Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-12-12


: devil, do believe! He has been u
/ to something, for some time. know
) Perhaps he has killed Mrs. Liver. Hark
steps in the entry robbers !-pcl
haps he will cut Polly's throat next J.
What mercy that l walked up! Dea
me !
1t was at this moment. while Mis-
Starch was shaking herself into an un
natural circulation, and leaning her night
capped head against the old clothes, tina
the hostess herself, Miss Mottle, awoke
and finding, to her surprise, that she wa
alone, and her door open, arose, went tt
it. peepcd into the dark entry, ard by ;
faint glimmer of light, seeing that he
eccentric tenants door was open also
began to suspect that all was not right
So she went to the door, and hearing
nothing, concluded that either the tive
missing ones must be counting, on the
sly, down stairs. or something more SER
ious had occurred; perhaps-who could
tell :-murder and robbery had taken
place; for their absence was otherwise
most unaccountable.
4 will rap at Mrs. Liver's door, at any
rate, thought she, 'to see if she is there.
SO she raped hard, there, several
times, but. for obvious reasons, there
was no answer from within.
'She is sound asleep. / won't call
her up. guess. on the whole, Sally is
acquiring Mr.. Pamboger How sly
| some people be 1t will serve them
right if 90 down and discover them
There's no need of a light I'll feel
And cropping her way, en- disha6;lle,
she descended, on her singular voy age.
of discovery.
Miss Starch heard the rappng from
her place of confinement, and also the
footsteps down stairs. Not knowing who
it was. she trembled for her life. Tn
certainty made her situation particularly
dreadful. Who could the rapper be !:
she thought. Why was all SO terribly
silent. except the mysterious scream, the
uncxplainablc footsteps, and the unan-
swered knocking? Where was IIodijah
pamboscr2 Who was he:
In fine, she shivored into the awful
conclusion that he had murderous accom-
piccs in the house. and that they had
finished or were finishing their bloody
work.
Il think, upon the whole, that it is
best for me to keep STILL she reflected J,
and be resigned and as am a.gctting
little cold, III put Oh this great coat.
SO she put it on. 1t was a stately
coat. 1t had been the late Mr.. Liver's
ovcrcoat. and the tails dragged at her
heels AMI kept her toes warm, too.
Now, pro"idonce protect me ' she
sighed, as she squatted and awaited her
fate.
During this brief time, it must not be
imagined by wicked reader that Widow
Liver was at all rcconcilcd to her posi-
ton in the drama of that night. No,
not at all She, too, had her suspicious
about her extraordinary companion, and
chamber mate against her will She felt
she was not only in danger of being COM
promised in reputation, but perhaps the
victim of some dark design. She knew
little or nothing about the brotherhood
of Odd Fellows, and had heard fright
full tales of the secret doings of them,
and of the Masons, and though she was
brick she didn't care to be laid by
either of them: ard she now thought
that it was not altogether impossible that
she migM be, even kilied-else why that
rap without voice? why the strange
out.cry in the entry, and the click of the
| lock which had alarmed her first: and
who had gone so softly down stairs:
i insist, sir, upon your leaving this
chamber, instantly you, or myself
Either you must go, or | WILL whatever
the consequences, she said, growing more
and more alarmed as she reflected.
Don't, nervous female-rash Livcr for
bear he replied; permit me to express
my views
But it was too late; she had opened
the door, and stepped desperately into
the dark entry again.
! Miss Starch overheard, and thinking
her time might be come-that the stcT
was a robbcr's-became inspired with {
frantic ingenuity. Counterfetng mans
voice as well as she was able, she vocif
Grated
I'll be there, with my pistols, in {
minute III be the death of all you y
Hodiiah and the widow heard ant
stood aghast. convinced, now. there were
robbers in the house. The widow. af
| frighted. shrieked aloud and ran up stairs
to seek protection from Dorothea, in the
attic; while our hero fastened to get hi
pistols.
The affrighted Dorothea rushed down
from the attic, to the rescue. and on the
way heard the now wholly deliriou;
Starch crying-'Murder, Help" a.
lond as she could bawl. Meeting the
widow in the dark, Dorothea mistook
her for one of the assassins-and the
widow making the same mistake, they
pitched into each other, on the staircase
in fierce struggle for life or death, with
a decided preference for life.
This additional rumpus was now proc
positive to all in the house that the houl
for slaughter, bowling and scratching
had come, though all were lamentable
I'M the dark in other respects. But though
they could not distinctly see, they could