A Heart's Bitterness — page 244: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

236 | A HEART’S BITTERNESS. records of the Dublin stone-cutters’ books; all were correct. Then he closely questioned the grave-digger at Shields. The minister who buried Kemp was dead. Shields was but a hamlet, and had no register of deaths, except that kept by the grave-digger. The grave-digger was a sullen fellow, with a certain con- fusion in his dogged air. ‘“‘T’ve give in my testimony in a signed paper,” he said, gloomily; ‘‘and I sticks to what I writ.” ‘‘What were you paid for it, and by whom?” asked ~ Keith. : While Lord Keith talked with the grave-digger, the man was standing in a grave which he was preparing for an old pauper. Close behind the trench stood a little wooden - house, where the man of graves lived, and where bodies were sometimes laid to await burial. A window of this small house opened over the scene of the sexton’s present work. ‘The sash was raised, but a brown moreen curtain fell over the window. Behind the curtain stood Bart Kemp, eying Lord Keith through a tiny rent in the moreen, and hearing every word that he said. When Keith asked that question, ‘‘ What were you paid for it, and by whom?” Bart trembled visibly, and great drops rolled over his face. He fairly held his breath until the man replied: ‘‘T gets my money by sexton work, not secrets. Stand back, mister, or this dirt will get on your boots.” Tt might be well for you to tell the truth,” said Keith. -“ Pve told naught else, and writ naught else.” Keith studied the man’s hard face for a little time in silence, and then walked away. Kemp moved the curtain a little. “You did well,” he said. ‘‘ Don’t be frightened into going back on your statements.” ‘“Ay, I know; but mebbe I will get transported for this. Hang you, Kemp, why couldn’t you left me alone to dig eraves?” | _ ** Hold fast to your statement, mind you, and you'll get a fortune out of it,” said Kemp. But he went back to London with a quaking heart. The breaking down of this witness meant ruin to him and to _ Helen Hope. ~ecomicbooks. co