The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-12-20
A TERRIBLE CHRISTMAS.
BY ETA W. PIERCE.

NN~e~~~~
found murdered in her bed under mysteri-
Gus circumstances.
She lived alone with two servants-Susan
Gibson, maid, and Joshua Slade, a man of
all work--a dwarfed, wizened, rat-like crea-
ture. She seemed to possess but one
passion in life-love of money. Her lum-
bering coach. with its inferior horses and
shabby trlppings, was we'll known in the
streets of Boston, and her misery habits
had long been openly discussed in The social
,:-cles of the town.
On the eight of the murder the unfortu-
nate eentlewoman had entertained at din
ner her nephew and heir, Coral Sutton.
According TO the testimony of the maid,
the meal was dull and meagre affair,
neither wine nor hot meats being provided
for the guest, and only two tallow dips
allowed to light the long, cold dining-room.
Sutton, who was rising young lawyer of
Boston. somewhat fast in his ways and
foud of good cheer, departed before eight
o'clock-glad, doubtless, to escape from
such an inhospitable place. Susan ellison
had lighted him out with one of the dips
before mentioned, and locked and bolted
the door after him. 1t was a stormy night,
with high wind blowing.
Six times, before going to bed, Martha
Grant dispatched Joshua Slade to the sta
Sle in the rear of the house, to make sure
thai the horses were net eating too much
hay. and that the grain-chest had been
properly locked. The last time, Slade came
back to the kitchen cross and grumbling.
serhat woman is too DANCED mean TO
1--we y. he had sal to Susan Gibson. tsIt's
n;tv the Lord wouldn't call her, and let
M Sutton come in hers as master. Maybe
we'd have decent victuals then to eat, and
n fire TO sit by. and q mug of Jamaica rum
on stormy nights like the present.
These unlucky words sealed Joshua
SHADES fate.
The next morning Susan ellison went
early to her MISTRESS chamber, and found
her stretched across the bed, foullY muir
dered. Her dimity bedgown was torn, as if
in a struggle A nishtcap of fine null.
edged with French lace, had disappeared
from her gray hair. The murderer had
ransacked chest of drawers in which Miss
Grant kept her money, and also carried
away from the mantelpiece pair OF massive
silver candlesticks, marked with the rich
spinster's name.
Great was the horror created in the town
nv this tragedy. Suspicion fell at once on
Joshua Slade He was quiet, industrious
man he had served his country faithfully
in the War of Independence no trace of
the booty could be found upon him, and
he protested his innocence with greet fer
yor but. all the same, he was arrested,
tned. and sentenced to be hung at Lech-
mete's Point, now East Cambridge, on the
18th day of the following December.
1t was Christmas night, bitterly cold and
with a fearful northeast snow-storm raging.
Along lonely road, in the old town of
Wexford, young girl was toiling YEARLY,
With q bundle in her hand, and thin,
faded camlet cloak gathered about her
slender figure. All around her stretched
solemn. silent fields, piled with white drifts.
The wind cut trough her insufficient gar
ments with pitiiess fury; gaspipg fer breath,
benumbed, bewildered, exhausted, the
goung traveller struggled forward.
Tramp-tramp
Two horsemen came dashing along the
road, and would have passed the girl, but
she flung herself before them.
eOh !" she cried, like one in sore distress,
ssfor the love of God, tell me where | am ]"
Behind the clouds lurked full moon. In.
snite of the storm the night was not dark,
and this trio, brought face to face on the
old Medford road, could see each other at
least, dimly.
One Of the men was very lean and small,
and buttoned to the ears In long gray
riding~coat. He was mounted on an IRON
gray horse, and his cadaverous face was
gray also but the yellowish hazel eyes
foved restlessly about, and seemed prefer
naturally bright. :.
His companion, on the contrary, was tall
and .5istinque, and bore himself with sim
oulariy imposing air. He rode q horse as
black as ght his long cloak vas black
also. and an uncommonly tine garment it
seemed to be. made of the best French
cloth. and lined with the costly fur of the
AS for the girl, she lifted from the hood
Of her old camles cloak face as cold and
white as the Christmas snow. Yellow hair
curled in wet clusters about it her large
ewes were full of mingled fear and pain.
Both men regarded her curiously.
"Where are your" echoed he on the
gray horse '.Six miles from Charlestown
Bridge"
sob. sir, are you from below7"-a term
used by country folks to designate Boston.
eyes.
.Then, sir, with little, sobbing cry,
s'is it true that man is to be hung there
tomorrow"
The gray horse jumped suddenly to one
side.
st is true" answered his rider. sharply.
seStanl out of my way u
And he gave the young traveller cut
with his whip and dashed on like the wind.
nEor shansa, Sutton," cried the black
ho,xsman, and, leaning from his saddle, he
said to the girl, in a singularly rich, power
full voice.
"My poor child, are you hurt? Who arc
Won. and whittier are you travelling thit
bitter Christmas night?
She shuddered back step.
s.Ho. am not hurt" shs gasped. 'De
not ask me anything more. sir Go on
pray go on
lie obeyed, though as it seemed, reluc
family, and straightway vanished with hi
companion into the night and storm.
Rhoda Wyman stood for 10 oment witt
two great tears freezing on her cheeks. enc
her shoulders still smarting from the last
Of snttoT,'s Whip; then she gathered up hel
benumbed faculties, and went painting tor
ward through the Snow.
six miles to ChaflGst0wn Bridge sh'
shivered "and Boston Is beyond that
VIII my strength hold out
SIZE was. at best, but a slender creature
and SIS bad been on the road, without foof
or drina, si8ce daydawn.
aThere mast be town near" sh'
thought. ssand wA6f reach it will rest I
bit, and get naorsel to est"
4 weary bill rose before her. The colo
was terrible. and the snow came in blihd
ing gusts She struggled to make th'
ascent. but the wind blew stronger her
than on the level road, and piled the drift
deeper and deeper across her way, be
weak, way worn feet coull do NO more
She stumbled, and went down with he
bundle into the snow.
To remain there was certain death; Blu
she had no strength to lift herself from tn
drifts. A strange tospor began to creel
over her. Even the pi94gipg thud 0
households near her failed to aFoAse her
Tt was only when some one lifted heF podii
from the snow that she opened her Leay.
eves. 1t was the black horseman who ha'
returned,
s.Ah IL ys even as I feared he erie