Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-03-13

| 1eS, SnOuld tDlnk SO, particularly
during the last five minutes remarked
+ "Oh, father!" and she hid her face in
my whiskers. Ia--Le
Who was it, my dear ?" 1 inquired
"Mr. Thomas Buneby."
tom Bunsby !" 7 yelled, springine
to my feet, while my eyes rolled fear.
fully. ..'4, - ....--.....
"Oh, it was a terrible sight, 1 know
because there was mirror directly in
front of me-" t5 -e-
"HaW si +
Nothing that you ever heard on ihe
stage equalled that blood curdling
"Han' of mine
ture of terrified terror or Mortified hor.
thing was grand and awful in the ex.
treme.
"Grl!" said 1, in a voice of thunder
and lightning "Did you know Tom
Bunsby's father?"
| Moo"
"Or his mother ?"
"No."
"Or his grandfather
"No."
81 am sorry" said I, making terri.
BILE effort to calm myself, I'm very
sorry you didn't know his grandfather,
very sorry, indeed; because the old
gentleman kicked me out Of his front
door once for daring to make love to
his daughter; and, by Jove, girl, II
young Tom Bunsby comes here to see
you I'll serve him in the same manner.
Oh, revenge is sweet-'tis sweet"
Julia got up then.
| Can [ go now, father W she asked.
"Yes, but remember, no more of Tom
Bunssoy. GOODNIGHT"
Time passed on and Julia seemed the
same as usual. Whether she saw Tom
or not at the time ! did not know,
though | have since learned that they
were in the habit of meeting quite fire
quently. No, [ did not know that they
met, but 1 suspected that they might,
and to prevent any chance of elopement,
| never allowed Julia to go out in the
evening unless | was with her, and at 10
o'clock every night the doors and win
dows were all made fast against burglars
and lovers. and We slept secure until
morning You preceive by this that /
am not one of those who wait until the
mare is stolen before locking the stable
Well, it was one night about d month
ago that, after locking up the house as
usual, l retired to my room, and, dis
robiDg this lovely form of mine, crept In
bed. had just finished my first nap,
and had turned over for the second
when the door bell rang. And how it
did ring! Egad thought they'd pull
it down. Was it fire, burglars, or did
somebody mistake my house for the
DOCTORS? Ididn't. stop TO think, but,
throwing on my clothes in the shortest
possible time, l rushed down stairs and
threw open the door, holding my revol
yer straight uut before me as L did so.
IA note for you, SIR" said a small
boy, handing me folded paper. My
fl rst thought was that it was u telegraph
ic dispatch.
Anything to pay ?" l asked.
mo, sir" said the boy vanishing In
the thick darkness. Closing the door, ]
tore open the note and read:
Mr.. MCSTIvERS: Your daughter will
elope tonight with Tom Bunsby, if she
has not already. Ifyou find her not in
her room, run to the hotel room Is, first
flight. Adieu.
JOE KERR.
aroused ] dashed madly upstairs, and
|
Alas! | was too late. She was gone
the bird mad flown. She had not beer
| in bed that night. l did not continue
the search there, but flew on the wings
of the wind out of the room, out of the
house, and along the street until I reach.
ed the Tadmouth hotel. The clerk was
doing In the Office and did not see me
when | entered. I did not speak, but
crept cautiously upstairs and along the
| corridor until reached No. Is.
4 death to the Bunsby !" l muttere6
through my clinched teeth.
| Oh, how ferocious must have looked
My blood curdles even now while
think of it. I knocked at the door.
II will call him out and shoot him in
/ his tracks" said /. "I'm insane now
! Mcfarland was nowhere compared with
me, and no jury will convict me-" But
no one answered the knock. l tried
the door. Ha! it was unlocked. 1 en-.
tered the room. The above four words
are of terrible import, and 1 want you
to consider them well. The gas was
burning, but all was still, save the soft
breathing of a sleeper whose face was
hidden from me by the curtains of the
bed. I sprang forward, tore open the
curtains, seized bare arm, and with
the celebrity of lightning, yanked the
sleeper into the middle of the floor. The
ex sleeper screamed. Iyelled once, anG
then, with a musical groan, fell on the
floor, tearing my hair as went.
| "Roderick J" said the screamer.
"Oh, heavens! where am 1? Ma.
Mary, is it thou? Where-where Isl:
Bunsby?n ?n
"Dead.n
| "And you?'
I'm widow, and you?n
| "I'm-I'm a widower," 1 answered
with groan.
g''I always loved you, Roderick, ;" sait
she.
'"And you are just as handsome a:
ever" said I.
"You've acted very improper to
night" said she.
/ "Infernally so." said 1. "Where ii
your son ?"
81 know not. He loves your daughter
and your daughter loves him-and
love you"
Mary blushed. Considering that sh,
was in very light evening costume il
wasn't strange that she should.)
"And Bunsby's dead?"
"Mary," said I, 'may 1 be a SECOND
BuDsby-that is oh-ah! will you be
mine?'
She threw herself into my arms
Just then I heard footsteps; turning
and saw Tom and Julia standing q
the door.
1.-THE deuce ~ cried Tom.
mo, no, it's my father !" said Julia
"Oh, father. won't you forgive us?"
! There was s queer twinkle in her ey'
when she said that.
s"Forgive you for what?n
"For marrying Tom. I'll promis,
not to do it again.