Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1881-09-23
Writtcn for the TINES
The Disguised Murderer.
Bl LO~TOW.

81" liiiileVlajtIN tudl some lore
oolng of disaster or pyesenjiment oI
evil, MAS weighing on her mind, ard
with all the tact ! could command.
enGravored to quiet her fears and re
store her confidence. Nv situation
wu, truly novel and embarrassing
one. There ont in the wilderness.
toIera5lv good looking Young man
Of five and twenty, sat in the light of
The cheerful fire, talking to and con
sollug an extremely handsome young
lady of eighteen.
Vt length the clock struck the hour
Of ten. and | rose 10 retire to nv quar-
tcrS. said good night reluctantly.
and .he servant stood in the Doorway
with the candle to light me across the
yard to the shauty, in which nv quar-
tcrs had been prepared, when my hos
tess, with her arm resting on the man
tel and her face shaded bv her hand,
called ne back and exclaimed:
"tlettle, | have changed nv mind.
Put Mr.. Ashton in my brothers room.
1t IS too bad to send a gentlemen TO
an out house on such night as this.
to and tell Peggie to get the room
ready Immediately
iIettic disappeared, and | stood
talking for few moments till llettie
again announced that all was ready.
aud shoaldeTing my carpet bags |
bowed good night and retired full oi
peculiar sensations, which at that
time, made no effort to aualyze.
The room 20 which | WAS conducted
vas u large es,e at the ene-ef the eo~z
riaor on tue second floor. As
passed along the hall, noticed that
there were SIX doors on either side. 81
located, that no door was placed iii
rectly opposite another.
found the masters room perfect
bachelors Sauctum. \ large bed, a
sideboard we'll stocked with refresh
nents, book case filled with volumes
of all sorts, round table in the cen
tre of the room, an escritoire in one
corner and half dozen chairs consti-
tuted the principle furniture. There
- - - 80 "a tE3EiE 14bilbL GU anu lu AitII-
ous arm chair drawn up before the
tire, inviting one to muslng aud re
pose, and the walls were covered with
guns, pistols aud swords of all de
scrlptIonS, from the rusty and trastv
old hacked sword Of revolutionary
fame, "a the more narrow and trench
ant modern blade. Returning IIet-
ties kind good night and pleasant
dreams, | locked the door and took
out the KEY 10 examine it. Ii was a
heavy iron key, such as would be used
now to lock Il prison or large factory.
While ponderIng over the changes
that our modern Improvements had
made not only IN the construction OF
houses, but also in all the appurte-
nancsS thereof, | inadvertently laid
the key on the table beside me, aad
thought no more about it till after de-
yelopments brought it very viyidlv to
my mind. 1t was trihing cir
cumStance seemingly, but it was one
traught with momentous consequences
TO myself and others; So true it is.
that our lives are made up of little
things, and on the most triiliEg Incl
dent are often hinged results, that af-
feet for a life time and therefore. for
an eternity the future of men.
notwithstanding the extreme ia
tigue and exhaustion | experienced
after my long days travel and vexa-
tion, | did not feel sleepy, 50 lighting
a cigar, took down 4 book from one
Of the shelves and began to read. But
it was impossible to fix my attention
upon the matter was reading. Nv
mind would wander pertinacously to
my fair hostess, and my fancy pict-
ured her, as she stood by the mantel
and babe me good night | was not
in love. | was too prosaic and indi-
vidual to fall in love at first sight, and
and vet the interest, | felt in that
lovely girl, could not have been more
intense, had known her for wears.
50 throwing aside the book, | placed
my slippered feet on the fender, and
sat gazlng liStlessly on the fire, build
ing what the witty French would
style "ChateauX en- espayne," and we
proSy English call Castles in the air. >
| was awakened from my reverie by
the mournful tones of the old family
clock, that slowly and solemnly struck
the hour of midnight, awakening
gloomy echoes through the seemingly
deserted mansion. Though not sleepy
prudence suggested the propriety OF
retiring to stretch my weary Limbs
and get the rest needed to recuperate
me for the long journey Of the NOR.
row, for had ridden many miles out
of my way. Accordingly having
placed my saddle bags and coat on tho
side of the bed next to the wall;