?an \+m*m a your reasons for doubting girl," retorted Raneom. "They ha ex cell out onee for you to re evidence of anch conclusive aa yon have yonmelf been wit? he since entering this house. I husband. I have the wiah in the world to aae her at my aide yet with the excep f her wonderful likeness to my 1 and nothing In thli raw If girl, of the polished, highly woman I married. I have not In startling her ear which I should hare been to do if aha warn not the totally she appears. Confide to your reasons for demanding proofs of nor identity. If enrry conviction with them, 1 aid yon in any aehama yon can which will neither frighten afflict her." to hin faat Narrow aa waa. ha yielded to his rest to more about and began np and down the restricted bounded by the edge of the and the door. Not until ha had the second turning did he ; than It wad with seeming open? like putting the torch to my nhJp." aald ha; "but this Is no ? to heel t?te. Mr. Raneom, I do tmat my eyee,. I do not trust my your a yea, nor your ears, nor of any one here, because I have with a man who waa on the I train with my sisters. He no? bs cane i of their similar and cloee intimacy. They euned alike, hnt they wer? alike nod one did not move ton other. Mora than that Bot only walked about the vart ipeclally hi inces atationn wham they waited, arm m arm, but they tat thus ciosi ly join? ed tn the nan all the way from New This Interested him esj great anxiety an* rem eat in the one, and com iveneae in the other. She anno eat in the outer seat war watch* tel. bean/, and ready to prose the arm nt the leant provocation, at either spoke It waa always the It waa not till the quick rush shrill whistle of a passing train start and not the other, that the Idea that one of them waa Aa thin waa the one by the r, ha felt that their peculiar ac warn now accounted for, and in ahnn far It all tallied with what am might expect from Georgian trav with the hapleea Anltra. But remained a fact to >e told, rouses doubt Whon they O-and he aaw from their rising that they were about to the train, he naturally glanced Ir way again, and this time he night a glimpse of the Inner one's meek. Her roll had become slightly disarranged, exposing the whole nape. unexpectedly dark, almost almost brunette In color, and ejutte devoid of delicacy; such a skin mm one might look (or tn the gipsy Anl fl K^^^l ^Sj tra after years of outdoor living and a long lack of nice personal attention, but not such as I saw and admired a few hours ago on the neck of the wom? an bending over her work in the land? lady's room. Oh, I recognised the difference i I have an eye for necks." He paused, coming to a standstill in the middle of the room, to see what effect his words had had on Ransom. "I have that man's name," he con? tinued, "and can produce him if I have time and it seems to be neces? sary. But I had rather come to my own decision without any outalde in? terference. This is not an affair for public gossip or newspaper notoriety. It la a question of Justice to myself. If this girl Is Georgian?" Hla whole fnce changed. For a moment Ransom hardly knew him. The quiet, self-con* talked man seemed to have given way to one of auch unexpected power and threat that Ransom rose instinctively to hla feet in recognition of n super? iority ha could no longer deny. The action seemed to recall Hasan to himself. He wheeled about and recommenced hla qnlet pacing to and fro. '1 beg pardon," ha quietly finished. "If it in Georgian, aha must stand my friend. That is all I waa going to nay. If it la, against all mason and probability, her strangely restored twin, I shall leave this house by mid? night, never probably to see any of yon again. 80 you perceive that it la incumbent upon us to work promptly. Am you ready to hoar what I have to proposer* Tee.** Hasen paused again, this time In front of the door. Laying hie hand lightly on one of the panels, be glanced hack at Ransom. "You are nicely placed here for ob? servation. Your door directly faces the hall ahe must traverse in return? ing to her room." "That'a quite true." ' She's in her room now. Ah, you know that?" "Yes." Ransom seemed to have no other word at his command. "Will she come out again before night to eat or to visit?" "There's no telling. She's very fit? ful. No one can prophesy what she will do. Sometimes she eats in the landlady's room, sometimes in her own, sometimes not at all. If you hare frightened her, or she has bocn disturbed In any way by your com? panion who shows such Interest in her and In me, she probably will not come out at all." "But she must I expect you to see that she dog*. Use any mes? senger, any artifice, but get her a .. ay from this hall for ten minutes, even if It is only into Mrs. Deo's room. When she returns I shall be on my knees before this keyhole to watch her and observe. To see what, I do not mean to tell you, but it will be something which will definitely settle for me this matter of Identity. Does this plan look sufficiently harmless to meet