The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-12-24
A Night In A Eza Ck.
BY PAUL BOrPIN.

Our firm had legacy; that is, hat
it for somebody else who had paid, ol
was to pay, US our professional tol
for allowing it to pass through ou
highly respectable hands. Respect
ability is SO rare nowadays as to bt
expensive; We charged highly for wha'
We had. Our frm was "Crouse &
Scott, Lttorneys at Law, 4th Hoor
Pudelo Block. "
I'm not Crounse nor Scott-bott
old, homely toads of lawyers, knobby
with excrescences Of legal ,yore, bu,
with hearts as warm and as young
and as big as ever beat in the human
form-only their head clerk. Mills,
Jenkins Mills, little musty and
parchnent-l,ke in person and man.
ners, it is true, brt servicea bic, very
serviceablc, in hundred ways.
wasn't young man, nor an old one,
unless forty years or thcrcabouts may
be called old. Then, bless your heart
had been with the firm twenty years,
and was as much part Of it as old
MIR. Crcunse himself They paid me
very large salary, more than could
have made at prac ticing, and gave
me sort of interest in the net
profits. I was a single man, and as
long as l was satisfied nobody bad q
right to grumble.
Well, as have stated, our firm
had legacy. In a few words, it was
little box Of jowclry-diamonds and
other precious stones in rich, quaint
settings-with q few English bank
notes as packing paper. The con-
tents Of the box were estimated as
worth about $4,000. The whole
came to US from England as bequest
of heir -looms from Miss Starks to
a niece in Illinois Miss Hattie Starks.
We had 1t six months before We could
ascertain where the deviscc lived. -
Meanwhile discovery was made
which just saved tho precious relics
Of the maidea aunt from mysterious
disappearance, and brought upon the
stage an individual who came very
near to playing the character Of vii
lain to perfection.
Mr.. Roderick Murtah was janitor
Of our great building. He seemed
remarkable principally because of bis
hcight-about four feet eight inches;
his weig ght-sav, tne hundred and
thirty pounds; the gravity of his thin,
wrinkled face; bis little cyes-llkc
black beads; his jsrkncss Of speech;
his nervous starts at the opening and
shutting Of a door; his rapidity Of ac-
tion, and last, but not least, his wife.
Ite two were new comers-the old
janitor having suddenly and uncxpcct.
edly fallen heir to slip Of real est stc
in q cemetery, of which he had gon.
to take permanent possession, leaving
the salary and emoluments Of his posi-.
tion to al unnamed successor. We
kept our legacy in the Office safe, and
the janitor on the fifth foor of the
building, where, in nicely furnished
rooms, he seemed to aEluse himscli
at odd times by standing as a target
for spare crockery, skil;fully SHE'D by
pouderous Mrs. Murtagh, who was
great in those physical traits where.
in her husband was small. Her noted
failing was a weakness for the bottle
-an error in weaning-upon which,
as human pump, she operated with
extraordinary powers of suction. She
was red-faced, fat, neat as women
usually are, but with devil dancing
continually in her eyes that spoiled
her otherwise motherly appearance
| used to meet her and her shaggy
rat dog on the stairs, and it was d
fortnight. l think, before knew whom
she was, or where she dwelt. Iwrite
thus particularly Of this couple, b.
cause, in q cunning way, they com
passed my downfall, old and trusted
as / was. Which Of the two was tn,
planner of tho scheme was neye,
known. @E
/ I made Mr.. Murtagh's 3 intimate &C
quaintance under peculiar circum
stances. l had seen tic man skip
ping hither and thither in his dutie.
as office-cleancr, ana thought him
shy, Insignificant creature, sensitiv,
As to his size, and shrinking from OBJ
scrvation and talk, heaten BY his wifi;
into pitable slavishness, and harm
less as lamb. Returning from tn,
theatre late one night, l saw a ligh
in the Office. 1t shone dimly through
the yellow shades which, against ou
habit. were drawn down. I was yer,
much surprised at this, for Mr.
Crouncs was out Of town, and I ha,
just said good night to Mr.. Scott a
the theatre, and the janitor sLoul,
have finished his work at least fiv
hours before. It was barely possibl
that Mr.. Scott had gone up, passin,
me. unseen while l was talking wit,
. friend at the corner. My surpris
in . moment gave way to alarm, whe
thought Of the legacy buried in tn
safe, OF which I carried the key
This had worried me and broken m
sleep for many night, being. so +
speak, under my sole care. l ran u
stairs very lightly. hearing no SCUM
save the patter Of tho feet Of tn
frightened rats scampering across an
M and down the dimly lighted balls