The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-12-30
THE MISSING MAN.
A STORY OF "A FACT.

She was a curious sort of woman; I
could never quite make her out. Ev-
identity she had ga past" but she would
not tell me much about it, until mere
accident opened it all up. will not stop
to relate how knew her, but come to
the point at once.
was dawdling one morning over the
Times, when my eye fell upon an ad-
vertisment about missing man; I forgot
how it ran, but he had disappeared in
some mysterious way, had never been
heard of, and that sort of thing; was
supposed to have had large sum of
money about him, and reward was
offered for such information as might
lead to his discovery, etc.-you know,
the usual business.
Well, can not say why, but I hap
pened to read this advertisement out to
my friend, and as I went on, glancing
down the paper, I said:
"Ah poor fellow, he will never be
heard of again; robbed and murdered,
no doubt; these disappearances are all
undiscovered murders, [ suppose.
I heard her move uneasily and sigh,
and, as I continued reading to myself,
there followed sob and moan. Look
ing up, saw to my surprise, that she
had buried her face in her hands, anG
was crying bitterly.
Rising and crossing the room, I asked
what was the matter.
1t was long time before she coulc
speak; at last she said, through her sobs
in kind of absent way:
''No, no; they are not all murdered
not all.
"Why, what in the name of mischie
do you know about such things ?" I in
| quired "What has come to you, poo
| child? Calm yourself. How should yol
know whether they are all murdered o
not ?"
because" she went on presently, ant
looking at me in a strange, sad manner
her pretty brown eyes filled with tears
because I have too much reason. Bu
there, it's very foolish of me; 1 have N
right to bore you in this way-forgiv
me-" and she rose to leave the room.
4 I stopped her; saw L was on tn
brink of revelation; I did not intend
miss it, for was fond of her and conse
quently interested. So pressed my &C
vantage, the end being that I elected
very strange story; true, 1 have not th
least doubt. Briefly this is it, though
shall only give it in her words when
serves me best to do SO. In its narratio
she once or twice grew SO dramatic ths
1 will try to remember exactly what sh
said.
Her husband must have been man {
good family, but an utter scamp, gam
bier, spendthrift, and drunkard; all hi
own people turned their backs on hin
Dropping lower and lower, he reached
/ very low ebb, indeed, at last, and sh
hada bad life of it with him. They ha
been living somewhere in Yorkshire, b
,, racing, betting-heaven knows wha
The Doncaster meeting was comm
> round, and he found the region gettin
too hot for him, so he made bolt of i
and came to London, bringing her wit
: him (they had no children); came, as
/ understood, with couple of portmal
/. teaus, and under an assumed name
4 course, she never told me his real on
4 He took small, old-fashioned, furnishe
< cottage for three months; a dilapidate
: place somewhere near Kilburn, quite {
r the outskirts, and where the new neig
's borhood, which has now sprung up, W
v only then first beginning to be thoug
i. of. There were few new roads led OF
q and here and there an odd house or ty
l. erected, with the shells Of others inco1
|. plete-you know the sort of place,
:. scaffold poles, cabbage gardens, de
u cats, battered tin kettles, and stagna
% pools.
p They had been in this precious abo
but three days. when what happens
happened. They were without servs
in the hOuSa alone in fact the W
n becoming the drudge meanwhile.
# high wall surrounded the garden
is which the cottage stood, it having be
hi a neat little box in its day, quite in
sr country. An old and now almost c
's used road ran along one side of this W:
III which had door in it among some tn
OF trees.
)e Well, it was early in September,
n weather was close and sultry, and on
a third evening, as it was getting du
IN she strolled out and sat down on a bel
II, under these trees, near the door, leav
/ him sulkily smoking in the house.
)" "Sad and miserable indeed I was 9
n. sat there, went ON my friend, "thinki
rs thinking, thinking, in the silent glos
he ing. Everything was still as death
n that dreary neighborhood, SO that W
he the sound of a footstep coming slo
g, along the road by the side of the ,
n caught my ear, I almost started;
to when I heard the footstep suddenly
ter, then stop close to the door, and sc
one stagger against it, 1 rose from 81
1as nervousness. When to this sound &
ng ceeded a long-drawn gasp and moan,
KS. then heavy thud as of the person fal