with your approval?" "Yea, hut looks cannot always be trusted. I must know Just what you mean to da I will leave nothing to a mind and hand I do not trust any mom fully than I do yours. You are too eager for Georgian's money; too little interested in herself; ind you are too sly in your ways." "You will!" The words rang out involuntarily It almoat seemed as if the man would spring with them straight at tLe oth? er's throat. But he controlled him? self, and smiling bitterly, added: "1 know the marks of human stog? gle. I have read countenances from my birth. I've bad to, and only cue has baffled me?hers. But we are go* lng to read that too and very soon. We are going to learn, you and I, what lies behind that innocent man? ner and her rude, uncultured ways. We are going to sound that deafnecs. I say we," he Impressively concluded, "because I have reconsidered my first Impulse and now propose to allow you to participate openly, and with? out the secrecy you object to, in all that remains to be done to make our contemplated test a success. Will that please you? May 1 count on you now?" "Yes," replied Ransom, returning to his old monosyllable. "Very well, then, see if you can make a scrawl like this/' Pulling a piece of red chalk from hla pocket he drew a figure of a somewhat unusual character on the bare top of the table between thorn; | then he handed the chalk over to Ran- I som, who received it with a stais of j wonder not unmixed with suspicion. I "I'm not an adept at drawing," said he, but made his attempt, notwith? standing, and evidently to Hazen's satisfaction. "You'll do," said he. "That's a mystic symbol once used by Georgian and myself in place of our names in all mutual correspondence, and on the leaves of our school-books and at the end of our exercises. It meant noth? ing, but the boys and girls we asso? ciated with thought It did and envied us the free masonry it was supposed to cover. A ridiculous make-believe which I rate at its full folly now, but one which cannot fail to arouse a hundred memories in Georgian. We will scrawl it on her door, or rather 1. you shall, and according to tne way she conducts herself on seeing it, wc shall know in one instant what you with your patience and trust in time may not be able to arrive at in weeks." Ransom was about to proceed to take the first required step, when they heard a disturbance in front, and the coach came drivng up with a great clatter and bang and from it stepped the lean, well-groomed figure of Mr. Harper. "Bah!" exclaimed Haren with a vio? lent gesture of disappointment. "There comes your familiar. Now I suppose you will cry off." "Not necessarily," returned Ransom. "But this much is certain. I shall certainly consult him before hazard? ing this experiment. I am not so sure of myself or?pardon me?of yourself as to take any steps in the dark while I have at hand so responsible a guide as the man whom you choose to call my familiar." CHAPTER XXII. A Suspicious Test. ET him make his experiment. It will do no harm, and It It rids us of him, well and good." Buch was Mr. Harper's decision after hearing all that Mr. Ransom had to tell him of the present situa? tion. Ransom expressed hie satisfac? tion, and left the room with a lighter heart than he had felt since Haxen came upon the scene. He did not know that all he had been through was as nothing to what lay before him. It was an hour before he returned. When he did, it was to find Haxen and the lawyer awaiting him In Ill concealed impatience. "Have you done it?" exclaimed Has? en, leaping eagerly to his feet as the door closed softly behind Ransom. "I couldn't get hold of Mrs. Deo any sooner," replied Ransom. "Anitra is having her hair brushed, or something else of equal importance done for her in one of the rear rooms. 80 we can proceed fearlessly. Have you looked to see If you can get a good glimpse of her door through the keyhole of this one?" "Haven't you already made a trial of that? Then do so now," suggested Haxen, drawing out the key and lay? ing it on the table. But this was too uncongenial a task for Ransom. "I shall be satisfied," said he, "it Mr. Harper tells me that it can." "It can," asserted that gentleman, "Very well. Eere is ths chalk." falling on his knees and adjusting his eye to the keyhole. "Or rather, you can see plainly the face of any one approaching it. I don't suppose any of us expected to see the door itself." "No, it is not the door, but the worn in entering the door, we want to see. Did you ask for on extra lamp?" "Yes. and saw it placed. Tt is on a small table almost opposite her room." "Then everything is ready." "Ail tut Uli mark which I am to put on the pafttL" "Very well. Here la the chalk. Let us see what you mean to do with it before you risk an attempt on the door Itself." Ransom thought a minute, then with one quick twist produced the following: "Correct," muttered Hazen, with what Harper thougui to be a slignt but unmistakable shudder. " One would think you had been making use 01 this very cabalistic sign all your life." "Then one would be mistaken. I have simply a true eye and a ready hand." "i?nd a very remarkable memory. You have recalled every little line and quirk." "T'.