Morning journal and courier., 1885-12-19
Saturday, December 19, 1885.
A Deed Without a NamG.'

!
 ! summer resort.
 The one whom he addressed was you'll scarcely twenty-one years of age, ot middle ! height and well proportioned frame, but very ! thin even to cancellation. His features were l handsome, picturesque and striking. Ht | wore a suite rusty black cloth, well brushed
 and scrupu1ously clean and neat. l He was a student at a southern university I and-now in his vacation time, being poor l he was clerk at the Crest House at the Isle O
 Storms, off the coast of Maryland. The memorable interview we have referred 1 to took place in the office of the hotel, in thu
 ''stin small' hours between midnight anc | dawn.
 The two men were alone in the apartment | Young Harcourt would have been abeC | and asleep, but that something emanatins ! from his aspect like mist, overshadowinl l his presence like cloud murdered sleep,
 and so he sat in the office trying to drow1
 memory in absorbing work on his accoun I books.
 William Hanson might have been in his ] room and in dreams but that a great desire I kept him up, great hope sent him to seeA I this private interview with the clerk Of the I Crest House.
 l And so, when the house was supposed te be buried in sleep, he stole to the office and l startled the solitary worker with the words l quoted.
 The clerk kept his dark, troubled eyes | | stare of stupefed horror that soon grew into l glare of terror and despair. "Yes, I repeat, Harcourt, Thou art the 1 mann" reiterated the accuser, letting his l hand fall with some force on the shoulder of I the accused.
 The youth shrank under the touch as his l breath came and went in deep inspirations, | his flexible nostrils expanded and contracted and his sensitive lips quivered under his dark mustache But his great, gloomy eyes never moved from their fixed glare, nor did his cheeks change from their ashen, death like paller.
 have you to say?" demanded Hanson, the
 accuser, fixing his light blue eyes significant
 ly on the blanohed face of his companion.
 'I-do-not-understa faltered the
 frightened clerk.
 "Oh yes, you dol I see that you under
 stand perfectly that I am talking about the
 suppressed act in this weeks drama, the
 deed done in number 25 at two o'clock last
 Thursday" said Hanson, pointing his words
 with penetrating look, under which liar
 court shrank into himself.
 ''It was'-began the wretched youth, i'm
 pulsively, and then, suddenly cons .ious that
 he had half betrayed himself, he stopped short threw his hands to his face and GOV cred his eyes, for he was unable to bear the incisive gaze of his accuser.
 ''It was'-well, what? What were you about to say that it was?" demanded Hanson.
 There reply, only the stricken youth seemed to collapse, to shrink more and more into himself.
 q It was'- What was it now? Can't you tell me?'
 Still there came no answer from the wretch ed young man.
 ''No? You can't tell mea Then will tell you, William Harcourt! It was'-a mur- der," whispered Hanson into the of the other.
 ''No! no! no! AS the Lord hears ne, it the lips of the youth, who never moved from his shrunken posture, or uncovered his hid den eyes,
 ''It was a midnight murderl" emphatical- " isReaSsa .Hanis2Iall sausuusrs,. s. asruxe forth in sort of half suppressed ferceness of denial.
 --sssIt was naft HaaSsSs trriIY y.s1-s -s-'IszI=as,
 ''1t was an assassination" sternly asserted he aceuser, gazing on the accused, who sat cold, stony, frozen, only repeating, with des perate effort:
 GAS live and breathe, it was an accident "a pure and perfect accident"
 ''1t was midnight assassination, and you William Harcourt, the midnight assassin," repeated the accuser with determined per 
 groan of irrepressible agony burst from the bosom of the despairing youth His form shook as with an ague
 ''May the Lord strike me dead this instant if l am a murderer!" he groaned, wringing his hands.
 ''You know the law would hold you as one and punish you as ons," coldly continued Hanson
 ''It was entirely accidental" noaned liar court.
 ''Accidental" sneered the accuser. "Well, It was accidental that l became 8 hidden wit ness to that crime"
 "YoU" exclaimed Harcourt, dropping his hands from before his eyes and staring at the l speaker
 "Yes, I, I, William Hanson, saw all that in room number % on last Thurs lay night, between two and three o'clock
 The wretched clerk sat with his head 1 bowed upon his bosom, his arms fallen each | side of his chair, and his body sunk back in | .he collapse of final despair.
 "Shall I tell you how became an eve wit ness of your crime2''
 Harcourt moaned, but failed to speak.
 ''l will tell you, that you may know for , certainty, l have the power of life and teath over yoa," continued the accuser. watching the accused to mark the effect of lls words. He was ill abject misery and de- par; nethlng more or less. He continued;
 occupy, as you know, room number 23 winch IS next to the corner room number | D. These rooms look out upon the south l balcony. l am rather restless sleeper, easi- | dlstorbed by light and sound, and need | ng darkness and silence to insure repose. hat Thursday night, after the card playing. went to my room at about eleven o'clock, ne house was very quiet; but there was a 1 ulI moon, and too much light came into my oom. l must give you these details so that ! ou may understand the accident by which became the unseen and unsupported wit l ess of Q crime.'' The sneaker Daussd and 1oo1-.5 l Is Wretched companion, but saw no change l the utter despair of his attitude and ex- ression. After preparing for bed," continued Han 'n, as It was so much too light for me, I 1 ( osed my window shutters and drew down y shade, and made it nearly totally dark. c ut Ineh-and hereby hangs tale,' or rath rope with moose at the end of it." Iy lie paused and glanced furtiyelv at his ctlm, who covered as if he had received A I sh ii But then, resumed Hanson, s'though my Vn room was dark, was annoyed by line
 light from room number %. The lieht- men was a bright beam of the moon pier W ng through small knot hole about half U y up the wooden partition between the U Q rooms-shone across my room and shed in the face of the looking-elass on mv n and dazzled my eyes every n ne turned to the front of my bed. it y IS trif14, but it kept me awake to become " witness ness ot crime-pr -providentially, per VI ps. What do you think?' demanded the l. rrator' suddenly pausing to put the ques- gte n. It u darcourt never replied by word or look. ms accuser continued his story. m heard my nelghbor come up into his 'm, lock his door and move about, prepar to get into bed. hoped that he would SC hls windows. He had two windows to C. u :, corner room; one south window opening | the balcony In a line with mine, and one t window opening on a roof. knew that 1o ublesome moonbeam came through the en east window, the moon being in the t; t. Pray excuse these details; they are ws ny necessary to the understanding of the no e, said Hanson, interrupting himself to tb glance at his wretched companion. 'ut Harcourt might have been dead for me sign he gave. thu I heard Yelverton go to bed and-witb- da ., closing any of his windows. After a fo, Ile heard him snoring while T still lou oi