The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-24

y
ooh, no, no." said Mrs. Gooch.
"Well," said Mr. Gooch, 81 feel that |
must unbosom myself to some one pve
killed Chubb."
'What !" gasped Mrs. Gooch.
'I'vc killed Chubb, the grocer. That's
what kept me SO late. Oh, dcar!"
''llc is mad" " said poor Mrs Gooch
"No, Pm not, Tilly!" said Mr.. Gooch.
''No, I'm not Indeed Pm not He came
into my office about that tea, you know
and got angry and we had words, and
| well, he'd brought his chcesc-knifc with
him, and when he called me rascal l Just
jabbcd it into him."
ooh !" shriclcd Mrs Goocl.
"Wcll, there he was, dead, you know I"
| said Mr.. Gooch, 'and murder Is Il hanging
matter. So felt must hide it. Just
stepped out and got baTel-un empty po-
tato barrel. All how often we'd quarrcled
about it-and brought it into the office, and
let down the blinds and tried to stuff him
into it. But Chubb is fat-was fat, Imean
--und-" -
81 shall die !" moancd Mrs Gooch.
Don't make any noise, Tilly !" said
Gooch, in an awful whisper, 81 had to cut
him into chunks, like pork, you know, to
get him in"
VII AL HlOuIlCu LILY.
''Then there was the floor to scrub, and
sinking the barrel In the cstcrn, "said Gooch;
'that old cistern that is never used, you
know. 1t was dreadful And Chubb's
ghost standing just behind you all tea time.
No wonder Pm not myself, Tilly"
But he said no more. Tilly was IN hys
tcrics.
Poor Tilly Gooch She sat alone next
hnr li,o oIo nO hol 4 -
flee, and felt that the world had been turned
topsy -turvy. Here was secret she must
keep--a horrible secret that she dared not
breathe to any one. Certainly it would kill
her. Oh she must tell her mother. Her
mother would know what depended on 81
lence. She would be true. And then,
somewhat comforted, Tlly put on her hat,
tied vail over her eyes, and Gran over" to
the parental mansion.
In just ten minutes after her entrance old
Mrs. Since knew ali about the murder, and
was shaking from head to foot, and eiacula-
ting wildly.
'Oh! dear, they'll hang him! Oh dear,
they'll hang him on the gallows! Oh! dear
what dreadful thing! Oh! how wick
ed Oh poor Mr.. Chubbl Oh!
at the sound Of her mothers cries the
eldest sister of the family, Miss Maria Since,
rushed in, and demanded explanation.
81 can't tell !; can't tell" sobbcd Mrs.
Since
ooh, Maria, you are my friend" sobbcd
lilly. "You wouldn't betray u.s." And
out came the story again.
Now, Maria Since was nervous, and given
to shricl<ing when terrified, and rs soon rs
she had heard the awful facts she began to
utter shrek after shrick, each shriller and
more prolonged than the last. The win
dows were open neighbOrs heard and
rushed in.
The house was in commotion No one
knew what had happened, and some one
sent for the family doctor.
The doctor came. He was a wise, be-
nignant old gentleman, and he questioned
tated Mrs. Since and Miss Maria 2" he said.
eyes, " said Mrs. Gooch.
"And you are trembling, too," said the
doctor .s..
They were alone in little room, whittier
he had led her to question her, and Mrs.
Gooch could not restrain her tongue
ooh, DOCTOR" said she ssyou wouldn't
wonder if she knew all. Don't tell any
one. And then and there she told him all.
Meanwhile the cnr of the ''up-stars girl"
was at the kcyhole. F@'
"My dear, my dear, this is horrible !"
said the doctor. "You can't expect me to
keep a secret like that. Compound a muir
der BE n sort of accomplice afterth fact!
l can't! can't Not is it were my own
son. " ....
Mrs. Gooch screamed, and Biddy Hag-
german left the leyhoc and ran to the po-
lice office. E"|"
There sho made statement of the facts
of the case. Chubb had been murdered.
Mr.. Gooch murdered him. The grocer's
remains were in barrel in the old cistern
behind the real estate office. She had all
the particulars.
Justice Spruce was an energetic man. In
| half an hour two stout policemen were on
their way to arrest Mr.. Gooch, who shortly
was led through the streets toward the sta
tion, followed by crowd of boys, and
stared at from the windows.
Justice Spruce was an old friend of
| Gooch's He advanced to meet him.
"Gooch," lie said, 81 regret the part I've
| been Obliged to take in this affair I hope
it will prove ridiculous mistake. I hope
you did not tell Mrs. Gooch that you had
murdered Mr.. Chubb, and that his remains
were packed In q barrel in your cisteri q"
CT did, though" said Gooch. 81 don't
NChJ lt' ihuy SCC NY WIG Ill your pres
encc before am sent to prisQn2"
This privilege having bccnaccorded, Mrs
Gooch was sent for. She arrived in the
cab, a mere wisp Of misery her liair dis
| hevellcd, her collar unpinned, her eyes and
nose swollen. With her came all her rela-
'tivcs and half the town.
Goocli stood before his miserable wife
and looked at her with a queer expression
on his face. ~" go ~
'T confidcd an awful secret on which my
life depended, to your wifcly bosom, Tilly,"
hc said, "andI you betrayed me. ,.a'
sob, my dearl Oh mydear ~ moancd
Mrs Gooch 81 didn't mean to. Oh,
please hang me, Mr.. Spruce. It's my fault.
Let him go. i did it. .raoh, oh, ohl" 4
The ladiesof the Since family wcpt, spec
tators shook their heads. At this instant
somebody was heard saying: "Lct nc get
through, folks !" and In an instant more a
I'bhlky form appeared before the justice,
who stared at 1t in an establishment
| 81 lest come back from Market" /" said