Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-31

sent Master Rapp rolling down the s.a;rc.so
THAT is the matter I said: and LeGse cIos;n.
my door, double-locked it, while the shonts
OF laughter from the neighbors saluted the old
miser In his progress down stairs.
Inns adventure had inspirited me, and re-
sumed my work with some prospect of success:
out an unaccustomed noise soon interrupted
my iaoors. 1t was the click of arms and the
tramp OF men ascending the staircase. A cold
chill ran over me. Can [ have broken that
rascals neck? and are they coming to seize
rough voice said:
:. In the name Of the law, open ~
:, thought Of escaping by the window over
the roofs; but a vertigo seized me at a mere
glance at the dizzy height. Again the sum
..Open, or we will break down the door,,
turned the key and saw the chief of police
- arrest you" +" he said, and made sign to
two men, who seized me by the collar. while
the others rummaged my garrett MARCH"
was the next order, and descended the stair
case, supported under each arm, like a con-
sumptive in his third stage of illness
They put Inc into a hackney coach. 7 asked
what 1 had done, but they only exchanged
significant smiles. Soon deep shadow envel-
oped US; the steps Of the horses resounde ed
under a vault We had entered the prison.
The jailer shut me up in cell as TRANQUILITY ss
II he had been putting pair of stockings in a
drawer, thinking all the time of something
else; looked around my cell. 1t had been
newly whltewashed, and there was nothing
upon the walls but rude sketch of a gibbet'
drawn by my predecessor. The light came
from an aperture nine or ten feet from the
moor, and the furniture consisted of a heap of
straw sat down upon the straw, with nv
hands around my knees, and gave myself up to
despair had killed Rapp. He had denounced
hnfnY0 II l.
murderer. l started up, coughing, as if the
hempen cravat already pressed my throat
AGAIN the jailOr appeared, and ordered me
10 follow him. He conducted me through long
galleries to a sombre hail. with benches ar
ranged IN semicircle, opposite which, on an
elevated seat, were two persons with their
backs to the light, and their faces in shadow:
but as one Of them turned to his Companion. /
recognized the aquiline profile of Van Spreck-
dal Beneath them, at a low table, was seated
a clerk. tickling the tip of his ear with the
feather of his quill
Christian Nenius," said Van SpreckdaI,
where did you get this sketch?" showing me
possession at the time of my arrest.
. am the author of it."
There was long silence. The clerk took
down my answer; and as 1 listened to the
scratching of his pen, 1 wondered what that
had to do with the kick had given to Rapp.
.'You are the author of it," said Van Spreck-
dal; "where did you get the subject9''
at is a fancy sketch"
"You have not copied the details anywhere9''
mo, sir; have imag gined them all -
"And this woman, pursued the judge, "who
is murdered on the edge of the well; have you
imagined her, also!''
Undoubtedly"
You have never seen her."
"Never."
Van Spreckdal rose as if indignant, them
seated himself he appes66sdd tn HI gaif aeHe
jaiier: " WV
Take the prisoner to the carriage We are
going to the Metzerstrasse.'
was placed In q carriage with two police
men. One Of them on the way offered a pinch
of snuff to his cOmrade. extended my fingers
mechanically to the box. He drew it quickly
turned away my head to conceal my emotion
''lf you look out Of the windows" said the
man OF the snuff box" we shall be obliged to
put manacles on you"
When the carriage stopped, one of them
alighted while the other held me by the collar;
then seeing his comrade ready to receive me,
he pushed me out rudely. We entered mar
row alley, with broken, irregular pavement. A
yellowish moisture stood on the walls, exhaling
u feth odor. L walked in darkness, with two
men behind me. Farther on appeared the light
of an interior court.
AS advanced, feeling of terror took DOS
session of me, like the unnatural horror of
nightmare. 1 recOiled instinctively.
''Go on" cried one of the policemen behind
me, putting his hand on my shoulder; ''march,"
My terror was no longer instructive when I
saw before me the court which 1 had sketched
the night before; its walls garnshed with
hooks, the woOd-pile, the ladder, the rabbit
hut, the hen-coop, &c. Not a sky-light, great
or small, high or low, not a cracked window
L. I.xa Ill
was thunderstruck at this strange revelation
Near the we'll were the two judges At their
feet was the old woman, lying on her hack, her
long gray hair struggling over her form, her
face lived, her eyes unnaturally wide, her
tongue between her teeth. 1t was horrible
spectacle,
"Well,' said Van spreckdal, in a solemn
tone, what have you to say?"
was silent.
''Do you confess that you threw this woman
Theresa Becker, into this well, after having
strangled her, that you might steal her money!
mo-" 1 cried, mo: do not know this wo.
man. have never seen her. May God help
me,'
That is enough" he replied, in dry voice,
ried back to the prison in a state of profound
stupidity. knew not what to think. My
conscience, even, began to trouble me. asked
myself if had not really assassinated the old
woman. passed q wretched night of doubt,
bewilderment, despair.
With the dawn some of my black thoughts
disappeared. I felt more confidence in myself,
and at the same time, a desire to see what was
going on in the world without. Other prison
ers before me had climbed to the narrow aper-
ture. They had dug holes in the wall, that
they might mount more easily. I climbed
there in my turn, and when, stretching nv
neck forward, saw the crowd, the life, the
movement, tears flowed abundantly down my
cheeks. 1 thought no longer of suicide. lex
perienced the strongest desire to live. They
might condemn me to the hardest labor, might
attach a cannon ball to my leg, if they would
only let me live; to live was to be happy.
The old market opposite my window, with
its roof like an extinguisher resting on heavy
pillars, offered fine spectacle. The old wo-
men, seated by their baskets Of vegetables,
their cages of poultry and baskets of eggs be-
hind them; the Jews, old clothes dealers, with
faces the color of lockwood; the butchers, with
naked arms, chopping meat at their stalls; the
peasants, with large felt hats planted on the
nape of the neck, their hands behind their
backs, and smoking TRANQUILITY their pipes;
then the noise, the tumult of the crowd, the
tones of the voice, the expressive gestures, the
unexpected attitudes, which betray at a dis
tancs the progress Of dispute, or paint the