Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-11-27


door this time. In minute the latch
wss4uietly hfted, and IL door ~.
gently 4push1d opel nd / ssw -
lsndIo1d glib Into therDom. Tser
. band holding ! cend he stole n q
the d0or-onIy had; Sui I kne~
hose quivering fingers well enough,
The man crept on tip-toe to the bed,
aQd, leaning softly over the sleeper
stabbed him TO the heart. There va
one deep groan and oil was over
The murderer drew the money from
under The pillow and crspt steslthiIy
% the door, Klancjng bekind him =
though be feared the dead man
would get mp and follow him.
shaking all over and with hair
on end crawled from my hiding
place, CROPPED about for my clothes,
and, after standing q moment dazed
with horror. followed the guilty
couple. Their room was almos, CD
pOAlte mine. snd / could zee the lighl
under their door. which was barely
closed. / pushed II open and peeped
IN. The table facsd the door. and
there they stood with their backs 70
me, 20 intent upon the money that
crept Close TO them without bsine
heard tsK k&6S8sK
'sfLook. look. | heard the man
whisper There Is more than enough
10 save eur boys How they shinel
And all ours, wife-oursr
mo. mine, murderer" / shouted
with = voice. of thunder, and, snatch
ing The bag from his nervous grasp,
| dashed the light from the wan,an' {
hand, and ned back swiftly 20 the
room where the dead man lay.
Opening the window. / CROPPED
about with one hand Tor So ivy
bough. elingisg somehow on the sill
with the other. and nj last managed
TO scramble down. reaching the
ground bruised. shaken, breathless.
As [ rested q moment to get my
breath. Iheard from the room above
an awful cry sung out in wonan's
MY boy, my boy, my only SOP +
81 clambered over the gate which
led into the street. A Matchbox
stood close by In the square, and
'hurriedly told my story 10 the watch
man.. He stared in horror. Is web
be might, and wanted to fetch his
mate, bat / told him we were more
than q match for those we should
find at the inn, and he came with me.
A frightened servant opened the door
to US, and / led the way to the room
/ had just Quilted. The watchman
bent down aud peered into the dead
mans face.
's.Ahr he whispered. it's as I fear.
ed It's their own son--they didn't
know he was home, and so they mis-
took him for you. SIR
Il felt myself turn queer and gid.
dy, Tor / knew the meaning Of that
pitiful cry. My only son.
"And what of the murderers. They
had not 90 much as tried 10 escape,
and the door wasn't even barred
against US. The woman lay moaning
on the floor. the man sat huddled up
In chair by the bed. When We en-.
tered he held OUT his hands to be
manacled without uttering q word.
When I told him how II happened
that his son had fallen Q victim To-
stead OF me, he Just stared in my face
and made no siga that he heard the
ghostly tale.
"Well sir, that's about all. The
mother, poor soul. died raving mad
and tho man was hanged at Tyburn;
but not another word did he speak
from the first to last, save once-and
that was when the judge passed sen.
tence upon him. Then he raised bis
head, aud with a look In his eyes
which l can never forget. he said:
An old, old man, my lord-my
only son.
That's all. sir. The strangesi
story you ever heards Well, / dare
say Il Is; but it's all true. every word
of IL; for I've got the papers to prove
II, il you'll be pleased 10 come in and
see EN-, you'll be welcome as flowers
In May, that you will Not now!
Well, then, III bid you good day.
and thank you kindly for letting me
talk 10 you, for il does me good 10
chat a BIZ sometimes. that 10 do.
Good.day. sir, and pleasant walk to
YOU"