Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-10-08


Watson disappeared. turned the key of
the outer door, and sprang towards the closet.
AS ] unlocked it, | remembered the look
she had given me as shu, it, and wonder
ed, with beating heart, whether the came
expression would greet my enraplured gaze
when opened it. There she stood, with
her eyes calmly fixed on mine.
"You are safe, deares, ~ ] murmured.
She did not rebuke me for calling her so, and
emboldened by her silence, took her hand
TO lead her from her narrow prison. She
moved forwards, and fell into my arms q
corpse.
cannot recall what followed. ] only
know that tried every means for her res
tora,ion to life-but alas !! without success.
OF one thing ] was convinced-she had not
died from suf1ocalion. had once seen the
body Of a manwho was killed by the falling
in of the mouth of a pit. ] recolleced his
purple and swollen face, and his lex warm
limbs. She was pale, ngid, cold. The
tumult of her own emotions must have kill
ed her the moment the door was closed up
on her. By some means KEEP. my secret
from the knowledge Of Watson and every
one else. All that night ] was trying TO re-
cover her. Then formed The project OF
shutting her up in the cIoset-locking the
chambers, and then going abroad for twenty
year. But the idea was rejected as quickly
as formed for it would be hardly possible
that the presence of dead body in the
house should not be discovered before that
time. Next, thought Of setting fire to he
place and burning all my books and papers
making a funeral pile of them; and thus
running myself 10 save the secret. But lha,
thought too was dismissed 1t nigh, cause
loss of life and property TO many innocen,
people, and would be bunglIng proceeding
after all as, if The fire was discovered
early, policemen, 6remen, mob and all would
break in, and finding her there, all would
be los,-for i. was more to save her repu-
talion than my own life, that was striving
and plotting.
In the meantime was prey to the most
painful anxiety. was sure tina, by that time
she mus, be missed and sought for. Per-
haps she had been seen TO enter my cham
Der. Every step heard feared nigh, be
policeman. In the morning stranger
called on business. This, of course was
nothing extraordinary but, when he had
gone, felt that he was detective officer,
and had come as spy. thrust few clothes
into carpe,-bag, intending to escape to
France. ] caught up bunch of matches
10 Sc, the place on fire. ] grasped a razor
and looked eogerly on its keen edge as the
surest and swif,es. way of ending my mise
~. But then, all these would leave her
to the jests Of the world, and my own suf-
(eengs were nothing in comparison. AT
this distance of time can look back Impair
TALLY and coolly upon ,ha. dreadful day :;
and can solemnly declare that would ra-
'her be hanged for numbering her, than to
have allowed a breath to sully her fair fame.
had jus, laid down the razor, when q
hurried step crossed the ante-room. twas
her husbands. Now, thought, all is lost,
She was seen TO enier here, and he has come
TO claim her.
''My dear -" he began in nervous,
unsettled way, "you remember the business
that ! came about yesterday -
'Perfecsly."
''And do you remember the words that
used as J was going ] mean in answer to
wha, you said after The death Of my wife -
"Yes, remember them distinctly"
"My wife has disappeared since yes,er-
day morning." he continued, turning even
paler than before, aud if anything serious
has happened, you know, and you should
repea! those expressions, they might be laid
hold of and don, know what would be the
consequence. ] might be suspected Of hav-
ing murdered her.''
Poor fellow if ] had not known the
truth, would have suspected it mysslf, from
his expressive terror and anxiety. He wiped
the perspira.ion from his face and sunk into
chair. The sight of a person more fright
ened than myself, reassured me.
was calmer than ! had been since the
proceeding morning.
''Where did she go? How was she dress
ed :" inquired, anxious to know all that |
could on the subject.
81 don't know; she told me she was 60
ing out shopping and visiting; but no one
saw her leave The house, and none of the
servants knew exactly how she was dress.
ed. When went home 10 dinner, the first
thing ,ha, heard was that she had not re-
turned"
"Wha. have you done? Have you sen,
TO the police and to the hospilal: :"
"Yes, and To every friend and tradesman
where she was likely to call.'
"You may depend upon ill., replied i'm
pressively, ",hat ! will not repeat What you
said yesterday. You are right in the sup
position lha. j. might tell against you very
much if she should be found dead under
suspicious circumstances"
tie talked lille longer. and then wen,
to renew the search for his wife. How
reserved self-possession during this inter-
view, J do not know so far from being