Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-10-31

in the moonlight and with tina; murder
ing cove grinnine NJ you. IT IN enough 10
make = feiio~ feel . bits queer, car tell
you.'
/" say, jack" Thornton said si,er few
I minutes silence, during which he had evil
IDENTIFY been turning sons,bing important
over in bis MAD, "do you think you
could lerd US that skull for SIGHT or
two?'
What for,"
For such . lark. I'll drsss it up IN my
Wight Sl gown, and fFish''n the COOK and
"stunning ~ we oil exclaimed by uni
vsrssl consent.
81 say. jack" Thornton cout;pusd,
"but you will lend it to ~, old fallow,
won't yous You shall have it back ali
right"
AZ It was simply question Of usmiii>
gated mischief. tie result Of our dslibsra
ions nay b snlisipstsd without much diff
iculty. A fadsd purple bag, profussly
stained with pale breWs spets 81 the many
uses 10 which u bad beeo applied, va pro
ducsd By COR host sod With the skull
concealed therein, We sss Cd home. The
doeter vas going cut 70 dinner the next
day, 90 ss received to postpou. our an
tsrpfiss till the felleWise evening. Al H,
vac eeafly fsh ueee, Z you'd b just the
thing fsr our vuspose II itsAssld be . 6ns
night Thornton took the bag with its
contents up into our bedroom, and hid it
underneath his bed The NEXT day Dr..
and Mrs. Bloxam went cut to dinner, and
only the cook. Mary and our three selves,
we're lett in the house. Borsass and
Thornton went up stairs to make their az
rangsmsnts, and remained alone in the
dining ball. We thought il would excite
suspicion, II 10 all vent up together int
our room.
Their preparations were seen completed
The hideous skull vas % placed in the full
light Of the moon supported bya bolster
tied round . cricket kat and dressed in
Thernton's night gsUn. that u seemed -
il It we're sitting dp In bed. When all
ready, Borsass came quietly down the stairs
and went up TO see what they had osn-
trived. Although knew what to expect.
| was very much startled, - entered the
rssm just - st. Oswsld's clsek tollsd nine
eclsck from the aajscsnt lswss. There
1-~as something that slnost terrified me il
NE ghost-liks creature, which cat up 10 the
bed staring q me, With the fall light Of the
moon strssuing in upon il thrsugh the
| window.
II Say, Thorn tom ! half rsmsnssr.,sd,
1rTm afraid his 10 to- bad"
Never mind," Vas his snswsr; at II
toe late to think u that new. II will b
such Jelly fun
And % " picked cur VA ueisslsssly
lswn The stairs. cautisusly descending STEP
fby step. Rereass, aftsr while rang the
bell, and presently ~ heard Mary coming
along the passage, varying the tray with
our supper.
That's right, Mssy," sid Thornton,
"rm aWfully hungry. What time will the
doctor b hsms tonight ~
mot till late, Msstsr Thsrnton. h
left orders that you we're to q 70 bed q
ten o'clock"
"IIow jolly y cried Thornton '9hsn v,
have nearly An hour. say, Mary, your,
COED creature! 1wish you would 70 "
int our room and fetch me book you
will find under my pillow"
Yes, masisr Thornton, but you had nc
bushes 10 put it there"
And off Mary tripped on her ooliging
GRAND; whilst we followed on tip-tos "a
the foot Of The staircase. Presently "
heard . most appalling shrek. The win
dc~ Of the room WAS thrown up with grea
violence, and . crash Of broken glass wat
heard at the same moment We all ran W
stairs in the greatest alarm. The window
was vide open, aud the ginning wretch in
Rorase's be was swaying to and fro in
The wind, which swept through the apart
ment; but Mary was nowhere to be seen
our Dom opened into the next, and We
rushed in hoping to find her there. Blu,
not trace Of her was to be discovered
We ran down to fetish the cook, and sh,
came up with . candle; but still no MARY
was to be found. We procured additions
lights, and went through the whole house
We ssaochsd everywhere. Every eornel
and cupboard was examined, a. We wildly
hurried from one place to another in oul
anxiety. We lightsda lantern and priet
into every nook and angle out Of doors
going up and down the walks, and ever
smongst the rows ofeabbagss in tho ki.ch
en- garden, in oar trouble to know wha
had become Of poor Mary. Stroke by
stroke the great bell Of st. Oswald's tolled
out ten o'clock, and yet no discovery had
been made.
We did mot dream Of going to bed.
White, trembling, and cold, We sat owe,
the chssrsss dining hall FIRE, waiting, and
yet drsading the doctors return. And q
ong, weary time il was, as We covered
oyer the dead CRATE. listening to the cook q
stsalthy tread ~ she moved about in the
silent passsgss. Al length We heard the
wheels Of the doctors carriage; 1t first in
the distance, along the road, and then
more distinctly, - they crushed the gravel
in the approach to the front door. A
startling ring awoks the echoes of the
empty building; and the cock ran to open
the door, letting in q rush Of cold night air,
~ the doctor and Mrs. Bloxam came 10
and passed int their sitting rsOm. And
then 10 heard the cook follow, and slut
the dosr. Once more oil was silent.
That misersble ten miuuees Of suspsnss /!
Ny mouth was parehsd. my head Vas burn
ing het, but shivsred with cold. Thorn
ten sat - bleodlsss - ghost. Borsaes
was silently crying, and l saw the drops
trickls through his fingers and fall upon the
fender. The doctors deer was opened,
and the cook came out to 10 saying. 1.-THE
doctors wishes - speak to you"
"Jans." said Dr. Bloxam to the cook, q
~ Suffered, go to Snithson q sncs, and
tell him be must come up Immediately, and
AZ had better bring one Of the other csnsta-
bles With him"
And nov. boys, toll ss oil about this
| ed busineos."
We told him the whole story, Just 40
everything had happened. lie vas very
calm. allowing - - recount the circum-
stances quite in our ewn way. He snly
interrupted 10 oseasiesally to ask quss-
ton Or tive. Much sooner than could
have shsueht II possible, Smithssn arrived,
and W had tetsll eur story over again In bio
presence. He did net speak . word until
~ had floishsd /; and shSn be proposed
that 10 should 60 up stairs With him,
while he iaspsetsd the room. Hs wsat 70
the window ct snes. and licked cut In
the mosnlieht night.
''lf she jumped cut Of the window il
her fright she'll b found down there"
he said, pointing With his finger down
the descent. "Csuldn't have stepped her
self" scarcely think she could have
done anything 90 Desperate "Ifshe went
that way" stiil pointing downwssds, as he
peered into the gloom caused BY the mists
Of the river, upon which the moon was
shining, 'shs was mad when she did it, and
shs'u be dead now. Jiw," be said 70 h;s
subordinate, get lantern, and see if you
can End any thing down there