The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-04-29

wore the soiled light overcoat. He had
a friend with him-a creature in cloak
that style called talma and they were
conversing in low whispers.
professed to be paying no attention
to their dialogue, but, with erect ears
caught the following broken threads:
Money" said Light Overcoat
"Why, he's full of money; that's the
beauty of it"
"You have watched him closely ?"
questioned Talma, mysteriously.
"Never lost sight of him minute. ]
took care, too, provide myself with this. "
With the corner of my eye, and not
duce blood-curdling bowie-knife, and
show it to his companion.
"What good will that be?'
"What goodp repeated Overcoat,
sarcastically. "It will keep off jackals,
that's what"
He meant, probably, till the lion got
through.
This looked forbidding. These were
unpleasant condolences, limiting such
business as l had very little desire to
hear about. l felt greatly disturbed
angry, as we'll as little frightened. 1t
seemed to me particularly provoking
that this sort of thing should come about
just as / meant to be so ecstatically
happy in the exclusive society of Bessie
/ tried to change the current of my
thoughts by asking her how she managed
to smuggle so much baggage from home
undetected. She explained that she had
taken the trunks and satchels from the
house at various intervals, depositing
them with some young lady hair-dressers
until they should be needed.
l respectfully suggested that the
young lady hair-dressers must have
suspected something; but Bessie denied
this emphatically. They were innocent
as doves, she said; and certainly hoped
so.
Just then heard the conspirators be-
hind me again plotting.
"That's why went straight to find
you," said Light Overcoat. "I thought
two would be better than one. / don't
believe he can give us the slip now, try
as he may"
"No more do l." assented Talma,
agreeably. We won't lose sight of him
minute. Four eyes are better than
two, sure enough"
1t was very plain that this was case
of Hamlet's miching malecho." All
these dark hints concerned the gentle
man with the red-face. These rascals be-
hind me were following him-for knew
instinctively he was on the train-for
the purpose of robbery and, perhaps,
murder.
Now, what should / do? 1t wouldn't
be worth while to tell the conductor-it
was none of his business-and there was
no one else to cOnfide in. Yes there
was Bessie. They say women often jump
to a Just conclusion that men can only
reach by tedious detours. resolved to
tell Bessie.
did so in whispers. She was naturally
frightened. She made the reasonable
proposition to stop the train and get of.
I vaguely hinted that perhaps the
conductor would not stop the train for
us, and that possibly the middle of the
track would be a somewhat uncomforta-
BILE place to pass the night. Then she
said, Let us pay no further attention
to the wretches."
At last we arrived at B. had
already arranged with a clergyman by
letter. Ny darling and went directly
to his house, and at seven minutes past
seven o'clock found myself married
man.
We now started for the hotel. The
lamps in the streets were lighted, but the
evening being chilly, there were very few
people out. As we sauntered along arm
in-arm, dreamy with delight, pelson
passed in front of us-the gentleman with
the red face. l felt an impulse to rush
forward and warn him; but some
diffidence restrained me. He tramped
on under the lamps ahead of us until
his form became dim and barely distin-
guishable.
Glancing across the street, / shuddered
to behold the man in the light overcoat
and the man in the talma. The horrible
drama was evidently approaching to
climax. The catastrophe Idurst not con-
lecture.
Bessie and l went to the hotel. The
naughty clerk-a proud being whose
ancestors were doubtless kings-gave us
room No. 80. The waiter led the way.
Just as he opened the door l was
thunderstruck to perceive Red-face,
OveIcoat and Talma all three going into
81, which was next door. Bessie was
white as ice-cream and was tremulous
as the dial of the compass. We closed
the portal and listened with breathing
hearts.
For fifteen minutes we could hear
nothing but confused grumbling and
growing, such as would probably illus
trate the domestic conversational inter
course of family of full-grown bears
Then the noise rose higher. There were
shrieks and curses. I could tell that
people were scuffling about the room.
Some crOckery was broken. At length
there was shout, heavy fall, moan,
and all was as silent as the grave.
"What shall we do T' whispered my
poor Bessie. "This is the punishment
for running away from home."
"I am going to peep" said /, des-
perately.
was about to stoop and lie fiat in an
undignified but necessary position, when Il
perceived slowly trickling under the
doorway from the next ro0m-NO. ga
horrid pool of blood
stood erect, determined.
Bessie" said "that old man has
been murdered. II we remain here we
shall be held, when the deed is found out,
as witnesses. We snail have to explain
who we are and the object of our journey.
This will lead your papa to us, and all
will be lost. Let us fly while we may,
relinquish our dinner and Immediately
start for c."
My poor darling consented. We put
on our things and cautiously seized the
knob of the door. At the same instant
it was opened from the other side. A
servant in a white apron stood there,
smiling.
"Mr. Jones de proprietor, sab, hopes
as you were not annoyed by de rumpus
in 97," said he. "It was only Cunnel
Green, sab, little de worse for liquah,
and his friends wos tryin' to get him to
bed, sab. He busted bottle OBJ port
wine, and / spex as how it has run all in
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