Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-08-06


wretched II she marries that man. lie
wants her money"
! could only call the girl perverse
and silly creature, who deserved her
late. She had chosen n position where
Worth, from tho foot Of the garden,
could see her side face as she coquetted
openly with McAlli.ter.
After a little, Tom came tearing al
foil speed toward she house. Out Of
breath, he bounded up the piazza steps,
crying, hoarsoly, "He's killed, he's
dead. Where's the ice-water?" then
rushed for the dining-rOom.
ITS Bertie," screamed my wife
I" its my darling. Oh, / knew some.
thing would happen" with the word
Mary raced down the garden path.
was scared enough 10 run too, bat Nina
caught up with and passed as both. AT
a glance ] saw the children we're safe,
though Mary still called wildly for her
BERTHE, who was roaring Justify under
hervery eyes, "He'th dead, he'th dead. ."
Jenny explained through her sobs,
" He's dead inside the hOgshead." 1"
Then, for the first, | noticed the old
empty hogshead lying on its side, and
from the open end protruded the feet OF
Mr.. Worth, while smoke and the smell
of powder poured out all around them.
Nina rushed TO the fatal spot, and
helped me to lay hold of Worth and
drag him out. She had turned pale AZ
death, and cried out, with delightful
femme logic: "You're dead, dear. For.
give me" Then: "Don't die, John
dear, don't die. love you"
was STOPPING over the body from
the other side; the head was Just
emerging from the hogshead, and the
face was turned toward me. It was un.
commonly radiant for corpse, and ]
heard the dead man whisper, "Hush!
it's blunder. I'm not hurt Don't want
TO mortify her. Put me to bed" and
John became rigid again.
McAllister drawing near, Nina cried
out, savagely: "Don't touch him. No.
body but me shall touch him. John.
dear John!" Then, sobbing, she bathed
his face in the ice-water that Tom had
just brought.
BERTHE all this time never stopped
bowling, "He'th dead, he'th dead :"
and Jenny heaving a profound but de.
corous sigh, said, - Yes, papa, our poof
Muff is dead"
"Muff 2r 1 questioned; "wherei
howP"
"In the hogshead," answered Tom.
We put crackers in it, and didn't
know Muff had crawled inside for
nap. Mr.. Worth went in to get him
OUT
"Ohl" sobbed Nina, land killed
himself with the powder smoke. Why
don't you send that man for the doc.
torP" This last was to me, and indi.
eating McAllister.
The suggestion cleared the situation
for me, and, after drawing out the woody
heap that represented our deceased
Muff, politely requested McAllister to
run for doctor. He did so, but with
very bad grace.
Under the scare Of seeing Worth ly.
ing still and speechless, the children
were awe-struck. Only BERTHE grieved
aloud over Muff's lifeless body.
Covering Johns face, | called Dennis,
the gardener, who was safely stupid,
and we carried the dead-weight to
couch in an upper room. Then John
whispered, "Send her away" for Nina
had followed close, all pale and grief.
stricken. told Nina to wait outside,
and let me use means to restore him to
consciousness but she declared, with
all her emphasis turned to a new use
81 'front.' leave him; I Donp. I'll die
too. Oh, l knOU he's dead. l knoU
it."
"You go away" whispered Worth.
went, and listened from outside.
There were sObs and means for a while I;
then came a great cry of joy, followed
by silence. Soon Nina appeared, all
rosy and glad. "He's come to con-
sciousness,n she said, ''and, and"
"We are going to be married." ad-
ded John, in a voice too strong for a
man who had just escaped death.
The doctor arriving, of course found
all the symptoms OF recent asphyxia.
while John cast queer glances at me
over the leaned head.
McAllister caught a pleasure. train,
and returned to the city with other tir
ed-out and disgusled eXcursionists.
Later John felt able to sit on the pi.
azza in the moonlight, depending on
firm grip of Mina's hand to keep him
from a relapse.
My wife said, 81 knew something was
going to happen if the children had fire.
works.
But it's nothing dreadful" says
Nina, in the softest of voices. d" /
told you I'd marry the man liked best,
and all the time liked best the one who
told me the truth, and didn't make
fool of me-"
"But you refused him." reminded
her.
Pshaw! that's nothing. quarreled
with him too, but didn't mean it."
On the spot gave up ever trying to
understand the real feelings or real mo.
tives of any creature of Mina's sex.
They were married last week, and
Nina has just been told that it was hei
own hasty outburst of affection that led
to the dreadful asphyXia and its happy
consequences. She says she wouldn't
have married if she had known it, Ar
guing from precedents, of course she
doesn't mean that.
The children knew nothing but the
apparent facts. To insure prudence
and obedience on festive occasions we
have only to say, I" Remember poor I'm.
Gle Worth and the Fourth OF July"
Like little Caesars at mention of the
jdes of March, they all become sad
and thoughtful, and consequently tract
able.-Ha,per' BazTr.
-sSS
Tho NOValist5s gaerat