CHAPTER XLV.
THE MAN WITH THE TORCH.
The startling news had been discussed in all its phases in the littleparlor, Mary taking no part. She sat with averted face listening, butever and anon when Edward's indignation became unrestrainable she turnedand looked at him. She did not know that the paper contained a referenceto her.
The astounding revelation, aside from the accusation, was the wound.Strange that he had not discovered it. Who could have murdered poorRita? Positively the only person on the immediate premises were Virdow,Evan and Gerald. Virdow was of course out of the question, and theothers were in the room. It was the blow that had driven her headthrough the glass. What enemy could the woman have had?
So far as he was concerned, the charge could amount to nothing; Evan wasin the room with him; the general would surely remember that.
But the horror, the mortification--he, Edward Morgan, charged withmurder, and the center of a scandal in which the name of Mary Montjoywas mentioned.
The passion left him; depressed and sick from reaction he sat alone inthe little parlor, long after the ladies had retired; and then came theclimax. A cablegram reached the house and was handed in to him. It wassigned by Evan and read:
"You have been indicted. Return."
"Indicted," and for murder, of course. It gave him no uneasiness, but itthrust all light and sweetness from life. The dream was over. Therecould now be no search for Marion Evan. That must pass, and with ithope.
He had builded upon that idea castles whose minarets wore the colors ofsunrise. They had fallen and his life lay among the ruins.
He threw himself upon the bed to sleep, but the gray of dawn was alreadyover the city; there came a rumbling vehicle in the street; he heard thesound of a softly closing door--and then he arose and went out. Theearly morning air and exercise brought back his physical equipoise. Hereturned for breakfast, with a good appetite, and though grave, wastranquil again.
Neither of the ladies brought up the painful subject; they went with himto see the learned oculist and came back silent and oppressed. There wasno hope.
The diagnosis corresponded with Dr. Campbell's; the blind eye might havebeen saved years ago, but an operation would not have been judiciousunder the circumstances. Continued sight must depend upon generalhealth.
All their pleasures and hopes buried in one brief day, they turned theirbacks on Paris and started homeward.
Edward saw Cambia no more; Mrs. Montjoy called alone and said farewell.The next day they sailed from Havre.
In New York Norton met them, grave and embarrassed for once in his life,and assisted in their hurried departure for the far southern home. Therewas no exchange of views between the two men. The paper Norton had sentwas acknowledged; that was all. The subject was too painful fordiscussion. And so they arrived in Georgia. They mere met by the Montjoycarriage at a little station near the city. It was the 11:20 p. m.train. Gen. Evan was waiting for Edward.
The handshaking over, they rapidly left the station. Evan had securedfrom the sheriff a temporary exemption from arrest for Edward, but itwas understood that he was to remain out of sight.
They arrived within a couple of miles of the Cedars, having onlybroached commonplace subjects, traveling incidents and the like, when anegro stopped them. In the distance they heard a hound trailing.
"Boss, kin air one er you gentlemen gi' me a match? I los' my light backyonder, and hit's too putty er night ter go back without a possum." Evandrew rein. He was a born sportsman and sympathetic.
"I reckon so," he said; "and--well, I can't," he concluded, having triedall pockets. "Mr. Morgan, have you a match?" Edward had one and oneonly. He drew all the little articles of his pockets into his hand tofind it.
"Now, hold," said the general; "let's light our cigars. If it's to bethe last chance." The negro touched the blazing match to splinters oflightwood, as the southern pitch pine is called when dry, and instantlyhe stood in a circle of light, his features revealed in every detail.Edward gazed into it curiously. Where had he seen that face? It cameback like the lines of some unpleasant dream--the thick lips, the flatnose, the retreating forehead, full eyes and heavy eyelids, and over alla look of infinite stupidity. The negro had fixed his eyes a moment uponthe articles in Edward's hand and stepped back quickly. But he recoveredhimself and with clumsy thanks, holding up his flaming torch, went away,leaving only the uncertain shadows dancing across the road.
At home Gen. Evan threw aside all reserve. He drew their chairs up intothe sheltered corner of the porch.
"I have some matters to talk over," he said, "and our time is short.Yours is not a bailable case and we must have a speedy trial. The lawwinks at your freedom to-night; it will not do to compromise our friendsin the court house by unnecessary delay. Edward, where was I when youdiscovered the body of the woman, Rita Morgan?" Edward looked throughthe darkness at his friend, who was gazing straight ahead.
"You were standing by Gerald's bed, looking upon him."
"How did you discover her? It never occurred to me to ask; were you notin the room also?"
"I certainly was. She broke the glass by pressing against it, as Ithought at the time, but now I see she was struck. I rushed out andpicked her up, and you came when I called."
"Exactly. And you both talked loudly out there."
"Why do you ask?"
"Because," said Evan, slowly, "therein lies the defect in our defense. Icannot swear you were in the room upon my own knowledge. I had beenastounded by the likeness of Gerald to those who had been dear to me--Iwas absorbed. Then I heard you cry out, and found you in the yard."There was a long pause. Edward's heart began to beat with sledge-hammerviolence.
