Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-04-03
BILL NYE's ESCAPE.
A Thrilling Episode in Hotel---His
Bravery When Attacked.

the other evening. l had just till0d
an engagement in strange city, and
retired to my cozy room at the hotel.
The thunders of applause had died
away, and the opera house had been
locked up to await the arrival of an
Uncle Toms Cabin company. The
last loiterer had returned to his home
and tie lights in the palace Of the
pork packer were extinguished. No
sound was heard save the low, tremu-
lous swash Of the sleet outside, or the
death rattle in the throat of the bath
tub. Then all was still as the bosom
of fried chicken when the spirit has
departed.
The swallow-tail coat hung limp
and weary in the wardrobe, and the
gross receipts of the evening were I'M
der my pillow. l NEEDED sleep, for |
was worn out with travel and ankle
ty, but the fear of being robbed kept
me from repose. Iknow how desper-
ate man becomes when he yearns
for another's gold. | know how Gu
pidity drives wicked man to man.
gle his victim that he may win pre-
carious prosperity, and how he will
often take short cut to wealth by
means of murder, when, if he would
enter politics he might accomplish
his purpose as surely and much more
safely.
Anon, however, tired nature sue
cumbed. l know / had succumbed,
for the bell boy afterward testified
that he heard me do so. The gentle
warmth of the steam heated room
and the comforting assurance of duty
well done and the approval of friends
at last lulled me into a gentle repose.
Any one who might have looked
upon me as l lay there in that inno-
cent slumber, with the winsome
mouth slightly ajar and the playful
limbs cast wildly about, while a merry
smile now and then fitted across the
regular features, would have said
that no heart could be so hard as to
harbor ill for one so guileless and so
simple.
I do not know what it was that
caused me to wake. Some slight
sound or other, no doubt, broke my
slumber and opened my eyes wildly,
The room was in semi-darkness.
Hank!
A slight movement in the corner
and the low, regular breathing of q
human being! Il was now wide
awake. Possibly could have opened
my eyes wider, but not without spill
ing them out of their sockets.
Regularly came that soft, low
breathing. Each time it seemed like
sigh of relief, but it did not relieve
me. Evidently it was not done fol
that purpose. 1t sounded like a sigl
of blessed relief, such as a woman
might heave after she returned from
church, and transferred herself from
the embrace of her new Russian iroI
black silk dress into a friendly wrap
per. Regularly, like the rise and fal
of wave on the summer sea, it rOs,
and fell, while my pale lambrequil
of hair rose and fell tftfully with it.
| know that people who read thi
will laugh at it, but there was moth
ing to laugh at. At first | feared tina
the sigh might be that of an artist
who had entered the room through
transom in order to sketch me. Blu
no. That was hardly possible. l
was cupidity that had driven som
cruel villain to enter my apartments
and to crouch in the gloom till tn
proper moment should come in whicl
to spring upon me, throttle me
crowd hotel pillow into each lung
and, while l did the Desdemona act
rob me of my hard earned wealth.
Regularly still rose the soft breath
ing, as though the robber might b
trying to suppress it. | reache
gently under the pillow, and, secW
ing the money, | put it in the poke
Of my robe de mutt. Then with gres
care pulled out copy of Smith
Wesson's great work on GLOW t
Nentilate the Human Form" Isai
to myself that | would sell my life /
dearly as possible, so that whoevt
bought it would always regret tn
trade.
Then opened the volume at tt
first chapter, and addressed a THIRTY
eight calibre remark in the directiC
of the breath in the corner.
When the echoes had died away
sigh Of relief rose up from the dar
,o,,,, ,otbnr c;rh Of