New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-16

line only answer Was Sush "a s~e..;
which inundated the landing place; tne oio
woman had cut the unfortunate Christmas
throat.
1t was the work of second.
The Colonel had time to spring to his
feet and put himself on guard; seeing
which the two frightful old women fled ra-
pidly up the stairs and disappeared In the
darkness.
The flame of the smoky lamp fiickered in
the oil, and the Count took advantage OF
its last rays to follow the murderers. But
on reaching the top Of the stairs prudence
counseled him not to abandon this point OF
egress.
He heard Christine breathing low, and
drops of blood fell from stair to star In the
midst of the silence. 1t was horrible!
On the other hand, a strange sound of dis
turbance at the back of the den made the
Count fear that the two women were attempt
ing to escape by the windows.
Ignorance of the place had, for moment,
prevented his moving from the spot on when
he was standing, when ray OF hSht shih-
ing through a glass-dOor allowed MN 10 see
the two windows of room looking into
the alley, lit by a light from without. AT the
same time he heard, in the alley, a loud voice
call out:
"Helloo!-what's going on here? Adoor
open"' j.,
"Come this way! come this way" cried
the Colonel.
At the same mement the light cleaned in1
side of the house..
All" cried the voice, "blood! The
tlevil!-I can't be mistaken-its Christine ~
'Come here ~ repeated the Colonel.
A heavy step sounded on the stairs, and
the hairy face of the Waterman, Selig, with
his big otter-skin cap, and his gOat-skin over
his shoulders, appeared at the head OF the
stairs, directing the light of his lantern to-
wards the Count.
The sight of the uniform astonished the
good fellow.
sWho's there 2" he inquired.
"Come up, my good fellow, come up !"
''Pardon, Colonel-but down below, there s
"Yes-a woman has been killed; her MUIR
derers are in this house."
The Waterman assembled the few remain
inc stairs, and, holding up his lantern, Int
the place 1t was landing about six feet
square. on to which opened the door OF the
room in which the two women had taken
refuge. A ladder on the left hand, leading
ND to the carret-story, still further contracted
the space.
The Counts paleness astonished Selig.
However, he dared not question the Colonel,
who asked:
"Who lives here:
"Two women-a mother and daughter
they are called about the market the Josels
| The mother sells butchers meat in the mar.
ket. the daughter makes sausage meat"
The Count, recalling the words uttered by
Christine in her delirium-" Poor child!-
they have killed it!"-was seized with gidd
ness, and cold perspiration burst from hi:
| forehead.
BY the most frightful chance he discovered
at the same instant, behind the stairs, a little
Scotch tunic, with blue and red checks, a pail
of small shoes, and a black cap, thrown there
out of the light He shuddered, but an irwin
chile power urged him on to look-to contem
plate with his own eyes; he approached
| therefore. trembling from head to foot, ant
witha faltering hand raised these articles
dress.
They had belonged to his child!
Some drops of blood stained his fingers.
Heaven knows what passed in the Count:
heart. For long while, leaning for supper
against the wall, with fixed eyes, arms hang
ing helplessly by his side, and open mouth
he remained as if stunned. But suddenly hi
sprang against the door with a yell of fur,
| that terrified the Waterman. Nothing coult
have resisted such shock. Within the room
was heard the crashing of the furniture which
the two women had piled up to barricade thu
entrance the building shook to its founda
ton. The Count disappeared into the OBJ
security then came shrieks, wild cries, impre
cations , hoarse clam0rs from the midst of thu
There was nothing human in it it was a
/ if wild beasts were tearing each other Il
| Dieces i'm the recesses of their den.
The allev filled with people. The neigh
| bors from all sides waded into the mire, in
1 Quiring
"What's the matter: Are they murder
| ing one another here?"
suddenly, all became silent, and the Count
covered with wounds from knife, his uni
form i'm tatters, came down the stairs, hi.
sword red to the hilt; even his moustache'
were blood-stained, and those who saw hin
might have thought that he had been fighting
| in the manner of tigers.
|
What more is there for me to tell you?
Colonel Diderich was cured of his wounds
and disappeared from Mayence.
The authorities of the town considered il
| iudicious to keep these abominable detail:
| from the parents of the victims; l learned
them from the Waterman, Selig himself, aftel
| he had become old, and retired to his village
| near Saarbruck. He alone knew these de
tails, having acted as witness at the secre
| inquiry which was instituted before the
criminal tribunal of Mayence.
Cotton is shipped from Montgomery tt
Norfolk BY rail- S95 miles for G5 cents pei
| hundred. The route is favorite one, accord
| ;nc, m tho Calmhiis f(Yo \ SIM