The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-12
MAJOR MUDD'S MURDER.
BY JUDGE CLARK,

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stockocracy-a "bear." moreover. He
had faith in nothing but financial total
depravity. His bump of reverence was
a concavity. Like Capt. Symmes, he
believed in the hollowness of the world
not only of this world, but all others,
including the next. He would have
sold stock in the whole of them "short. "
The final bankruptcy of the universe
was a cardinal article of his creed, and
he didn't believe the assets would pay
over fifty per cent.
He had daughter "Pet." The best
that can be said of her is that she didn't
take after her father; for Pet was beau
ty, and didn't care a picayune whether
Bosh Preferred went up or down.
met Pet at one of our fashionable
sea-sides, and, to cut long story short,
fell in love with her and told her SO.
She said neither "yes" nor "no"
when I popped the question, but hung
her pretty head and asked for time, as
her father might have done in case of
the "bulls" having a temporary ad-
vantage in the market.
I soon found that another was the
real stumbling block. It always is an
other, who, in spite of what the prayer
book says, is wickedly putting asunder
those whom Heaven would join together.
Another, in this instance, was a fat
Broad-street broker, old enough to be
Pets father, and SO like the latter that
the two might have been cubs of the
the same litter. He was called Major
Mudd and to him, it seems, old De
Bruin had, some time before, hypothe-
Gated his daughter.
Pet had no great liking for the major.
What woman ever had for man old
enough to be her father-unless it was
her father? I was near her own age,
and-well-I'll not hatter myself.
The upshot of it was that Pet and
made up our minds to run away and get
married-she confding in paternal
affection for final forgiveness, and in
the old gentleman's ultimate discovery
that he couldn't help himself.
Nj. De Bruin watched his daughter
like a hawk. He evidently suspected
something. How to carry out our plan
became, from day to day, more per-
picking question, The old fellows
eye was on our outgoings and incom-
ings. He would tap at his daughters
door, at the most unexpected seasons,
under pretense of making this or that
irrelevant inquiry. To evade his Wig
lance would have been like giving the
slip to Argus.
A bright idea struck me. had often
amused myself and Pet by mimicking
the major. I could do his voice to
nicety; and having had some expert
ence in private theatricals, I felt sure
that with little stuffng and other
making up I should be able to person
ate the old hipopotamus to perfection.
The majors arrival was expected
daily, and when he came, Pet and 1
knew, that with two instead of one to
watch US the execution of our scheme
would be rendered doubly difficult.
Accordingly we determined to bring
matters to crisis.
It was given out that I was going
cway not to return. It being privately
understood that I was to come back the
same evening, disguised as the major
deceive Peters father as to my identity;
carry her off at midnight marry her at
the nearest minis er's ard boldly risk
the consequences.
took an austentatious leave of Mr..
De Bruin, bowed a ceremonious good
by to his daughter, and took the next
train for the city.
That evening I presented myself to
the hotel clerk, to whom I had paid my
bill in the morning, with all the dignity
of padded portliness and the frosts of
at least fifty winters siIveriug the locks
of my wig.
The clerk who knew the major well,
saved me the commission of downright
forgery by registering the name himself.
spent q dull evening with Mr.. De
Bruin. Pet left us early, doubtless to
prepare for our midnight fitting and
the old gentleman tackled me in a dis
cussion about "points and "corners
that fairly made my head swim, and
more than once drove me to the verge
of committing myself through ignor-
ance.
Bedtime came at last, and hastened
to my room, where threw off my dis
guise, and resumed my usual apparel
my purpose being to quit the house
when all was quiet, meet Pet at the ap-
pointed rendezvous, and convey her in
a carriage, engaged to be in waiting, to
the place at which the nuptial knot was
to be tied.
1t is an unromantic fact to speak of in
this connection, but one which subse-
quent events make it necessary to men,
tion, that the excitement was laboring
under caused my nose to bleed freely.
had barely succeeded in stanching
it, when a glance at my watch apprised
me that had no time to spare.
I opened my room door softly and
stepped into the hallway.
"Ha p exclaimed voice.
I turned quickly and found myself
face to face with old De Bruin, who was
evidently surprised to see me coming
out of what he supposed to be the
majors apartment. He didn't stop to
parley, however, but passed by, carry
ing his chamber lamp in his hand.
1 had gone but few steps when Mr..
De Bruin rushed out, pale with alarm,
and shouting:
"Murder p
"Seize him r he cried, pointing me
out to those who came in answer to his
call. "He has made away with the
major, who is nowhere to be seen, and
the floor is covered with his blood p
The haste with which l was seeking
to beat a retreat, added to the proofs
against me, and I was caught and Sc
cured at Onca