The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-04-06

y,
kreally the fact. Immediately determined
to make for it, hoping to find shelter Tor the
night. | advanced in that direction, and
soon reached dilapidated house built en-
Itireiy of wood 1t was miserable looking
abode, and had it not been for my tired
condition, lshouldl have hesitated seeking
Its shelter But anything was better than
spending the nightin the forest,so resolute
4 iyg knocked at the door, My summons was
for some time unheeded, and it was not till
| had knocked again and again, that the
door opened, and a gruff voice asked what
| | wanted. seatet2 h.se m
/ Can you give me lodging for the night?''
| l replied ga asa
| | was told to come in, and found myself
in a room of moderate size. miserably turn-
ished. A log fire was burning on the hearth;
and two persons occupied the apartment.
Tie one that opened the door to me was a
man about Fifty years of age, very stouty
built, and possessed of very sinister ex-
preston of countenance The second occu
pant was none other than the absconding
clerk. | then knew that was in Mr.. Mum
sells house, and | congratulated myself on
my good fortune. noticed that as | enter
ed he cast ascrutinizing glance at me; but
as felt assured he didnot know me person
ally, | experienced no alarm. - 4
Il have lost my way in the forest, " said
| l. in answer to their looks of Interrogation,
'and if you will afford me shelter for the
night, shall be happy to repay you for
your. hospitality"
| BE good enough to sit down. Sal Mr..
Theodore Munsel his eyes sparkling when
the work repay was used.
| "Where are you going p asked his neph
ew, and then fixing another searching look
on my face. ID ia@a asiet
Il am going to Centerville. left Park
vile at six O'Clock, but suppose Imistook
the road, for have been W ,nderiug about
the woods ever since" a-'t
"You are fifteen miles from Centerville,"
said the uncle with a kind Of leer.
You do not belong to this part of the
country ?" said the bankers clerk.
- NO" replied, am from the State Of
Virginia.
''What is your business p
Il am collector for house in Rich
mond'
Il should have taken you for Yankee,
said the young man.
mo, indeed, u replied, with an attempt to
smile. ss i.la
The uncle and nephew now left the room,
and could hear them whispering together
i'll the next apartment. Still | did not feel
any uneasiness for l relied ON the fact that
was unknown to the ASCENDING clerk
They soon returned to the apartment where
l sat. t
=. 1--WE have only one room in the house. -
said the uncle as they entered; IF, you will
not mind sleeping with a son of mine, you
can have part of his bed
|. OF course. Immediately consented, glad
enough to find any place where could rest
my weary limbs.
After d pause of a few minutes, ! pulled
out my watch. and said should like to go
to bed. noticed at the time significant looks
pass betw cen the uncle and nephew when
they saw my W, tc !. WIS fine gold on9--a
real Cooper-aud had been presented to me
by an importer of watches for services which
had rendered.
You will find my son next the wall"
said the uncle. ''You will have the goodness
not to awaken him, for he has been sick ate
~, and has TO get up very early"
/ replied that would certainly avoid wa
king him. The uncle took up candle, and
showed me to room up stairs it was the
only habitable sleeping room i'll the house,
was situated over that part in which we had
been seated. Cautioning me to put out the
light as soon as was in bed, he left me-
found myself in a room the exact coun-
terpart OF the one below. excepting that this
contained a bedstead. Snoring on the bed next
the wall was man some years younger than
myself. | cautiously brought the light to
bear on his face. The first thing that struck
me was that the man below had deceived
me when he had told me his son was sick
He was undressed, and wore on his head
night cap.
A vague sensation of uneasiness crept over
me. | regretted having ever entered the
house, and looked round the room, for means
Of exit There as only one door i'll the room
that by which had entered, Opposite to
the door was window. | walked up to it,
and endeavored to peer through the outside
darkness, but could distinguish nothing. |
tried to reason away my forebodings, and
succeeded in doing 50 to some extent.
began to prepare for bed, and had al
ready taken off my coat aud waist coat, when
fancied heard step on the stairs. i'm
medate'y extnguished the light, and waited
with GREATNESS anxiety; the door gently o.
pened, and the uncle thrust forward his
head. In the gloom of the chamber he could
not perceive me; and finding the light ex
tinguished, | suppose he thought | was in
bed, for he closed the door very softly and
descended the stairs again. 5
| was now worked up to the highest pitch
of excitement. | felt certain that something
was going to happen. remembered my
lonely stuation-the inqusitive question Of
the men below. There was no possible
means for me to escape, except in going
| through the room in which they were seat
ed-and such course | knew would be per
feet madness | summoned up all my phil
osophy, and determined to wait the den0oe-
ment, and tried to persuade my self my fears
were groundless. But when thought of the
significant looks that passed between the
men when they saw my gold watch, must
confess that the effort was failure. And
then the thought suddenly struck me, If, af
ter all, the clerk had recognized me, it was
certain that he would never let me leave
that place alive. Five long minutes passed
away, and heard nothing. At that moment
a light flashed before my window. | went
directly to it, and saw the uncle with Ian
tern digging in the garden. Watched him
with eager eyes; be was digging hole about
six feet long and three broad.
t'Good God." exclaimed to myself, che
is digging my grouof'
g9gI now felt certain that the young man
had been left in the room below to prevent
my escape. But determined to satisfy my
self if such were the fact or not. l opened
the door noiseessly, and stole cautiously
down stairs in my stocking feet. | glanced
through the keyhole Of the door which open.
ed into the room, and saw that my suspic
ions were well founded. for the abseonding
| clerk sat beside table with a revolver all
ready cooked within his reach. | returned
to the bedroom again.
again took nls position at the window.
Five minutes more of agoDizing suspense
elsued. had nothing with which to defend
myself and was completely at their merry.
a sudden calmness now took possession Of
me. suppose it was the cairnness of despair,