The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-11-22

/ no
telling my wife that 1 had work TO do
and she. poor dear, little knowing
what that work was, told me she should
soon be asleep as with kiss left her.
I took 9 light from our bedroom, and
blew it out the instant l entered my
sanctum, and locked the door inside
| hate squeakiug locks; mine don't
squeak. Then I sat down by the win
dow, on the. sill Of which laid piece
Of Iron mongery, which, small as it was
held Elk lives withiu its Fozer. And l
waited. ..:..:,.. -. ..-,..
! Waited till the moon, which set that
night at twelve o'clock, had gone down
to rise upon millions of sleepers on the
other side of the world. Waited until
everything above, below, around, SEEM
ed dark, silent and ghostly, as if we're
shut up into vast grave.
There we're but two ways of reach
ing my house: at that time Of night
now nearly two o'clock One. by
horse and wagon, the other on foot 7
thought 1 knew enough Of Peters to
be sure that no sound Of hoof or wheel
would come within my hearing through
his agency, and l was nearly right;
for it was but a muf1ed clatter that,
just after the village clock struck two,
seemed to echo plainly from some point
mile off, and beyond my :'wood"
But, listening intently as possibly
could, l heard no more. And a half
hour dragged YEARLY on.
"Hush ~ my brain said to my heart.
q am not given to philosophy, reader,
so don't be alarmed at this expression;
but it describes what l felt.) flush
A creaking just outside my door, and
the handle tried! 1t was locked as I
said before. A stealthy footstep that I
| rather felt than heard next made
brad crack further along the hall, and
and I though I heard something like a
cautious hand trying the street door
fasteniogs. Another board cracked on
the basement stairs, then on the main
stair case OF the house, and after that
there was profound stiffness again for
awhile. I was becoming horribly ex-
cited: To have a-well, no matter
walking about ones house like
ghost, is bad enough, but when you
arc waiting for people to help you cir
cumvent him, and cannot tell whether
they are around you Or
''Hushr again. A low whistle, so
low that none but listner couli have
caught it, came from the wood. 1t was
repeated in fouE different directions. all
within very short distance Of the
house. My work SO far, then: was done,
and need now be but a spectator. So
threw myself on Tongue to await
further developments, while there ran
through my excited brain scenes that
my profession had made me familiar
with !; hairbreadth escapes where men
scaled walls, climbed chimneys, forced
open heavily guarded doors with rusty
nail, and their bruised and bleeding
fingers, let themselves down with their
blanket and made of, muf1ing their
jaugl,ng letters with its torn strips.
Then | fell to wondering whether any
of my blankets would be torn up to
make rope Oft really seemed posi-
ole. There would be no harm in just
taking peep out Of the window. at all
events. The idea had no sooner cross-
ed me than I thought l heard the win
dow of Mr.. Layton's room, just over
mine, you remember, very gently open
ed. Then sort of scuf1ing against
I'll; d; front of the house was distinctly
heard, and next there glided slowly
down past my window the figure ola
"By thunder it's coming now," said
I to myself, as slid out Of bed and be-
gan to dress as fast as I could. Not
fast enough though tor I was too late
to see the end.
The figure glided slowly past my win
dow, aud almost instantly there arose
strange mems voices, and noises as of
violent struggle. "No you DON'T" I
heard one man say, and then there vas
the dull thud of blow. ''Never, new
er," said another voice. hoarse With
passion or fear, ''Never will I be taken,
alive" "Look oot, Jones, he has a
pistol" shouted another, and then add
ed, "Fire at him if he lifts his arm"
But be did lift his arm, for, the mo-
ment after loud report seemed to shake
the house, aud the shrieks of frightened
women echoed from root to basement.
was down stairs and upon the lawn
before long, you may be sure, and then
I saw at glance how the who's 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 i; a mere piece Of dead flesh and
blood. For Layton's arm had lifted
quickly and steadily towards his own
life, and there he lay stone dead, with a
bullet in his brain. e. ; "H; u : -
I really cannot describe what scenes !
Of agony followed, nor need I. The
case was one Of suicide, which had dis
posed Of one horrible duty thatI Had
undertaken, and he was peacefully but::'
led in the cemetery near our house.
The wife was FOR weeks like an insane
woman, but we took care Of her. She
begged me to take all her papers and
his and examine them, and I did IS.
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