The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-11-08

: ghostly, as if | were shut up into vas
s grave
D There were but two ways of reaching ia
s house at that time of night-now nearly tw
o'clock. One by horse and wagon, th
j other on foot. | thought ! new enough Q
/ Peters to be sure that no sound of hoof o
! wheel would come within my hearing thro
} his agency, and was nearly right, for i
was but muifled chatter that, Just after tn
: village clock struck two seemed to ech,
, family from some point mile off, and be
/ You'd my ''wood F." But, listening intent,
/ as possibly could heard no more Anc
half hour dragged YEARLY on.
"Hush p my brain said to my heart. {
am not given to philosophy, SO don't be a
ARMED, reader, by this expression :; but i
t describes what felt) "Hush !" A creak
; ing just outside my door, and the handle
tried 1t was locked, as l said before: a
steathy footstep that rather felt than hearC
next made board crack further along tn,
hall, and | thought heard something hkt
, cautious hand trying the street door fasten
ings. Another board creaked on the base
ment stairs then on the main stair case Of
the house,and after that there was profounc
stiffness again for while. was becom
ing terribly excited. To have a-welI, ne
matter what-walking about ones house
| like a ghost is bad enough, but When YOU
are waiting for people to help you circum.
vent him, and cannot tell whether they are
around you Or e..4 bid 81 {.
Hush ~ again. A low whistle, SO low
that none but listener could have caught
it, came from the wood twas repeated
in four different directions all within a very
short distance from the house. My work so
far then was doue, and need but be spec
ta1or if would,or might go to rest if cod
rest. | chose the latter, and soon was in my
own bedroom and snugIy tucked up was
not surprised to find that could not sleep.
Ali sorts of fancies would creep into nv
Observation-Disclosures of crimes with which
my profession made me famiIiar-of hair
breadth escapes wherein men have scaled
walls, climbed chimneys, forced open hea vily
guarded doors with a rusty nail and their
bruised and bleeding fingers, let themselves
down with their blanket and made off, inuf
| fling their jangling letters with its torn
strips. Then fell to wondering whether
any Of my blankets would be torn no to
make rope Oft really seemed possible
There would be no harm in just taking a
peep out of the window, at all events. The
idea had no sooner crossed me than tho't
heard the windo~ of Mr.. Layton's room.
just over mine, you remember, very gently
opened Then sort of sculfling against the
front of the house was distinctly heard, and
next there glided slowly down past my win
dow the figure of man.
BY thunder! its coming now,," said | to
myself, as l slid out of bed and began to
dress as fast as could. Not fast enough.
though, for was too late to see the end.
The figure glided slowly past my window
and almost instantly there arose stran ge
nien S voices, aud Noises as of violent strug-.
gle. '.No you don't heard one man say,
and then there was tie dull thud of blow
Never, never" said another voice, hoarse
with passion or fear. "Never will be ia
ken alive " Look out, Jones, he has a pis-
toll shouted another and then be added
Fire at him if he lifts his arm" But he
did lift his arm, for, the moment after,
loud report seemed to shake the house, and
the shrieks Of frightened women echoed from
roof to basement.
was down stairs and upon the lawn be-
fore long, you Snay be sure, and then saw
at glance how the whole case stood. There
were four men, one of whom carried dark
lantern, which he turned to show something
upon the ground. A man who was man
no more mere piece of dead flesh and
blood. For Layton's arm had lifted quickly
and steadily toward his own life and there
he lay stone dead, with bullet in his brain,
| really cannot describe what scenes Of ag-
ony followed, nor need |. The case was one
of suicide, which disposed of one horrible
duty that | had undertaken, and he was laid
peacefully i'll the cemetry near our house. a.
The wife was for weeks likesan insane wo-
man, but we took care of her. She begged
me to take all her papers and his and exam.
inc them, and | did So All! she was an in
iured woman, as innocent as she had been
wronged. For found among Laytons bag
gage a box of hers with letters in it and
certain valuable papers that had belonged
to the old lady at Number 49, They proved
that the daughter, Emily was her name had
long been secretly engaged to Layton, and
that the mother being averse to any change
in her daughters condition in life, they had
agreed to midnight fight, Emily left the
house as described at the beginning of this
history, and as she did so hurt her hand and
tore her sleeve. She was arrested, and late
in keeping her appointment and Layton
had gone to reconnoitre the house Finding
the door open and the oil lady at home, the
temptation arose to murder and rob her
Then he returned to the meeting place and
she was there. They fled together-he with
his guilty secret, and she with the fullest
trust in him She never heard of the muir
der, nor never new that her mother was dead
nor, for the two women had lived very
unhappiy together, did she care to enquire.
never told her all | knew. Peters, my
wife and alone were in the secret. She set
tied down iuto solitary life in cottage
near our house We gave her Bob, and she
never saw any connection between her hus-
bands fate and the dogs behavior She ney-
er knew of her mothers fate either beyond
that she was dead years ago, which thought
it best to tell her. And she simply faded
from the earth like morning mist. Gentle
always, she watched the days come and go
with a strange resignation Sometimes she
would speak of her dead husband He was
SO good to her, she would say to US SO kind
always-so generous to others-never harmed
a creature, for he had heart as warm as
was his face honest and handsome.
All true And yet he was a murderer
The contradictions in human nature often
puzzle one. AS lawyer, never trust to
appearances or doubt the possible perversien
of the brightest character. At all evets, the
old expression that So and so is an excellent
person but has spice of the devil in him,
may contain a theory that when | have
more time, will Try to find out
INGoLDsBY NORTH.