Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-10-16
try it on any of his friends who would

discolored skull of a man who had been
hung for murder at the County Jail. The
miserable being had killed his sweetheart
in the clubhouse of neighboring farm, be-
cause she was desirous of breaking off
their engagement, probably through an
instructive dread of his ferocious disposi-
tion.
: We spent many a. happy hour in this
unique studio with Jack, during the East
er vacation; staying there to the last mo-
ment, and then scampering home ust in
time to save our credit. a4s !.
care you not afraid to come up here in
| the dark, Jack ?" Borlase asked one day.
"Not bit, of it," was Jacks answer
"Pm not afraid of doing something far
worse than that" "4r.rTasf A.. ....+t..,
| "What do you mean, Jack ?" l.,
"Why, Tn not afraid of coming up here
in the moonlight; and with that murder
ing cove grinning at you, it is enough to
make fellow feel a bit queer, l can tell
your z,--1a- 4a--~sss' 49, -l.---s-' q.
"I say, jack" Thornton said. after a
few minutes silence, during which he had
evidently been turning something import
| ant over in his own mind, "do you think
| you could lend us that skull for q night or
| two? & htH3 i"i i- e5- ist HNf
"What for p 4a4,y iaa aaJ <ta
"For such lark. I'll dress it up in my
nightgown and frighten cook and Mary"
Stunning" we all, exclaimed, by uni
versal consent. i =
"I say, Jack" Thornton continued,
but you will lend it us, old fellow, won't
| you /? You shall have it back all right" /"
| AS it was simply question OF unmiti-
gated mischief, the result of our delibera-
| tions may be anticipated without much
difficulty. A faded purple bag, profusely
stained with pale brown spots by the many
uses to which it had been applied, was pro-
duced by our host, and, with the skull con-
cealed theI elm, we set off home. The doc
tor was going out to dinner the next day,
so we resolved to postpone our enterprise
till the following evening. AS it was nearly
| full moon, it would be just the thing for
| our purpose, if it should be a fine night
Thornton took the bag, with its contents,
| up to our bedroom, and hid itunderneath
his bed. The next day DR.. and Mrs.
! Bloxam went out to dinner, and only the
| cook, Mary, and our. three selves were left
| in the house. Borlase and Thornton went
up stairs to make their arrangements, and
remained alone in the dining We
thought it would excite suspicion if we all
went up together into our room. tt
Their preparations were soon completed.
The hideous skull was so placed in the full
light of the moon, supported by a bolster
tied round cricket-bat, and dressed in
Thornton's nigbt-gown, that it seemed as
if it were sitting up in bed. When all was
ready, Borlase came quietly down the
stairs, and went up to see what they had
contrived. Although knew what to ex-
pect, was very much startled, as enter
ed the room just as st. Oswald's clock toll
ed nine o'clock from the adjacent tower.
There was something that almost terrified
me in the ghostlike creature, which sat up
in bed staring at me, with the full light
of the moon streaming in upon it through
the window.
"I say, Thornton" I half demonstrated,
"Im afraid this is too bad"
"Never mind," was his answer it is
too late to think of that now. 1t will be
such jolly fun"
And SO we picked our way noiselessly
down the stairs, cautiously descending
step by STEP Borlase, after awhile, rang
the bell, and presently we heard Mary
coming along the passage, carrying the
tray with our supper. et.
"That's right, Mary" said Thornton,
I'm awful hungry. What time will the
doctor be home to-night?"
"Not till late, Master Thornton. He
left orders that you were to go to bed at
ten o'clock"
How jollyl" cried Thornton. "Then
we have nearly an hour. I say, Mary,
go up into our room and fetch me book
you will find under my pillow"
eyes, Master Thornton, but you had no
business to put it there"
And off Mary tripped on her .obliging
| errand; while we followed on tip-to to
the foot of the staircase. Presently we
heard a most appalling Shrek The win
dow of the room was thrown up with
great violence, and crash of broken glass
was heard at the same moment We all
ran up stairs in the greatest ALARM. The
window was wide open, and the grinning
wretch in Borlase's bed was swaying to
and fro in the wind which swept through
the apartment; but Mary was nowhere to
be seen. Our room opened into the next,
and we rushed in, hoping to find her there.
| But not a trace of her was discovered.
We ran down to fetch the cook, and she
came up with candle, but still no Mary
was to be found. We procured additional
lights, and went through the whole house.
We searched everywhere. Every corner
and cupboard was examined, as we wildly
hurried from one place to another in our
anxiety. We lighted a lantern, and pried
into every nook and angle out of doors,
going up and down the walks, and even
among the rows of cabbages in the kitchen
garden, in our trouble to know what 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. ff
We did not dream of going to bed
| White, trembling and cold, we sat over
the cherries dining hall fire, waiting for,
and yet dreading, the doctors return
And long, weary time it was, as we
covered over the dead CRATE, listening to
the cooks stealthy tread as she moved
about in the silent passages. AT length
we heard the wheels of the Doctors car
riage; at first in the: distance, along the
road, and then more distinctly, as they
crushed the gravel in the approach to the
front door. A startling, ring awoke the
echoes of the empty building; and the
cook ran to open the door, letting in a
rush of cold night air, as the doctor and
Mrs. Bioxam came in and passed on to
their sltting-room. And then we heard
the cook follow, and shut the door. Once
more all was silent.
That miserable ten minutes of suspense
My mouth was parched, my head wa:
burning hot, but / shivered with cold
Thorton sat as bloodless as ghost. Bor
lase was silently crying, and l saw th,
drops trickle through his fingers anl
fall upon the fender. The doctors doc,