The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-02-23

Like SOILebt nublC I'd dtttnul0R ours.
/ remarked confidentially to McStivers.
In about five minutes Julia came in
blushing like ten-acre flower garden,
and looking as lovely as a fairy queen.
"Oh, papa! I've had such splendid
time!' said she, throwing herself into
my arms and kissing the cuticle off from
my right cheek.
"Yes, 1 should think so, particularly
during the last five minutes / re-
marked.
"Oh, fatherr' and she hid her face in
my whiskers.
"Who was it, my dear?" I inquired.
"Mr. Thomas Bunsby."
tom Bunsbyr' l yelled, springing to
my feet, while my eyes rolled fearfuIly.
oh, it was terrible sight, l know,
because there was mirror directly in
front of me.
HAT
Nothing that you ever heard on the
stage ever equaled that blood-curdling
"Har' of mine.
My daughter fell at my feet the pic
ture of terrified terror or Mortified hor-
ror; / can't tell which. The whole thing
was grand and awful in the extreme.
''Girl!' said /, in voice of thunder
and lightning, Ibid you know Tom
Bunsby's father?'
moo"
''Or his grandmother?'
mo"
"Or his grandfather"
mo"
I'm sorry" said /, making terrible
effort to calm myself, I'm very sorry
that you didn't know his grandfather,
very sorry, indeed; because the old gen.
tleman kicked me out of his front door
once for daring to make love to his
daughter; and, by Jove, girl, if 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?" she asked.
"Yes; but, remember, no more Tom
Bunsby, Goodnight"
Time passed on and Julia seemed the
same as usual. Whether she saw Tom
or not / did not know at the time,
though have since learned that they
were in the habit of meeting quite fire.
quently. No, did not know that they
met, but suspected that they might,
and, to prevent any chance of an elope-
ment, never allowed Julia to go out
in the evening unless l went with her,
and ut 10 o'clock every night the doors
and windows were all made fast against
burglars and lovers, and we slept secure
until morning. You perceive by this
that am not one of those who wait I'M
til the mare is stolen before locking the
stable. Well, it was one night about
month ago that, after locking up the
house as usual, 1 retired to my room,
and disrobing this lovely form of mine,
crept into 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, burg
lars, or did somebody mistake my house
for the doctor'sp 1 didn't stop to think,
but, throwing on my clothes in the
shortest possible time, rushed down
stairs and threw open the door, holding
my revolver straight out before me as
did so.
"a note for you SIR" said small boy,
handing me folded paper. My first
thought was that it was Geographic
dispatch.
Anything to payp" I asked.
mo SIR" and the boy vanished in the
thick darkness. Closing the door, tore
open the note and read:
Mr.. McStivers: Your daughter will elope to-
night with Tom Bunsby, If she has not already.
If you find her not in her room, run to the
"' 80 JOE KERR.
All the tiger in the McStiverses was
aroused. dashed madly upstairs, and,
throwing open Julia's door, rushed in.
Alas! was too late. She was gone
the bird had flown. She had not been
in bed that night. 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 till Preached
the Falmouth Hotel The clerk was
DOING in the office, and did not see me
when l entered. did not speak, but
crept cautiously upstairs and along the
corridor until / reached No. Is.
death to the Bunsby," l muttered
through my clinched teeth.
Oh, how ferocious | must have looked.
Ny blood curdles even now while /
think of it. knocked at the door.
II will call him out and shoot him in
his tracks," said /. "Tm 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 entered
the room. The above four words are of
terrible import, and want you to con-
slider them well. The gas was burning,
but all was still, save the soft breathing
of sleeper, whose face was hidden
from me by the curtains of the bed. /
sprang forward, tore open the cur
tains, seized bare arm, and, with the
celebrity of lightning, yanked the sleeper
into the middle Of the floor. The ex-
sleeper screamed. Iyelled once, and
then, with musical groan, fell to the
floor, tearing my hair as went.
"Roderickp' said the screamer.
"Oh, heavings! where am Ip Ma
ry, is it you? Where isis BunsbyP"
"Dead."
s.And voup"
"I'm a widow; and youp"