-at's possible. What I have made once I can make the second time. It's a pecularity of mine." There was no mistaking the con? tinues intensity of Hazen's gaze. Ran? som felt his color rise, but succeeded in preserving his quiet tone, as he added: "Besides, this character is not a wholly new one to me. My attention was called to It months ago. It was when I was courting Georgian. She was writing a note one day when she suddenly stopped to think and I saw her pen making some marks which I considered curious. Flut I should not have remembered them five minutes, if she had not impulsively laid her hand over them v. hen she saw me looking. That iixcd ti.e memory of them in my mind, and when I saw this combination of lines again, I re? membered it. That is why I lent my? self so readily to this experiment. I lent that what you said rbout her ac- j quaintance with this odd arrangement of lines was true." Hazen's hand stole un to his neck, a token of agitc tion Tv'hich Ransom should have recognized by this time. "And her account of the use we made of it tallied with mine?" "She gave me no account of any use she had ever made of it." "That was because you didn't ask her." "Just so. Why should I ask her? It was a small matter to trouble her about." I "You are right," acquiesced Hazen, wheeling himself away towards the window. Then after a momentary silence, "It was so then, but it is likely to prove of some importance now. Let me see if the hall is empty." As he bent to open the door, the lawyer, who had not moved nor spok? en till now, turned a quick glance on Ransom and Impulsively stretched out his hand. But he dropped it very quickly and subsided into his old at? titude of simple watchfulness, as Has? en glanced back with the remark: "There's nobody stirring; now's your time, Ransom." The moment for action had arrived. Ransom stepped into the hall. As he passed Hasen, the latter whisper? ed: "Don't forget that last downward quirk. That was the line she always emphasised.'' Ransom gave him an annoyed look. His nerves as well as his feelings were on a keen stretch, and this persistence of Hasan's was more than he could bear. "I'll not forget the least detail/' he answered shortly, and passed quickly down the hall, while Hazen watched him through the crack of the door, and the lawyer watched Hazen. Suddenly Mr. Harper's brow wrink? led. Hazen had uttered such a sigh of relief that the lawyer was startled. In another moment Ransom re-enter? ed the room. "She's coming," said he, striving to hide his extreme emotion. "I heard her voice in the hall beyond." The door Ransom had carefully closed. Harper watched through the keyhole. The remaining two stood at his side breathless, waiting for his first word. It came in a whisper: "She's approaching her room. She looks tired. Her eyes are stealing this way;?no, they are resting on her own door. She sees the sign. She ctands staring at it, but not like a person who has ever seen it before. It's the stare of an uneducated wom? an who runs upon something she does not understand. Now she touches it with one finger and glances up and down the hall with a doubtful shake of the head. Now she is running to another door, now to another. She is looking to see if this scrawl is to be found anywhere else; she even casts her eye this way?I feel like leaving my post. If I do, you may know that she's coming - No, she's back at her own door and?gentlemen, he" bring? ing up or rather coming up asserts it? self. She has put her palm to her mouth and i3 vigorously rubbing off the marks." The next instant Mr. Harper rose. "She's g;one into her room," said he. "Listen and you will hear her key click in the loc':." Ransom sank into a seat; Hazen had walked to the window. Present? ly he turned. I "I am convinced." said he. "I will not trouble you gentlemen further. Mr. Ransom. I condole with you upon your loss. My sister was a woman of uncommon gTtr." Mr. Ransom bowed. He had no words 'or this man at a moment of such oxtrer^e excitement He did not even note the latent sting hidden In the other's seeming tribute to Georgian. But the lawyer did and Hazen perceived that he did, for paus? ing In his act of crossing the room he leaned for a moment on the tabla with his eye3 down, then quickly rais? ing them r#sujrl;e? 10 i-a* gentleman: "I an going 10 le-ve by the mid? night train for New York. To-morrow I shall be on the ocean. Will it be transgressing all rules of propriety for me to ask the purport of my sis? ter's will? It is a Lerious matter to me, sir. If she has left me anything?" "Sbe has not," emphasized the lawyer. A shadow darkened the disappoint? ed man's brow. His wound swelled and his eyes gleamed iiunically as he turned them upon Ransom. Instantly that gencleniun spoke. "I have received but a moiety," said he. "You need