The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-07-18

three sudden deaths or murders. iG was
small apartment, painted blue. 1t had also
blue window curtains, and blue silk COW
erlet on the bed; a neat striped carpet,
set of old mahogany furniture, and very
handsome ever and basin of costly
China. 1t was at the time almost uni
yersal custom to burn wood. In this room,
however, was a small coal fire. al
luded to this as Hannah came in with the
escuttle.
"Yes, sir" she said, 'missus does burn
Goals. Her son is clerk, or the like, at
the new mines at Mauch Chunk, and he
sends it cheap to her; but it's nasty,
dirty smelling thing, and hate it. Now
it's built and lit; twill warm UP in fifteen
minutes. Ittakes longer than wood.''
She went out of the door and eamesbac
in minute with little tray on which
stood pot and cup and saucer, also
bowl and tiny pitcher, and something in
a napkin.
.sMiss sent bit and sip," said she.
I" Tea rests us old folks nightly. Good
night"
"Good night, said. 81 expect shall
sleep soon; | must be up very early,
though, for I have bills to. pay. | have
some hundreds of dollars with me to pay
out tomorrow, and it's in this bag"
She looked at me in queer sort of
way, and fingered beside me. At last she
spoke:
"Look We, sir; think that old folks of
your age do wrong to lock doors on them
selves. You might be i'll at night, and
who'd get in to you? Leave your door
unlocked"
Was it this woman's practice to beg trav-
elers who stopped with her mistress not to
lock the door? Was there some baneful
- @IDx1 1el,, I,o1 crsxy
1t was an innocent-looking cup enough
AN old-fashioned affair, covered with lit
| tie gilt sprigs. The tea was fragrant Hy-
son; but the suspicion that had crept into
my mind had tainted it. fancied strange
| color, curious smell. put it from me,
! and would not have tasted it for a king
| dom.
had not intended to sleep, and did not
| undress myself. | merely removed my
disguise. and sat down beside the table,
with my pistols beside me. That some at
| tempt might be shortly made to murder
me felt to be possible. thought OF all
! the old tales that had head of trap-doors
and sliding panels, and secret entrances to
| travellers rooms. was not coward, but
felt strangely nervous; and singularly
enough for man in my perfect health my
hands were growing cold, and my feet
were Jumps of ice, while my head was
burning hot.
Fifteen minutes had passed, and the fire
was kindled; but the room was not warm.
| The blue flames struggled among the black
Goals, and flung forked tongues tipped
with yellow tints, into the room. There
was nothing cheerful about the stove,
though it was of that open style now called
Franklin. Yet | drew chair toward it
from habit, and sat with my feet upon the
| hearth. i do not Know how long sat
| there. Suddenly | became aware that l
was not myself / was losing my senses.
If unseen hands had been clasped about
my neck, and an unseen knee had been
pressed against my chest, my sensations
could not have been different.
A thought of the evil spirit, which my
friend had suggested, family struggled
into my mind. As staggered to my feet
a noise like the roaring of the sea was in
my ear. The flames of the candle turned
to great yellow blue. | barely retained
strength enough to stagger to the window
and fling it open. The fresh, cold winter
air rushed in at it. 1t gave me intense pain
but it relieved me. In moment more
was able to Chamber out of it upon the shed
below.
There I remained until the day-dawn
With my returning senses the truth came
to me. That which had murdered the
three men who slept before me in the blue
chamber was nothing more or less than
the coal stove.
1t was provided with what is called a
damper, and this in being caught in man
ner which closed it sent the poisonous gas
into the room. 1t had been kindled as 6
| wood fire would have been at the hour o.
| retiring, by one ignorant of the danger
possible from coal gas, and they had slep
never to awaken. Had | thrown mysel
upon the bed, | also should have beer
found dead at daylight, in all human prob
: ability.
AS for the fact that neither doctor no
: coroner discovered the truth, have bu
to say that they were not deeply scientific
: men-that coal stoves were scarcely uset
in the place, and that it had not beel
i mentioned that the blue chamber was thu
heated.
3 OF course [ rejoiced the household by
nv discovery next morning, and equally
t of course. Madame Matteau, who was no
I only freed from suspicion, but became tn
object of universal sympathy. She was al
: ways grateful to me, and she proved he
gratitude by giving what soon asked for
/, the hand of her daughter Gabrielle in maj
] riage.
! Railway Embankments as Vineyards
i A writer in the Gardeners Csro,sicIe,wh
Y has long lamented that railway embanE
= ments should lie waste, comes forward {
advocate their more general cultivation
e The sloping side of railway embanb
n ment, well summed and well sheltered, ear
s not fail to catch the eye of a gardener as
spot on which to grow the choicest G
|, fruit and vegetables. There are miles o.
d miles of embankment where vines woul
a flourish and grapes ripen, while ordinar
: wall fruit, supported on trellises, would b
v in capital situation. Green figs, too. tn
rr,I,ioh MN, 60 nnn