Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-02-11
MAJOR MUDD's MURDER.
by JUDGE CLARK,

Eo1ochocracy-A = DeRrs- moreover. he
had faith in nothing but financial total
dehssv;tyy. His bump 0ss reverend Fs77srrsi;iass mas
concavity. Like Capt. Symmes, he
believed 1.-THE hollowness of the world
mot 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 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 a beau
ty, and didn't care q 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 30.
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 temporary ad-
vantage in the market.
I soon found that another was the
real stumbling-block. 1t 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 q fat
Broad.street broker, old enough to be
& Pets father, and 80 like the latter that
sethe two might have beens 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? l was near her own age,
and-well not fatter myself.
The upshot of it was that Pet and
made up Our minds to run away and get
married-she oonfding in paternel
affection for final forgiveness, and I in
the old gentleman's ultimate discovery
that he couldn't help himself.
Mr.. De Bruin watched his daughter
like 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-
lngs' de 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.
bright idea struck me. I had often
amused myself and Pct by mimickine
the major. could do his voice to a
nicety; and having had some expert.
once IN private theatricals, I felt sure
that with little stuffing and other
making up should be able to person.
ate the old hipopotamus to perfection.
The majors arrival was exneoted
daily, and when he came, Pet and ]
Knew, that with two instead of one 10
Watch us the execution of our soheme
would be rendered doubly difficult.
accordingly VIC determined to bring
matters to crisis.
IL was given out that was going
away not to return. It being priva+elv
understood that 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; and boldly risk
the consequences.
l took m austentatious leave of MIR.
De Bruin, bowed oeremonious good.
by to his daughter, and took the next
train for the city.
That evening presented myself to
the hotel clerk, to whom 1 had paid nv
bill i'll the morning, with all the dignity
of padded portliness and the frosts of
at least fifty winters siIveriug the looks
OF my wig.
The clerk who knew the major we'll,
saved me the commission of downright
forgery by registering the name himself.
spent dull evening with Mr.. De
Bruin. Pet left us early, doubtless to
prepare for our midnight fitting; and
the old gentleman tackled me in q dis
oussion about "points and corners "
that fairly made my head swim, and