The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-01

shrewdnes5 and caution, which, so far as |
could Judge characterized his dealings |
With every one, seemed suddenly to desert
him he became at once noisy, boastfui
and confding.
"I'ye something hero, now, that it will
do your eyes good to look at, he exclaim-
ed. drawing small leather bag from some
hidden pocket. "Gems Of the first water.
Sec here, and here What doyou say to
these p and he poured into his hand
number Of small brilliants, all of them un-
set. which, even in that wretched light
shone and scintillated like star dust, or
clippings from the great belt of Orion.--
ooh. my darlings, how | love you r said
Jacoby, fondly. "You're easier to carry
than silver or gold, and far prettier to
look at. A ragged coat is not always the
sign Of a poor man, master landlord"
He shook his head with drunken grav-
ity; gave another fond look at his treas
ures then deposited them in the bag;
rand by sleight-of-hand movement dis
4 posed Of the bag and its contents about
4 his person. The landlords heavy eyes
/ we re lifted with surprise as the pedlar
held out the brilliants in his palm; and
he greeted them with long stealthy
glance from the corners of his greedy,
treacherous eyes, then let his eyelids fall
again, and went on with his smoking as
though there were no such things as dia-
monds in the world
.'You do not drink, young gentleman" !"
said the landlord to me after while. 81
am afraid the whiskey is not to your taste. ;"
''Thc whiskey is very excellent, have
no doubt" replied ''but | rarely drink
: spirits of any kind more especially when
| have a long days walk before me on the
morrow"
''Then perhaps you will allow me to
: brew you cup Of cafe-ou-taat. learnt
the art whsn l was young fellow knock
ing about Paris, and 1 fatter myself that
can do it tolerably well. And you too,
Mr.. Pedlar, would be none the worse for
drop of coffee What say you ?"
just as you like, naeita Knabe; just as
you like This drink which have here
, is very good, but Isuppose I've had enough
of it."
/ The landlord set to work with alacrity
and in few moments produced an excel
lent cup Of coffee, such certainly, as | haC
y never tasted before. Immediately afte
i the coigee vas reaayy the.iittle elock IN tn
{. corner struck ten, and on hearing It, Bat
e Jacohy and L,arosc,. and 4skea TO gPe lsiiogrs
o 10 our roonla tl We 9ga tla saas4 astsll i.I
Ss 4s-4ssf1c TIRE fzs1I5 uly. IN
{, nulatto woman and the young savage ha
d retired some time before; so che landlor
T. in person lighted our candles, AM ushere
j. -usf up the rickety stairs, or the Top {
d which we found ourselves in a gloomy col
i, ridor lighted from the roof, having door
i opening out Of it on either side. My roor
10 was at one end Of. this passage, and Jaco
h, bys at the other The landlord havin
ID seen each Of us into his room, bade us
< cheerful goodnight and next moment
,e heard the creaking Of the stair as he wer
OF down into the lower parts Of the house.
Of was about to close my door, when Jacob
I'd called to me from his room, "Good-nigh
at old fellow! Don't overshleep y'self in IL
tn morning" / responded TO his greeting
ct and then closed and locked the door. Th
ct bedroom, like every other part Of tb
e. house | had seen, was poorly and scantil
D. furnished, and was Of an old-fashioneC
to tumble down appearance. Across til
he whole length of the low ceiling ran thic
ed heavy beam from the middle Of whic
he stood out conspicuously, a small stror
k hook, which at once connected itself
,e, my mind with the idea Of some antecedel
ry suicide; the floor in many places WI
N. rough and uneven; the window consis te
,ss Of small diamond panes set in lead, ar
ce barred with iron the door was of O
ed black oak and there was descent
,e; two steps into the room.
DIS | had sat down to note these things, al
I'LL was partly undressad, when sudden
til stumbled forward, and found that he
Of unconsciously gone to sleep while sittii
le- in the chair. A deadly stupor and lei
ire argy, such as | had never experienced b
on fore, seemed suddenly to weigh down bo
as hmy body and brain. | got up, but cou
Sc arcoly stand and when l attempted
ld- walk, 1 reeled forward towards the b
like drunken man and sank with /
,od head on the pillow, weighed down BY
be- heayiness unspeakable; and knew nothi
y's more the coffee had undoubtedly be
led drugged.
md How long | had slept, / cannot tell
VI Whether nouIS Vi ulh uleb Oniy---Wnel
inn asuddenly found myself sitting up in b.
'ew trembling with horror, and with wild
ted of agony ringing shrilly through my bra
md "Murder p
cap The sharp intense cry of one in d
md extremity. Whose voice it was that 20
re utterance to it, and from what part Of
md house it proceeded, could not tell; / ol
stio knew that without any preliminary wakil
be- as it seemed to me, found myself sitti
en- up in bed, staring, with wildlysbeati
lies heart, into the intense darkness arorl
the me, not remembering for the nom,
ion where 1 was, my brain still ringing W
two that terrible cry. But had scarcely ii
ere to gather my scatter I'd wits together, wi
: N following quickly On the cry, came
It; sound Of a pistol-shos, evidently close
hand then heavy fall on the aoor {
his then all was still. .As e'a-s
his had called 10 my mind BY this Ii
ter where was, and all the occurrences Of
lily, evening; and on hearing the shot lea
shis out of bed, and made for the door,
eng after cropping about for q amoment or i
y to found it. had locked the door bei