Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-10-05
picture, Master Venius?'' he said at length

And the price p
Fifty ducats."
Van Spreckdal laid the sketch down up
on the table, and drawing from his pocket
long purse of green silk, began to slip
the rings along; Fifty ducats," he said
counting them out, ''here they are"
He rose, and departed, while | sat stu
pefed, listening to the clink of his ivory
headed cane upon the staircase
When | had recovered from nv stupe-
faction I sat down to finish my sketch. A
few strokes of the pencil and it would be
finished. But these few strokes were out
of my power. The inspiration was over
The mysterious murderer would not disen-
gage himself from the convolutions of my
brain | tried again and again. I forced
myself to draw but the results were as
discordant as a figure of Raphael in a
! Dutch inn at Teniers.
At this moment Rapp, according to his
praise-worthy custom, opened the door
! without knocking. His eyes fell upon the
pile Of ducats and he shrinked-
''Ah, ah have caught you, Monsieur
painter You pretended you had no mon
ey," and he extended his crooked fingers
with that nervous trembling which the
sight of gold always produces in miser.
The remembrance of all the insults had
su- :ered from him exasperated me- With
a single bound | seized him, and, thrustine
him over the Threshold, fattened his nose
with the door. The old usurer shrieked /:
MY money. thief! robber my mon
ey !" till every lodger in the house ran out,
asking, "What is the matter 2" l opened
the door quickly, and with a single stroke
of the foot sent Master Rapp rolling down
the staircase
THAT is the matter" I said and clos
ing my door. double locked it, while the
shouts of laughter from the neighbors salu-
ted the old miser on his progress down
stairs
This adventure had inspirited me, and |
resumed my work with some prospect of
success; but an unaccustomed noise soon
Interrupted my labors Itwas the clink of
arms, and the tramp of men ascending the
staircase. A cold chill ran over me. Can
[ have broked that rascal's neck? and are
they coming to seize me? There was a
knock at my door, and rough voice said :
''In the name Of the law, open -
I thought of escaping by the window
over the roofs but vertigo seized me at
a mere glance at the dizzy height. Again
the summons came.
"Open, or we will break down the door p
I turned the key, and saw the chief Of
police.
81 arrest you," he said, and made sign
to two men, who seized me by the collar,
while the others rumnaged my garrct-
"March !" was the next order, and | de-
scended TIE staircase, supported under
each arm, like consumptive in the third
stage Of illness,
They put me into a hackney coach.
asked what | had done, but they only ex-
changed significant smiles Soon deep
shadow enveloped us; the steps of tie
| horses resounded under vault. We had
entered the prison. The jailor shut me
up in a cell as TRANQUILITY as if he had been
putting a pair of stockings in drawer,
thinking all the time of something else. I
looked around my cell. It had been newly
whitewashed and there was nothing upon
the walls but a rude sketch of a gibbet,
drawn by my predecessors. The light came
from an aperture nine or ten feet from the
floor, and the furniture consisted of heap
of straw | sat down upon the straw, with
my hands upon my knees, and gave myself
up to dispair. [ had killed Rapp. Fe
had denounced me before dying. l should
be hung as his murderer. | started up
coughing, as if the hempen cravat already
pressed my throat.
Again the jailor appeared, and ordered
me to follow him, He conducted me
through long galleries to sombre hall,
with benches arranged in semicircle, op-
posite 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 Spreckdal. Beneath
them at low table, was seated a clerk,
tickling the tip of his ear with the feather
of his quill
Christian VENUS, said Van Spreckdal.
'swhere did you get this sketch p showing
me my nocturnal work, of which they had
taken possession at the time of my arrest.
81 am the author of it,
There was a long silence. The clerk
took down my answer; and as | listened
to the scratching of his pen, | wondered
what that had to do with the kick | had
given to Rapp.
'sYou are the author of it p said Van
Spreckdal; where did you get the sub
jcct p
'.It is fancy sketch
''You have not copied the details any
where -
''No sir have imagined them all. "
"And this woman pursued the judge,
"who is murdered on the edge of the well ;
have you imagined her also p
"Undoubtedly."
''You have never seen her p
"Never."
Van Spreckdal rose, as if indignant, then
seating himself, he appeared to consult his
colleague in a low voice. Suddenly he said
to the jailor
s'Take the prisoner to the carriage. We
are going to the Metzesstrasse. "
| was placed in carriage with two po-
liccmen. One of them, on the way, offered
piDch of snuff to his comrade I extend
ed my fingers mechanically to the box. He
drew it quickly back The blood mount
ed into my face, and l turned away my
D