nc. ^nvy me the amount" "Who has it then?" briskly demand? ed the startled man. "Who? who? She?" Mr. Harper never knew why he did it. He Was rasorvad as a man and, usually, more than reserved as a law? yer, but as Hasan li.ted his hands ,.o.ii i' e table and turued to leave, .e quietly remarked: "The (lief legatee?the one she ho-e to leave the bulk of her very' .o.?at.e 10 ?is a u*an \>c none oi' know. His name is Josiah Auchin (loss." The change which the utterance of this name caved in Hazen's expres? sion threw them both into confusion. "Why didn't you tell me that in the beginning?" he cried. "1 needn't have wasted all this time and effort." His eyes shone, his poor lips smiled, his whole air was Jubilant. Both Mr. Harper and his client surveyed him in amazement. The lines so fast dis? appearing from his brow were begin? ning to reappear on theirs. I "Mr. Harper," this hard-to-he-under 1 stood man now declared, "you may ! safely administer the estate of my I sister. She Is surely dead." mm CHAPTER XXIII. A Startling Decision. [EFORE Mr. Ransom and the lawyer had recovered from their astonishment, Hazen had slipped from the room. As Mr. Harper started to follow, he saw the other's head disappearing down the staircase leading to the of? fice. He called to him, but Hazen declined to turn. "No time," he shouted back. "I shall have to make use of somebody's au? tomobile now, to get to the Ferry in time." The automobile was soon leaving the stable. Hazen was already in it and the man who had come up from New York was with him. Stepping out into the road Harper stopped full in the glare of the office lights and held up his hand. The chauffeur re? versed the lever and the machine stopped. "One word," said Har*per, approach? ing to the side where Hazen sat. "I thought you ought to know before leaving that we can take no proceed? ings in the matter we were speaking of till we have undisputed proof that your sister is dead. That we may not get for a long time, possibly never. If you are interested in having this Auchincloss receive his inheritance, you had better prepare both yourself and him for a long wait The river seems slow to give up its deed." The quiver of impatience which had shaken Hazen at the first word had settled into a strange rigidity. "One moment," he said to the chauf? feur at his side. Then in a low, strangely sounding whisper to Harp? er: "They think the body's in the Devil's Cauldron. Nothing can get it out if it is. Would some proof of its presence there be sufficient to settle the fact of her death?" "That would depend. If the proof was unmistakable, it might pass in the Surrogate's Court. What is the matter, Hazen?" "Nothing." The tone was hollow; the whole man sat like an image of death. "I?I'm thinking?weighing? he uttered in scattered murmurs. Then suddenly, "You're not deceiving me, Harper. Some proof will be neces? sary, and that very soon, for this man Auchincloss to realize the money?" "Yes," the monosyllable was as dry as it was short. Harper's patience with this unnatural brother was about at an end. "And who will venture to obtain this proof for us? No one. Not even Ransom would venture down into that watery hole. They say it Is almost certain death," babbleM Hazen. Harper kept silence. Strange forces were at work. The head of another gruesome tragedy loomed vaguely through the shadows of this already sufficiently tragic mystery. "Go on!" suddenly shouted Hazen, leaning forward to the chauffeur. But the next instant his hand was on the man's sleeve. "No, I have changed my mind. Here, Staples," he called out as a man came running down the steps, "take my bag and ask the landlady to prepare me a room. I'll not try for the train to-night." Then, as the man at his side leaped to the ground, he turned to Harper and remarked quietly, but in no com? mon tone*. "The steamer must sail without me. I'll stay in thin place a while and prove the death of Georgian Ransom myself." CHAPTER XXIV. The Devil s Cauldron. |AZEN'S solemnity and hli queer manners impressed Mr. Harper strongly. As soon as the opportunity offered he cornered the young man in the office where he had taken refuge, and giv? ing him to understand that further ex? planations must pass between them before either slept, he drew him apart and put the straight question to him: "Who is Josiah Auchincloss?" The answer was abrupt, almost me naclng in its emphasis and tone. "A trunk-maker In St. Louis. A man she was indebted to." "How indebted to-a trunk-maker?' "That I cannot, do not desire to state. It is enough that she felt she owed him the bulk of her fortune. Though this eliminates me from uene fits of a wealth I had some rights to share, I make no complaint. She knew her business best, and I am disposed to accept her judgment in the mattei without criticism." "You are?" The tone was sharp, the sarcasm biting. "I can under? stand that. For Auchincloss, in this will, read Hazen; but how about her husband? How about her friends and the general community? Do you