The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-09-28

up stars, shaHcbe back intive lhinutes
and then we'll go share and share alike"
J l waited to hear no more but hardly
knowing what did or whittier I Vas go
ing, sped noiselessly up stairs again Be
fore coming down, had noticed on the up
per landing a small closet or lumberroom, il
which stood large ragged screen. lntui
tlvelyrthe idea came in y.Inind to bide TO
a minute or two behind the screen, and take
IIhy chance of escape in rush. down stairs
while the stout man was engaged with the
first,surprise of the discovery that. wouIt
greet him on entering the room where haC
been confined .d, o.. t....-t-.-r
By the time had reached the landing
the stout man was ascending the lowe.
behind the screen, he paused opposite the
door to feel for his key, and the next mo-
ment the door of my prison was opeted, and
he went in. 'Hollo! what's this ? Why
are you in the dark ?''; heard him exclaim;
and then stole from my hiding-p lace, cross
ed the landing, and turning the key in the
lock-, made both him and the old IMAM pris-
ouers, and then rushed down the first flight
Of stairs at breakneck pace. | paused
for a second Or two on the lower landing
noticing, with some surprise, as | did so that
the room where the two men had been con-
ferring only minute before was now lin
darkness. Why had not the slim man
awaited the return Of his friend, as the lat
ter had requested him to do? That, how
ever, was question which just then did
not concern: me. .'.'l4ut A' -
had now the lower fight of stairs to de-
tscend, .and here ! was obliged to proeeed
more cautiously, being unacquainted with
the ground. had turned two corners in
safety, aud was on the top'of the last short
flight, when sudden laundering at the lock :
ed door above startled me from my balance,
and lstumbIed headlong down the remaining
stairs, bursting open a door at the foot of
them, and landing in large kitchen, at the
other door of which-the door leading into
the street--stood the slim man, with a livery
white face, trying " it'll nervous haste to un-
fasten the bolts and so let himself out On
the dresser, close by his, side stood the candle
brought from up stairs; and at his feet the
portmanteau slut and partially strapped.
| understood his little game at glance, ev-
ZEN i'll CHASTITY telltale face had not pro-
claimed it lie bad taken advantage of his
comrades brief absence 10 abscond with
both shares Of the stolen property, trusting
Einethe darkness to get clear away, aud Sc
cure the whole Of the booty to himself A
look of relief shot over his face when he saw
that it was not his terrible comrade come to
avenge his treachery. With snarl of
rage, he turned from the door, and drawing
Ia pistol from his bosom, fired it point-blank
at me Just as was rising from the ground,
The wind caused by the bullet stirred nv
hair, but there was no further damage done,
and before he had time to fire again, had
sprung at his throat, and we grappIed to-
gether, and reeled from side to side Of the
room in a wild struggle for mastery. de
was agile and wiryas a panther and quite
my equal in sheer physical strength, for
you must remember that | was little more
than lad at that time and it wouId per-
haps have gone hard with me had | not
brought to bear little trick with the leg
which | had learned among the Westmore-
land wrestlers, which stole his feet from un-
der him before he knew what was the mat
ter, and brought him crashing to the ground,
with me on the top of him. In falling, he
struck his head with tremendous force
against the edge of the oaken dresser, and
next moment his grasp relaxed, his eyes
closed, and pallor as of death over spread
his face. thought i'll truth that he was
killed. 81
All this time, the stout man was thun=
dering at the door above stairs, making des-
perate efforts to get out; and as soon as
had struggled to my feet, the instinct to es-
cape, to get away from that horrible house,
came over me as strongly as before. | drew
the remaining bolts, and opened the door,
and felt the cool night air blow freely over
me with a feeling of thankfulness which no
words of mine could express. | turned for
moment az | crossed the threshold, for a
last look at my opponent lying motionless
across the hearth, and as didso, my eyes
fell on the portmanteau, and acting on the
Impulse of the moment, seized it, and
thnging itsover my shoulder, closed the door
behind me, and hurried away into the silent
streets. ~
To the first constable whom met, gave
myself and the portmanteau in charge, and
was by him hurried off to the station, where
l told my strange Story in as few words as
possible; and four constables We're des-
patched to the house, which was at once re-
cognized from my description, as it had
long been looked on with suspicion. When
they returned,it was in company of two out
OF the three inmates of the house bat the
stout man had got clear4away before their
arrival. The slim man, who had recovered
his wits by this time finding the game up,
volunteered a confession, the details of
which we afterwards found to be substan-
tally correct, and the chief points of which
l will now give you as briefly as may be-
- The jewelry, &c, contained in the port
nfautean had been stolen from the establish
mentSof Belliugham & CO.. the great jewel
lers and silyersmiths of .MelIingshall Mr.,
Bellingham's chef assistan t and confiden-
tial servant was one Matthew LampIough
he who has hitherto been designated as the
slim !. mana ln person who had gradually.
worked himself up from the position of shop
boy till he had become practically the man
ager ot the whole concern, tor Beliingham
was getting old, and glad to move some of
the cares OF business on to more youthfuli
shoulders. But Lamplough's ambition at
last oyerstepped his prudence, as he found to
hi cost, when he one day asked the old man
to give him his daughters hand in mar
riage-his daughter who was SO handsome
and SO accomplished, and would some day
have thirty thousand pounds to call her own.
-Tbe.old mans reply, as soon as amazement
would let him speak, was aperemptory re-
fusal, accompanied by some disparaging re.
marks on the vileness ofMatthew's origin
he had gone to Bellingham & Co.'S from the
workhouse-and followed up by the intirna-
ton that he, Matthew, should retain his
confidential post no longer, but be put back
to the position OF all ordinary assistant in
the establishment. Matthew vowed to be
revenged, and he kept his word 1t was
while he was in this mood that he made the
acquaintance of an individual going by tie
name of Captain de Vaux the stout man of
my narrative-a gay dashing fellow of in
sinuating manners, who was staying for a
few weeks at the best hotel in MeIIingshall,
De Naux was not long before he wormed
himself into Matthew's confidence, and
heard from bis lips the narrative of his
wrongs, as he deemed them to be; and then