The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-12-12
=" Old Zeke was very nleasant dur;n


supper, and got off a good many Jokes, if
you call his croakings jokes. He took
them both to the window and showed
them the red and black mud directly un-
derneath, for the second story was built
out several feet over the first, and told
| them of the quicksilver, and how it
drags one down, down by inches until
all is over. Bessie's face turned pale as
he went on in this way, while the wind
continued to rise until it blew gale and
shrieked like a mailman. Zeke kept
| opening bottles of rare stuff that he had
| in his cellar for ever so many years, and
always saw to it that the doctors glass
was full, although poor frightened Bes
sic, knowing that it was getting late, and
that the gale was becoming hurricane,
implored Mr.. Crawford to come home.
| 1.-The Black Bottle was half mile
away from the nearest house, nearly
mile from the little cottage to which
the doctor had driven her the night be-
fore after the merrymaking. But when
were young bridegrooms, flushed with
| generous wine, their handsome wife at
their side, ever wise? This one wasn't
at any rate.
"' Yes, SIR said Zeke, going on with
a yarn about tin-peddler that had
been caught in a swamp and suffocated.
there's the place-over there
"' Where?' hiccoughed the doctor,
steadying himself by his chair, and
lurching toward the window.
"' Why, there-don't- YOU see itP
shouted Zeke, for he had to below to
beat the wind.
"The doctor leaned way out to
see. As he did so Bessie uttered a
shrek of alarm and started toward him.
Zeke thrust her back, and, stopping
down, seized her husband about the legs
and hurled him out into the night and
the storm. There was sickening
plunge, and then all was quiet, except
the roar and whistle of the wind.
g" What have you doneP shrieked
Bessie, springing at the old fend like a
tiger-cat, and ciutching him by the
throat.
Gently, gently he said, disengag-
ing himself and Selling her in turn,
we shall see.'
He picked up a lantern with one hand
and dragged Bessie TO the window with
the other. The light streamed down
and rested on the pale face and agoniz-
ing eyes of the poor wretch, who had
turned in mis- descent and struck with
his feet instead of his head, as Zeke had
intended. The Shiny water was swirl
ing about his throat, and his arms all
dripping with ooze, were beating about
in the sand and the mud for some sup
port. And only eight or ten feet from
the abutment on which the rear of the
tavern stood.
My husbandp shrieked Bessie.
"' NV wifen the doomed man re.
piled, and then turning to Zeke he ex.
claimed:
"'Save me! save me! you would not
kill us both?'
cold Philpin made no reply to this
save to taunt his victim by lifting Bes
! sizes ripe lips to his and kissing them
/, with brutal passion, the light from the
: table in the rear making it all visible
: The agony of the doctor was something
terrible. He screamed for help. but the
wind made a plaything of his voice
: No one was abroad-there was no one tC
miss them. The Brambles thought
!, their daughter safe in her husbands
= arms in the pretty cottage they haC
taken. Old Zeke knew all this and hat
! calculated for non-interruption when ht
limited the supper party to three. Th'
negro cook either did not hear or was il
the plot. In the plot or not, she woult
: not have dared to cross her devilisf
: master.
"When he had finished lavishing hi
, hideous caresses upon the half-faintin!
u girl, Zeke dragged her back again to tn,
} window and bound her securely in
: chair, which was also fastened to
: heavy chest of drawers. Then the Ian
y y tern was fixed to have its full glare upol
= \ the ghOst-like face, the white lips, tn
." bloodshot staring eyes below.
"fDo you see him, little one?' whis
. pered Zeke. Isn't he handsome Sucl
J nice husband? Throw kiss to him
u u "The girl recoiled in horror iron
II his touch, and implored the fend t.
y saw the man she loved, dying by inche
in the noisome bog below.
le "He laughed, poured himself out an
- other glass of liquor, and going to tn
.e window drank Grayfords health an
" his married happiness.
50 "Then he kissed Bessie again, an
"a "a went out of the room, leaving her boun
70 in the chair, watching the marsh swa
ie low up the one being she loved above a
others on top of the earth. Little b
III little he sank from sight, his last word
y, blessing her, the last glimpse of his eye
4, Y blazing with affection.
~ "She tainted in the chair, and whe
% they found her it was dull-gray in th
III III morning, with the rain beating down O
of of the swamps and coming in at the viii
Vi dow. She was pale and wet, and almo
or dead. Her body had fallen over, an
le the cord cut like knives into her prett
y, arms. For months she was sick wit
re fever, and then for months again 81
lu was out of her head; and it was the
Nv while she was raving and actin
Y the murder, that we got to know a
A. about it-how it was done, how the
I'D happened to be there, and all the rest
i "And ZekeT'
e:u "He never turned up. It's my belle
rs rs and it's the belief of others, that tt
nA l swamp had him that night too. He hs
~ }o, dore his deed of revenge, he knew tt
W Wne girl would never love him, even if
as escaped the gallows, and so he MAJ
oi away with himself. No one ever So
"a him leave by any road, and his boz
le was never found. Wasn't right in sa
er' ing that mash there had committ
-. the murder?'
if Railroad Across the Sahara.
nd NJ. Duponchel, Engineer-in-chief
nd tho pop+S ot Ebou uccooc uoc lotoIu CO