The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-12-27
Qbe Gi1tes, New BLOOMFIELD, 1)a.

threatening, at the landlady.
Presently the old woman suddenly ex
claimed
do not like it, joel do not like it
at all"
Not like it, missus Well, you are
sop! Why, the furs alone are worth a
cool hundred. Why"
"Yes, yes; 1 know that" said old
Elsie impatiently. 81 like all that well
enough, but l don't like violence"
Catherine Farquhar shuddered.
Violence" retorted the man, with a
brutal oath. What, are you turned
tender-hearted Why, they are all as
safe as houses and it's only to carry
them out and topple them down the well
and that'll soon do their business"
"But to drown four people! And
then. the bodies would be found, and"
What fool you are Elsie Why,
what's easier than to take 'em when they're
dead and lay 'em under the snow ?"
But the snow won't last for ever"
1t will last good six weeks, if ] know
anything of weather; and when they
are found-the bodies I mean-folks
would suppose as they'd lost their way
and got smothered in the snow"
But the coach ?"
swell we'll put the horses to it and
take 'em about half mile out, and then
make 'em upset it in one Of the drifts /;
and then cut the traces and let the lead
ers off, and, as for the wheelers, they'd
soon get suffocated and folks, if they
should come across the leaders, would
think as the coachman had cut the traces
to help 'em off, and So"
All and so we'll carry the bodies
and bury 'em nigh the coach, as folks
should think they'd been upset together
like"
"That's it old girl"
The old woman tossed her grizzled
locks back from her scanned forehead,
and, looking her companion steadily in
the face, said:
Joe, you're precious villain !"
Very like" answered the man, coolly
taking Whit at his pipe. "Go on,
mother"
Mother !" thought poor Catherine,
shaking as if with an ague.
And it's what I'd never consent TO-"
continued the old woman, firmly.
The man clenched his fist and half
started from his chair
No, neverw said lllsie. " Rob 'em
if you like, and I'll say nought; but no
lives shall pay for it,"
1t was noticeable that the woman had
now entirely laid aside the broad north
ern accent which she had at first assumed
and Catherine, even in her agony of
apprehension, did not fall to remark
this.
Then followed some words in low
tone, of which the listener could not
catch the purport The man was evi-
IDENTIFY demonstrating with the old woman
and the latter as evidently determined not
to be moved
Now" thought Catherine, {" is the
time to alarm my companions"
But how was this to be done?
She did not even know the room in
which they slept, and had she done SO
they would be insensible from the effects
of the narcotic which had been ad-
ministered to them. How devoutly she
thanked heaven that she had not parta-
ken of the brandy and water. Then she
suddenly remembered that Mr.. Hartley
had taken but little, and would probably
sleep less soundly than the others. But
again, she reflected that the coachman,
like herself, had taken none at all. The
thing to be done, then, was evidently to
find the sleeping apartment of the dri-
ver She would have preferred, certain
ly, to communicate with Mr.. Hartly but
this was no time for prudery, when four
lives were at stake.
Silently, then, and as rapidly as her
cold and trembling fingers would permit
her, Miss Farguhar dressed She dared
not strike light, although she had
tinder-box-matches were not then in
common use-so, with an earnest prayer
to heaven for assistance, she groped her
way to the door. But here an incident
occurred which almost caused her to die
with fright.
The door being rather old and crazy,
and the wind high, it was no sooner open