, 1864-06-27

tress," replied the soldier, when | have
filed this pipe" And he proceeded to the
operation of which he spoke. When he
had done, and had expirated Whit or two
l." Now, I'll tell you," he said, show IT
happens that am out in such an Internal
night as this. Depend upon it, it was not
with my will belong to the 50th Regi-
ment, now stationed in Glasgow, and have
been absent on furlOugh, seeing my poor
old mother, in the south country, where she
resides. had not seen her, poor soul! for
several years; and as she was unwilling to
part with me again, was obliged to stay
with her to the last moment of my time.
My furlough expired yesterday, and was
anxious to get on to quarters before it was
out; for We have got devil of fellow in
our commanding officer-and this is the
reason why l was so late upon the road in
such night. WANTED to save my distance,
and avoid bothering. But it wouldn't do
IL was obliged to knock under"
Here the soldier finished his story and
his pipe together. Both the matter of his
little tale and his manner of telling it ten
ded considerably to calm the apprehensions
Of his hOstesses, and to disabuse them, in
spite of their dream, Of much of the unfa-
vOrable opinion they had entertained of his
intentions. Still, however, they felt by no
means secure, and would even yet have
readily given the half, perhaps the whole
of the money in the house. to have been
quit of him. Nor were the fears that yet
remained lessoned by their having discov-
cred, which they had not done for some time
after he had entered, that he wore his bay
onet by his side. On this formidable wea-
pom the two poor women looked with mex
pressible horror; having strong feeling
of apprehension that it was the dreadful
instrument by which their destruction was
to be accom- plished and their dream full
filled. Now, too, the sisters detected the
fellow glancing occasionally around the
house, with most suspicious look, as if
calculating on future operations. lie now,
also, began to put questions that greatly
alarmed them-sueh as, Was there nobody
in the house but themselves! How far
distant was the nearest house and guess
ing, with au apparently assumed air of jocu-
larity, that their father (they had informed
him Of his DEATH had left them good
round sum in some corner or other! In
short, his Behavior altogether began again
to grow extremely suspicious; and, per-
ceiving this, the sisters fears returned with
all their original force. si.s q -----
! In the meantime, the storm without, so
far from abating, had increased: thedreary,
rushing sound of the trees became fercer
and louder, and the ftful gusts of wind
! moro frequent and furious. II was now
about one O'Clock Of the morning, when, ac-
tuated by the same motives which had in
duced them to ask their terrible guest to sit
by the fire-namely, to disarm him, by kind
ness, Of any evil design he might entertain
towards them--the sisters now offered the
soldier seme refreshments He gladly ac-
cepted the offer. Food was placed before
him, aud he ate heartily. When he had
done, one of the sisters told him that there
was spare bed in closet to which she
pointed, and that he might go to it if he
chose. With this offer he also gladly
closed, and Immediately retired. sh'
The sisters, well pleased to have got their
guest thus disposed of--thinking it some
thing like sign Of harmless intention on
his part--determined to sit themselves by
the lire throughout the remaindcS of the
might. They were, then, thus sitting, and
it might be about one hour after the soldier
had retired, listening with feyerish watch
fulncss to every sound, when they suddenly
heard noise, as if Of some one forcing tho
door. At first the poor hOrrifed women
thought it was some unusual sound pro-
duced by the storm, but, on listening again,
there was no doubt of the appalling fact.
They heard distinctly the working Of an
iron instrument, aud the cracking Of the
door from its pressure. The wretched Wo-
mon leaped from their seats, aud again their
/ wild shrieks were heard rising above the
noise of the tempest without. Awakened
by their alarming cries--for he had been
fast asleep-thc soldier started from his
bed, calling out, as he hurried on his
clothes .ss- ,' ,.,l
"What the devil is the matter now? BY
heayenl you are all mad. y" g
"0h, you know but too well what is the
matter" replied one Of the sisters, in a
voice faint and almost inarticulate with ex-
cessive terror. "You know but too well
what is the matter. These are some of the
other murderers Of your gang forcing open
the door. o God in mercy receive our
soulsp -, zs .a,zas -a3..f. ss
"My gang forcing the door! What the
devil do you mean:" replied the soldier,
emerging from the closet. Then, after an
instant" By heaven it is so far true.
! There is some one breaking in, sure enough" !"
Saying this, he drew his bayonet and ran
to the door; but, ere he gained it, it was
forced open, and two men were in the act
OF entering, ono behind the other. On Soc
ing the soldier, the foremost presented a
pistol to his head, and drew the trigger
| but click Of the lock was the only result.
It missed fire. In the next instant the
soldiers bayonet was through the rufian's
body, and be fell, when he who was behind
him Immediately fed. The soldier pur-
sued him; but, after running several hun
dred yards, gave up the chase as hopeless,
and returned to the house, where he found,
to his surprise, that the man whom he had
stabbed, and whom he thought he had killed
outright, had disappeared, and was nowhere
to be seen.E .as. 81, g. sssa
I. On entering the house. Well my good
women" said the soldier, care you now