Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-27

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neither" continued the ruffian, scramblln
> about; land it's 70 use talking; I'll Sc
, her, by -: I'll see the wench as
, brought to this - house; and don't yol
. 90 to tell me now SIS low it's all hum ant
that l brought no such body into it; In
! not so cut but / remember it; so fai
play, Master Phil; she must be &C
counted for (; none of your old mother,
tricks will do, now. / am not to be done, b,
-; first and last, that's my word bic !
rll-hic !" and he lay senseless. The pale
young man watched him like lynx, until
after some moments, his growing changed
into loud snore, and there was no doubl
but he slept soundly. Then he stepped
softly to him, knelt on one knee, took out
OF his breast large pistol, thrust it under
his own arm, and finally emptied his pockets
of purse and some crumpled papers.
Arising, with continued caution, he glanced
over the latter close by the candle, and
Peggy saw his features agitated. The next
moment he stole out of the room, barred
the door outside, and she heard his stealthy
step, betrayed by the creaking boards,
about to pass her chamber.
At this moment, however, another step
Peggy supposed that of woman-met his
from the lower part Of the house, and both
stopped Just at herfrail though well-secured
door. "Well?" questioned the woman, IN
a sharp whisper you pumped him? and
soaked him and touched the lining of his
pockets? Did we guess right p We did,
by -" answered the young man; :" the
- rascal has peached, by the -; his
very shutting with me showed it at once /;
but here's the proof here's an answer from
Mr.. Long to his offer to put him on his
guard agains the swag at Long Hall this
blessed night; and here's another letter,
from Lunnop, closing with another offer of
his to set the poor private for the Bow
Street bulldogs"
They had, during these words, been per-
haps speaking to each other at some little
distance; for their whispers, now that
Peggy supposed them to have come close
together, were lost on her aching ear,
though she still heard the Kissing sounds
in which the conversation was carried on.
A considerable time elapsed while they
| thus stood motionless outside her door; at
length they moved seemed about to part !;
and, at parting, few more sentences be-
came audible. $50, then," said the
woman. an let us lose no time nothing
else can be done poor Maggy is to be
saved from the treachery of the Lunnon
sneak, if there was no one else consumed
! in the case speed, Phil make sure O. the
Nominated Lamprey that you'll find on the
dresser; I'll meet you at his dour with
| light and vessel. Are you sure he sleeps
sound enough ?" "There is only the one
sleep more that can be sounder," replied
Phil and Peggy heard them going off.
! In painting terror she listened for their
| steps again passing her door /; nor had she
to listen long. Slowly and steaithily, and
with heavy breathlngs or suppressed
curse at the creaking boards, they sep
arately came up. La moment after
she heard them undo the fastenings
of the inside room, and, fascinated to the
coming horror, as the bird Is to the rep
tiles glance, her eye was fixed to chlnk,
ere the light they carried afforded her
renewed view of the victims chamber.
| The woman first entered, bearing the
candle in one hand and In the other a basin
| which held cloth. Her face was now set
in the depth of the bad expression Peggy
| had seen it momentarily wear below stairs !;
and she was paler than usual, though not
| shaking or trembling. The lad followed,
| taking long and silent strides across the
floor, while his knife cleaned in his hand,
and his look was CHASTITY. They made
signs to each other. The woman laid down
the candle and the basin, and tucked up
the sleeves of her gown beyond her elbows.
She again took up the basin, laid the cloth
on the floor, stole close TO the straw couch,
knelt by it, and held the vessel near the
wretch's head Her companion followed
her and knelt also. He unknotted and
took off, with his left hand, the mans
neckcloth. As it was finally snatched
rather briskly away the wearer growled
and moved. He never uttered a sound
more.
Peggy kept hei eye to the chink during
the whole of the scene. She could
not withdraw it. She was spell
bound and perhaps an instructive no.
ton that if she made the slightest change
in her first position, so as to cause the
slightest rustic, her own life must be IN
stantly sacriticed-perhapst this tended to
hold her perfectly still. She witnessed,
therefore, not only the details given, but
the concluding details which cannot be
given. Even when the murder was done
she burst not remove her eye until the wo-
man and lad had left the chamber, so that
! she was compelled to observe the revolving
circumstance of washing the blankets and
| the floor, and other things which again
| must not be noticed. 1t is certain that
| moral courage and presence OF mind never
| won greater victory over the impulses OF
nature than was shown in this true situa-
ton by this lonely and simple girl. Often,
indeed. there arose in her bosom an almost
irresistible inclination to cry out-at the
moment the neckcloth was removed, when
the sleeping man muttered and turned, she
was scarcely able to keep in her breath I;
vet she did remain silent. Not even loud
breathing escaped her. All was over, and
she spectatress of all, and still she mas
tered herself and although, so far as re-
garded her, the most home cause for agita
| ton finally occurred as the murderers were
about to withdraw.
Hell touch no blood money now, "
whispered the woman can we may go
to our beds, Phil, for the work Is done
we'll; SO, come away-but stop; high.
hanging to me if / ever thought of that
Young - in the next room; an, for
ANYTHING we know, she may be watching
us all this time" elf you think SO,
mother, there's but one help for it, OBJ.
served the lad. GA body could peep
|
the female monster "but, on a second
thought, Phil, d'you think it's in the nature
of simple young counthry girl like her
to look at what was done without givin'
warning?' MAY be not /; come, try if
she's asleep anyhow; she can't bam US
there, mother" Come" and they left
the chamber. The moment they with
drew Peggy stretched herself on her
l L L L
closed her eyes, and breathed as if fast
asleep. Yet it was with many doubts OF
, her own ability to go successfully through
this test that she listened for the noise oil
unbarring her door. The creeping steps
approached, and her heart nearly failed
, her. A bolt was shot, and her brain
swan. But again the assassins seemed te
, hesitate, and again she heard their whisp
, ers. STOP" said the lad, "she must be
sound asleep, as you say it's not to b
, Thought she could look on and stand it.