The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-11-25

phOSeu III the tone OF gentleman,
THAT nothing can save Joe johnson
from the rope? Poor fellow it does
look like it. But my dear Professor
Joe Johuson is fortunate enough to
have 10 mo devoted friend, as we'll as
brother. | have undertaken to save
him, and he shall be saved In order
to this cad it will be necessary to re.
move from the face of the earth not
only the stomach of his miserable wife
yonder, but also, my dear Professor
I'm sorry t. be obliged to say it, for |
believe you ''e, my brothers teacher
and irieud--yourself as we'll"
| saw that he was 10 deadly earnest,
"Your death must apparently result
from accident--as least. so it must seem
to the authorities. My brother is 10
JUL, aud they will not suspect him, and
they certainly will not suspect me-"
What terrible deed was on his brain
hatchiug? Was he going to murder
me2 The hard earned knowledge of u
score Of years | would have given for
power TO utter one single cry.
He took me 10 his arms aud placed
mo in chair, and bound me to it, and
then from a side pocket he produced
another rope.
Was it myself who was to hang in.
stead Of Joe johnson.
No; yes. He placed the line pully.
like over an arm of the hanging chan
dalier. This was too slight support
even for one Of my slender frame. 1t
was not to be hanging thenf
To one end of the rope he attached a
weight and raised it by pulling the other
six or eight feet from the floor. Was
he mad 7 Did he mean to draw me
under this weight, and send me out of
the world 10 novel way by letting it
fall, and dashing my brains out 7
To the sink END he attached a long
yellow string.
Under the weight on the floor he
placed the can Of nitro glycerine
recognized the yellow string, it was q
fuse aud would burn across u marble
sab-there was no hope of its igniting
any substance that would warn my
friends.
"Do you begin to see through it,"
asked Joe Johuson's brother.
believe cursed him with my eyes
could only breath through my nostrils,
and great veins were swelling aud grow.
ing hot in my forehead.
Drawing a match from his pocket, he
lighted and applied it to the fuse, that
little tyrant that gives man au hour
to live, and kills him at the end Of it
that little irresponsible terror that, le 8
than merciful Providence, told a man
the second he was to die, if fright aud
horror spared him to itselfl
Slowly the flames crept, snake.liko,
around the twine.
In one hour" said the prisoner S
brother, "you will be in heaven or hell.
| will watch with you for half an hour
aud the other half you will spend
alone"
He sat down some minutes in a chair
watching the fame. Then he arose
and took the piece of porcelain with the
murderer's mark thereon from the table
aud shook his head gloomily.
II am chemist enough to know it is
arsenic," he said. ayes, those bright,
metallic eyes, aud betrayer of the
guilty! Science, thou wouldst kill my
brother ? thou shalt save him. Let us
see in whose hands thou art most pow.
erful. Here is man who, by the aid,
bids the poisou.sprite uprise and write
in brilliant characters foul confession
on this piece OF porcelain. But behold,
D science 1t is no sooner written than
by thy aid, the whole confession and
thy chosen servant are annihilated.
Let the good professor use his chcmi
calls, the bid brother only asks--a little
eau of nitro glycerine y
heard this speech, indeed; but,
great heavens |! Il was my eyes
and uos my ears that were busiest then!
For, from beneath the table, covered
by the crimson cloth, Of which have
before spoken aud which | faced, up
peared the head of child. The hair
was rumbled and the blue eyes were
just opening from sleep. The intelli.
gent forehead was wriokled strangely.
1t was my boy Billy. | was afraid he
would cry "papa." If he did, the i'm.
placable mao would add the murder of
the child to the murder of the father.
But my boy did none of this. He
had, l suppose, crept under the table
unknown to me and had fallea asleep
there. tried to tell the little fellow
to hide again, aud wait for the fiual
half hour when my tormentor would be
cones Whether he understood me cr
not, aided by what he had heard, do
not know; bat he quickly withdrew his
curly head, first kissing his hand a. me
aud then shaking his fist at the schemer
watching SO billigereutly his dumb FIRE.
agent.
The half hour wore slowly away. o
heavens what agony did | suffer ? not
for myself, but for my child. A H. ht
noise might discover his presence the
match might run its tether sooner than
was expected. He might be murdered
or blown to atoms.
The fuse burns on. The half hour is
up!
The brother of the murder rises to
90! joy!
"Commit your soul to Gods keep
ing" said he. "You hold the evidence
ol my brothers guilt. Nothing can
save you now |"
With that he turned to take his hat
from of the table, beneath which hid
my priceless boy. Something attracted
his attention. He held out his hands
4 y 4 IL II. 4 A 4