not think they will ask why a beautiful and socia'!y well-placed young wom? an like your sister should leave so large a portion of her wealth to an obscure man in another town, of whom her friends and even her busi? ness agent have never heard Y It would have been better if she had left you her thousands directly." The smile which was Hazen's only retort was very bitter. "You drew up her will," said he. "You must h;tve reasoned with her on this very point as you are now trying to reason with me?" The lawyer waved this aside. "I didn't know at that time the so? cial status of the legatee; nor did I know her brother then as well as 1 do now." "You do not know me now." "I know that you are very pale; that the determination you have just made has cost you more than you per? haps are willing to state. That there is mystery in your paBt mystery in your present, and, possibly, mystery threatening your future, and all in connection with your great desire for this money." (To Be Continued.) AN OLD CITIZEN RETURNS. Col. Jas. O. RUWf Revisits His old Home at Wedgelield After Many Years Al>st nee. Editor Watchman and Bouthron: Will you giv< me space to submit to papal a few thoughts from this thriving little city on the banks of the Waterce swamp?a swamp fa tnous ai the only point that (h n Sherman, in the stormy days of the sixties, could not cross or penetrate. ?Mt r an absence of some twenty-two years I am again here visiting my only brother and relatives, and my comrades of the famous Palmetto Eattery that went to the front in Vir? ginia from this county. My visit Is to erect a headstone to my brother, John J. Ramsey, who was a soldier in the Butler-Dickinson regiment of vol? unteers that fought at Vera Cruz and Cherubusco, Mexico, 1846-7. The Uni? ted States government, after i lapse of 60 years, donating the same by a requisition, I furnished of my broth? ers record. The same has be n placed at the old family graveyard, one mile from Wedgefleld. ? I must now mention something of progress in this section. The cotton and corn being the finest in my jour? ney of 300 miles from Atlanta The absent faces of old settlers, who made this country, is sad, but the prestige and footprints of what I observe make me believe there is life in this El? dorado and Egypt of South Carolina yet. The buzz of fussy gin-saws grinding out thirty and forty bales per day. The broad acres are full of busy hands, gatherers of the fleecy staple. Looking as far as you can see ?making over a bale to the acre? and last but not least, the clustering ears of corn hanging in profusion? making forty and fifty bushels per acre. This is no fancy picture. Deep ploughing, judicious cultivation and heavy fertilization have produce! these wonderful results, notwith? standing the enormous rains that fell this season. Some of these lands to my certain knowledge have been in cultivation over 100 years, and yet their productiveness has not yet at? tained their highest zenith. These farms with their thousands of acres are selling almost equal to town loth. Well, as I rode along this old stage road with the majestic oaks 3 to 4 feet in diameter, with the gray moss clinging to their lofty branches. I re? called some vivid scenes, where Gen. Potter made his raid through this section, and where some of the last fighting was done, east of the Mis? sissippi river, one of them being at Boykin s Mill. April 18, 1865. Well, as I have written quite lengthy. I thank you in advance for its publication. Respectfully, COL. JAMES O. RAMSEY. 4 53 Gordon St.. Atlanta, Ga. Wedgefleld, S. C, Oct. 3, 1909. ?The pleasant purgative effect ex? perienced by all who use Chamber? lain's Stomach and Liver Tablets, and the healthy condition of the body- and mind which they create, makes one feel joyful. Sold by W. W. Sibert. J. F. C. Suhestedt, a farmer living in the suburbs of Charleston, killed himself with a shotgun Monday af? ternoon. ?Chamberlain's Cough Remedy has become famous for Its cures of coughs, colds, croup and influenza. Try it when in need. It contains no harmful substance and always givee prompt relief. Sold by W. W. Si? bert. The Williamsburg County grand jury on Monday found "no bill" against P. M. Lee, C. P. Johnson and T. B. Johnson, charged with arson. They were accused of burning Lee's store at Scranton. ?Hoarseness in a child subject to croup is a sure indication of the ap? proach of the disease. If Chamber? lain's Cough Remedy is given at once or even after the croupy cough has appeared, it will prevent the attack. Contains no poison. Sold by W. W. Sibert. WHICH SHALL IT BE ? Having tried all other remedies. Will you Nmtinue. to suffer through false pride? DON'T BE FOOLISH. Repeated Eye Headaches sap ones vitality und bring al.i a general nervous break down. Let Us Relieve Your Headache by Removing the Cause. Save your Eyes and ner\ous energy. I have a graduate Optician In charge of my Optical Parlor and all work is guaranteed. W. A. THOMPSON, Jkwf.lkr and Optician. 6 S. Main St. Phone 333.