Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-09-16

poor creature was only in her right
mind she'd be the first to say her old
nurse was her best friend-the only one
she had in the world when her pa died
and left her."
Here she shifted a little. Sammy
gave a sort of derisive growl.
"And as to her marrying you it
stood to reason that she must marry
somebody, sometime, left all alone in
the world with her good looks and her
fortune; and why not my handsome
son? 1t was luck for you, Sammy,
though you turn against me now. There
you We're, Just come home from foreign
parts, without halfpenny in your
pocket, or q notion where to turn to
find one; and there was she without
relation or friend to interfere with you-
as simple as baby-not creature to
stop her doing as she chose with her
self and her money. 1t would have
been a sin and shame to lose such n
chance OF course, | wanted to see my
handsome lad as good gentleman as
the best of them" The old woman
seemed to be talking on and on pur-
posely; like telling rigamarole to
child to keep it quiet. Sammy growled
again in a milder tone.
"Oh, yes. Say it's all my fault, do !
You can talk black white when it
pleases you.
"It was your fault, Sammy. You
might have lived happy and peaceable
if you'd chosen. Haven't / been down
on my bended knees to beg you to let
her alone when you was treating her that
shameful that the whole countryside
was ringing with it. You know it, and
others know it. And [ can tell you
what, Mr. Samuel Nixon, if she'd been
found dead in her bed, as / expected
every morning Of my life to hear, there
wasn't q servant in the place that
wouldn't have spoken up before the Cor
oner-and glad to do it. Who'd have
swung for ii then, I'd like to know?"
"The brute was mastered. | hear
him shuffling his feet about uneasiiy :;
thon-in maudlin whimper cit was
drink, nothing else, aud her aggravat.
ing, winning ways. Don't be hard on
me old woman, Tn sure I've given in
handsome to all your plans. y
"Because you couldn't help yourself
you fool. Now yOu see what it is to
have your poor old mother to turn to.
Your wife may talk as much rs she
pleases now. Who'll believe her when
we've got it written down by two grand
London doctors that she's as mad as mad
can be? Who's to mind her talk, or
anyone else's? Aren't we taking her
up to London just for the good of her
health, to a nice safe place where she
Will be we'll looked after and kept from
getting herself and other folks into any
more trouble and then you ard me
will go back, Sammy, and live as happy
and comfortable as you please"
"They will treat her like lady ell,
mother?"
"Of course they will 4; beautiful
place, and the best of living. Bless you,
she'll be as happy as the day is long.
It does you credit being so tender
hearted, Sammy. knew you couldn't
abide seeing her storming and raving as
she did last night, so l just gave her
little sup of something before we
started, and you see she's been sleep
ing like a baby ever since. And the
gentleman-where she's going, you
know-he gave me this bottle; and
when we get to London I've Just to give
her n whiff of it on handkerchief, aud
off she goes as quiet as a lamb. No
screams or tantrums this time and he
and his nurses will be on the look out
for us with his carriage, and before she
knows it there she'll be as snug as you
please"
This was awful
What should | do e? Were we ever
going to stop? Was there another sta
ton before London? Should l be
drugged, dragged off and made away
with knew if they found me out it
was all over with me. The pattern of
the blue Shetland veil danced before
my eyes-the noise of the train was as
the sound of the roar of artillery in my
ears. 1 sat up, ready for spring and
q struggle.
A jerk ! Another A stop, and the
door flung open.
g Tickets, please"
/ made one plunge. l flung the rug
clean over the old woman, and dashed
my arms into Sammy's face, and tum-
bled headlong ont, into the arms of the
astonished ticket collector. l felt him
clutch me, and then the ground rose up,
or [ went down-down-into an un-
fathomable depth of blackness
Hullo old fellow. Better now ?"
were the first words | heard. Thomp-
sons voice There he was with a glass
of water in his hand, stopping over me.
Thompson's mother was kneeling be
side me, cuddIing me mp AGAINST her
nice soft sealskin. | was on the wait
ing-room sofa, and about dozen people
were all standing staring round.
Thompson went and telegraphed home
that | was safe, and then he and his
mother took me to the house in Lon.
don, where they were staying.
/ can't remember much after that. |
was i'll for many weeks, / believe.
tried to tell people what had happened;
but no one would listen. They try, even
now, to make me believe I dreamt it
in my illness. I've got it told now
though, and every word of it is solemn
truth. Besides, didn't l see and smell
Lefty burning the blue Shetland veil.
I've had no more music lessons since,
that's one good thing.
The Railway Key Oh, | left that
sticking in the door. That's all.-7He
ArgoSy.
LosT. the mannuvres of the
German irOnclad squadron III the Baltic
last june, a torpedo got mislaid. As
soon as the Captain of the ironcIad
Kronpriz, to which it belonged, missed
IL he offered q rpMard Cor iFe d;cooya,.x,