The Portland daily press., 1885-12-19
"A Deed Without a Name.

''1lOu ART Ll6 man tuc SpcdhCi oaiu'
as he placed his hand on the accuseds
shoulder.
The person spoken to started, flushed,
paled and stared with look of amazement
that deepened into an expression of fixed
horror.
The speaker was man of about twenty
five years of age, of medium height. slender
and elegant form, fair complexion, yellow
hair and moustachs, and blue eyes.
His name was William Hanson. He was a
gentleman of fortune and of elegant lels-
ure, +" taking his ease at his inn, which l n
this in stance was q well-known Southern
summer resort,
The one whom he addressed was a youth
scarcely twenty-one years Of age, OF middle
height and well proportioned frame, but very
thin, even to emaciation. His features were
handsome, picturesque and striking. DE
wore suit Of rusty Black cloth, well brushed
and scrupulously clean and neat.
He was student at Southern Unlyersl-
ty. and-now in his vacation time, being
poor-he was clerk at the Crest HeuSe
at the Isle of Storms, off the coast OF Mary
land.
The memorable interview we have referred
to took place in the office of the hotel, In the
''still, small" hours between midnight ana
dawn.
ment.
Young Harcourt would have been aDed
and asleep, but that something emanatlng
from his aspect like q MIST oxersnad0Wlng
his presence like cloud, murdered sleep,
and SO he sat in the Office trying to drown
memory in absorbing work on his account
books. -.
William Hanson might have been in his
room and in dreams but that great desire
kept him up, great hope sent him to seek
this private interview with the clerk OF the
Crest House.
And SO. when the house was supposed to
be buried in sleep, he stole to the once ana
startled the solitary worker with the words
TIE clerk kept his dark, troubled eyes
fixed upon the face of the speaker, with
stare of stupefed horror that soon grew into
a glare of terror and despair.
Eyes repeat, Harcourt Thou art the
man ?" reiterated the accuser, letting his
hand fall with some force on the shoulder OF
the accused.
The youth shrank under the touch as his
breath came and went in deep INSPIRATIONS
his dexlble nostrils expanded and contracted,
and his sensitive lips qyivered under his
dark moustache But his great, gloomy eyes
never moved from their fixed glare, nor did
his cheeks change from their ashen, death-
New, then! Why don't you speak? What
have you to say?" demanded Hanson, the
aceuser, fixing his light blue eyes slgnif1-
cantly or the blanched face of his compan-
ion. 49,, A.
frightened clerk.
ssOh. YES, you do see that you under
stand perfectly that am talking, about ne
suppressed act in this weeks drama, the
deed done in Number %, at two O'Clock last
Thursday" said Hanson, pointing ms words ora
with penetrating look. under when Har-
court shrank into himself.
at was" began the wretched youth, I'M
pulsively, and then, suddenly conscious thaI
he had half betrayed himself, he stopped
short, threw his hands to his face and coy
cred his eyes, for he was unable to bear the
incisiye gaze of his accuser.
" TT was'-wel, lchdt? What were you
about to say that it was?" demanded Han
There was no reply, only the stricken
youth seemed to collapse, to shrink more ana
ny IT t What was it now? Can't you
Still there came no answer from the
wretched young man.
No? You can't tell meP Then Will tel
you, William Harcourt! 1T was'-a nt9r-
DER whispered Hanson into the ear OF the
1No no. MOI As the Lord hears me, it
was mott burst in passionate denial from
the lips of the youth, who never moved from
his shrunkenlpOsture, or uncovered his MD
ut was midnight murder" emphatically
repeated Hanson.
The young man shuddered as he broke
forth in sort Of half suppressed nerceness
of denial ..
st was notI Heaven truly knows that 1t
was not! 1t was an accident! -.
at was an assassination, sternly assert
ed the accuser, gazing on the accused, who
sat cold, stony, frozen, only repeating Will
desperate effort: o;soo+
"As live and breathe, it was an acclnent
"a pure and perfect accident"
ait 3r1s q 1aionight assdSsindti and you.
bYtEidn, Hdrcourt, the midnight assassin!
repeated the accuser, with determined persls-
tence.
A groan of trrepressible agony burst from
the bosom of the despairing youth. His form
shook as with an ague.
NAV the Lord strike me dead this instant
If am murderer he groaned, wrlnglng
his hands. 90 o,,,
and punish you as one" coldly continued
Hanson. ,,,oa 11or
court. .nuau
il 1cdS accidental that Decameh nInnth VIII
ness to that crime
"YoUi' exclaimed Harcourt, dropping his
hands from before his eyes and staring at
Eyes, j, /, William Hanson, saw all that
happened IN Room NuDlDeI 20, VI idoo
Thursday night, between two and three
o'clock"
bowed upon his bosom, his, arms fallen
each side of his chair, and his body sunk
back in the collapse Of final despair.
'Shall tell you how became an eye wit
ness of your crimey"
Harcourt moaned, but failed to speak.
81 ,ciU tell you, that you MAJ. know, Tor
certainty have the power of life and death
over you," continued the accuser, watching
the accused to mark the effect of his words.
he saw abject misery and despair, nothing
more or less. He continued:
~ occupy, as you know, room Number 70,
which Is next to the corner ROOM. Number
Is. These rooms look out upon the south
balcony. am rather restless sleeper, cas-
ily disturbed by light and sound, ana needing
darkness and silence to insure repose. Ihat
Thursday night, after the card playing, L
went to my room at about eleven O'Clock.
The house was very quiet; but there was
full moon, and too much light came into my
room. must give you these details SO that
YOU NAV understand the accident by which
/ became the unseen and unsupported wit
ness of a crime"
The speaker paused and looked keenly at
his wretched companion, but saw no change
in the utter despair of his attitude and ex-