The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-05-07

hand room. "Garsong !" shouted the Eng
lishmsn, "gmme another bottle o. port"
The port was brought, and the English
man grew quiet Finally the officers, hav-
ing drank all they could carry, and some of
them more, departed, after having joined in
parting toast 10 the bride.
Quiet at last reigned over the hotel. The
night was clear, the moon shining brightly.
Leon and his bride looked out from the
window, and inhaled the fragrance borne
from the flowers in the garden below. Sud
denly Leon's gaze fell upon man who
was sauntering amidst the shrubbery. He
walked with his head bent down, cigar
in hi, mouth, and his hands thrust into his
pockets. As he turned the moonlight fell
upon his face. 1t was the Englishmans
dissoluto nephew.
The night wore. Leon and his bride had
almost forgotten their English neighbor,
when they heard a strange sound in his
room. 1t was that Of the lall of some heavy
body Mingled with this there was pc.
cular crashing, grating sound, followed 10y
sitting cry. Silence. Then there were
two or three muttered oaths, and silence
again.
The young couple shrddercd. What
could it mean2 Leon tried to reassure his
trembling companion, but he was inter-
rupted by the cautious opening Of the next
door. 1t was softly closed again, and then
slow and apparently careful footsteps were
heard in the hall. They were lost in the
distance. They ceased. Again all was
still.
Soon the young bride was sleeping calm
! ~. But not so Leon. Despite him self. the
sinister face Of the Englshman's nephew
returned to his recollection. There was ha-
tired, he thought, in the glance cast upon
the uncle by the young man when he left
him, and then that roll of bank-notes in
the valise. And then that dull, heavy
sound but now, like the fall Of a body upon
the iloor-the cry-the curses. Such was
was the train of thought that ran through
Icons mind.
Mechanically he fixed his eyes upon the
! door which communicated with the Eng
lishman's room. There was little space
between the bottom Of the door and the
flooring. BY the dim light falling from the
partially turred-down gas, he could see
something forcing its way under the door
It seemed, at first, like a knfe-blade, for
the edge was thin, aud reflected back the
light. It moved slowly toward little blue
slipper, which had been thrown carelessly
near the door.
"What can it be ?" though Leon. "Is j
knife? No, for it has divided into two
parts. Aud now it divides ogain--and ye
0gain-nnd yet again. What can it be? l
is some liquid"
The thing slowly crawled toward the lit
tie blue slipper. 1t encircled its heel. !
aimed Its front. 1t was liquid. 1t wa
a strange and uumistakable color-the colo
: : of blood. "''
For long time Leon lay and gaze
upon the stained slipper and the reddis
stream which encircled it. He pictured
+ himself the corpse lying in the next room
4 its discovery the following morning; tn
door opening into the room, Of which tn
bolts were on his sdej the blood staine
8 slipper. These things passed through b
c mind, and cold sweat started out upo
+ him. He attempted to rise, and hide II
n slipper; as he did so, his wife awoke, an
e started with alright as sho felt his icy han,
"What is the matter9 2" she cried
Leon explained to her the terrible situ
tion in which they were placed. He aro'
- and attempted to remove the tell-tale stall
from the slipper, but it was useless.
Day was breaking. Already the servNn
y y were moving around the hotel. In a fe
- hours the crime would be discovered, al
, the officers of the law would be upon theI
il. ALIAS I" said Leon, "our only hope is tn
#. AT eight o'clock the train leaves for Par
in IfIhe Englishman's body is not discover'
- before that time We are safe. We will tgl
Ia tho train, and lose ourselves in the gre
@. city. There we shall be safe"
C, His weeping bride flung herself upon !
bosom. She felt almost as though she hs
g committed the deed.
at But there yet remained two mortal hou
he before the train left At each step in /
as corridor they both trembled with allrigl
On They made their preparations for departu
n Icons bride wished to burn the bloody sli
per, but he restrained her, and concealed
4" on his person.
i'll Seven o'clock sounded. The hotel W
ne alive again with busting servants. Lee
forced his wife TO take cup of coffee,
on though she declared that her parehed thrc
h refused to swallow. They then descend
a to the waiting room, and Leon demand
de his bill. The host presented it, and begG
IL his pardon for the noise Of the preyio
evening. Leon assured him that they h
er, passed very quiet night.
al "Well, I'm glad of IT," said the he
ry "howeyer, your nsighbor on the left did
NJ disturb you much, III be bound. II
Ith sleeping like dead man yet"
ny Leon shuddered. His wife grasped
n arm eonvulsively.
ey "He's an English MILFORD" continued