"Then," he said with a strange voice, "as the case would be presented, Iwas found with the body of the woman; she had been murdered and I wasthe only one who had a motive. Is that it?"
"That is it." The young man arose and walked the porch in silence.
"But that is not all," said Gen. Evan. "If it were, I would have cabledyou to go east from Paris. There is more. Is there any one on earth whocould be interested in your disgrace or death?"
"None that I know of--that is, well, no; none that I know of. Youremember Royson; we fought that out. He cannot cherish enmity against aman who fought him in an open field."
"Perhaps you are mistaken."
"From what do you speak?"
"You had been in Paris but a few days when one night as I sat here yourfriend Barksdale--great man that Barksdale; a trifle heady andconfident, but true as steel--Barksdale came flying on his sorrel up theavenue and landed here.
"'General,' said he, 'I have discovered the most damnable plot that aman ever faced. All this scandal about Morgan is not newspaper sensationas you suppose, it is the first step in a great tragedy.' And then hewent on to tell me that Gerald had invaded his room and shown himpictures of an open grave, the face of a dead woman and also the face ofthe man who opened that grave, drawn with every detail perfect. Geralddeclared that he witnessed the disinterment and drew the scene frommemory----"
"Hold a minute," said Edward; he was now on his feet, his hand upliftedto begin a statement; "and then--and then----"
"The object of that disinterment was to inflict the false wound andcharge you with murder."
"And the man who did it--who made that wound--was the man who begged amatch from us on the road. I will swear it, if art is true. I have seenthe picture." Evan paused a moment to take in the vital fact. Then thererung out from him a half-shout:
"Thank God! Thank God!" The chairs that stood between him and the doorwere simply hurled out of the way. His stentorian voice called for hisfactotum. "John!" and John did not wait to dress, but came.
"Get my horse and a mule saddled and bring that puppy Carlo. Quick,John, quick!" John fled toward the stable. "Edward, we win if we getthat negro--we win!" he exclaimed, coming back through the wreck of hisfurniture.
"But why should the negro have disinterred the body and have made awou
nd upon her head? There can be no motive."
"Heavens, man, no motive! Do you know that you have come between two menand Mary Morgan?"
"I have never suspected it, even."
"Two have sought her with all the energy of manhood," said Evan. "Twomen as different as the east from the west. Royson hates you and willleave no stone unturned to effect your ruin; Barksdale loves her andwill leave no stone unturned to protect her happiness! There you have itall. Only one man in the world could have put that black devil up to hisinfamous deed--and that man is Royson. Only one man in the world couldhave grasped the situation and have read the riddle correctly--and thatman is Barksdale." Edward was dazed. Gradually the depth and villainy ofthe conspiracy grew clear.
"But to prove it----"
"The negro."
"Will he testify?"
"Will he? If I get my hands on him, young man, he will testify! Or hewill hang by the neck from a limb as his possum hangs by the tail."
"You propose to capture him?"
"I am going to capture him." He disappeared in the house and when hecame out he had on his army belt, with sword and pistol. The mounts wereat the door and for the first time in his life Edward was astride amule. To his surprise the animal bounded along after the gray horse,with a smooth and even gait, and kept up without difficulty.
Evan rode as a cavalryman and carried across his saddle the puppy. Withunerring skill he halted at the exact spot where the match had beenstruck, and lowered the dog gently to the ground. The intelligent,excited animal at once took up the trail of man or dogs, and openingloudly glided into the darkness. They followed.
Several miles had been covered, when they saw in the distance a glimmerof light among the trees and Evan drew rein.
"It will not do," he said, "to ride upon him. At the sound of horses'feet he will extinguish his light and escape. The dog, he will suppose,is a stray one led off by his own and will not alarm him." They tiedtheir animals and pressed on.
The dog ahead had openel and Carlo's voice could be heard with the rest,as they trailed the fleeing possum. The general was exhausted. "I can'tdo it, Edward, my boy--go on. I will follow as fast as possible."Without a word Edward obeyed. The dogs were now furious, the man himselfrunning. In the din and clamor he could hear nothing of pursuit. Thefirst intimation he had of danger was a grip on his collar and a man'svoice exclaiming excitedly:
"Halt! You are my prisoner!"
The torch fell to the ground and lay sputtering. The negro was terrifiedfor the moment, but his quick eye pierced the gloom and measured hisantagonist. He made a fierce effort to break away, and failing, threwhimself with immense force upon Edward. Then began a frightful struggle.No word was spoken. The negro was powerful, but the white man wasinspired by a memory and consciousness of his wrongs. They fell andwrithed, and rose and fell again. Slippery Dick had got his hand uponEdward's throat. Suddenly his grasp relaxed and he lay with the white ofhis eyes rolled upward. The muzzle of a cavalry pistol was against hishead and the stern face of the veteran was above him.
"Get up!" said the general, briefly.
"Certainly, boss," was the reply, and breathless the two men arose.
The defense had its witness!
"Ef he had'n conjured me," said the negro doggedly, "he couldn't 'erdone it." He had recognized among the little things that Edward drewfrom his pocket on the road the voodoo's charm.
Edward breathless, took up the torch and looked into Dick's countenance."I am not mistaken, general, this is the man."