Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-26
(Coatrnaed from Tsesday, June 22.j
NEEDHAM'S FAILURE
By JOSEPH HATTON.
Axthor of "The Queen of Bohemia" A1As
Three Recruits" Etc.

Pull yourself togetherr' hissed between
his teeth the living man, who now almost
envied the dead. Every thing works for
you-heaven and he'll, even the night, dark
ness and storm"
The hall clock struck ten He listened and
counted every stroke as the hammer fell
No moref he said, taxing cut his watch
looking at it, and then placing it 10 his ear.
NO more! The Fates are with ma. Now
to business. WHAT is there to fearf A dead
man IS nothing-iust, clay, a clol. notn-
ing. Come. John Seedham, to bu siness!n
He reached over to the spirit decanters
and pouring into a glass a large guam tity Of
whisky drunk it of Then stretching him
self III To bis full height, he turnei up his
sleeves, apostroph 'zing the corpse as he did
20.
'Ycu are John Northampton Needham.
member Of parliament, banker, the ruined
fnancie and you must not be found dressed
in JOSEPH Norbury's clothes-comel IL viii
not ma, ter To YOU how you are dressed; it
will to me- joseph Norbury must not go
about in John Needhams Goa nor wear
joseph Norbury'; watch, nor carry Joseph
Norbury Purse, nor any thing else That is
hisl Gomez
1t seemed as If the situation, the whisky,
and the gift of life with new name made
ply sicaly new man Of the villain. He
WORKED at his ghastly business with the
energy Of giant and the vigor OF a looter
On a battlefield. Once or twice he refreshed
himself from the spirit decanter. and wiped
the perspiration from his face.
When the changes had been made be-
tween the living and the dead, which the
living considered sufficient, then came the
no less d. fficut work of removing the
body; but the murderer was equal to the
occasion, He carried it out into the yard
and thrust it into the brougham, which he
had already dragged out of the carriage
house for the purpose There was not
single detail that be had not thought out on
the lines Of his own proposed suici1e.
He had not permitted himself, so far, to
change a single item of his original plan
except this incident of driving to Hamp-
stead; for he had argued that il his scheme
was simple AMI had no hitch in it, all he
had TO do was to fit his substitute into the
plan. The only change was the brougham.
His own idea had been to walk to the
scene Of his own death, a fave rite resort in
lfe and there take his fatal dose The in
PRODUCTION of the brougham had necessi-
tated the absence Of the servants These
supplementary incidents had worked out
dous of all of them, the discovery of the
substitute, having been in Needhams opin-
ion little less than miraculous.
Having deposited his CHASTITY DAD in the
brougham he leaned easping, against the
coacn house; for though h, had carried his
load tn omething like the grip of an ex-
pert at such work, balancing the weight Of
the d ifficult AM awkward burden so as to
make 1t bearable, he could hardly stand
erect for some minutes. Presently how.
ever, he went back INTO the house, straight
ened his room. washed and lad aside the
extra coffee cup placed in his pocket the
phial of poison, CAREFUL remove all traces
Of his visitor; then going into the hall and
putting on Norburys light overcoat, taking
his own on h arm AMI hi, crush hat in
his hand, lie returned to the sta bes AMI har-
ness ID the cob to the brougham. Opening
the gates stealthily he looked out No one
stirrirr, the nignt dark, a steady ram fall
ing; every thing still favored the or minal
and his wor;. He led the horse through
the cate way, put out tho Ian tern, placed it
inside the doors, which he carefully closed;
and then, mounting the box seat, drove
quietly throu IA tbs News and out into
Maryiebone ROAD.
Tie rain fell in steady downpour The
gardens hllei the dripping atmosphere; but
III tine Imagination of The solitary driver of
the silent passenger the gas lamps pointed
their short arms at him. The long, gi airing
reflections of the Ii hts on the wet pave
ments seemed 10 follow him He drove on,
never thalsss, ani 10 his troubled fancy the
Wheels OF the brougham made an awful
noise. His horse clattered over the stones
as II with toe design of calling a IGNITION to
the awful thing he was dragging. That
is why they walk the horses IN / hearse,
and tn mourning coaches thai follow creep
along Inc DR. Yer thought, tine noise i so
gr at lie pulled the cob into a walk.
"Y s. he thou .ht. that mus. be it: there
is more no % attending Tho removal of the
dead than the livlng-a kind of symrathy.
a. If tn stones spoke, as somebody has l
think, suggested But now that hi, horse
only Welhel tarough the rain, he noticed
tina cabmeI ratified by they turned to
look at HIM. lie had no. lighte the lamps
of his bro CHAM, SO that he light of pass
ing vehicles seemed 10 fash u~on him and
try 10 unlerve HIM. he thereto urgei
the horsa oncn more into a trot. and ratified
Over the stones with the rest of tue traffic
He turned nto the Allsopp News and
would nave gone through Clar IN, gate into
the PARK, tut he dared not rlsl having to
pu MP for cafes to be op nd and shut; so
he kept 10 the road, ,urning mo Upper
Gloucester pace, now at a walking pace
now al a rrot, the gas lamp pointing at
him as leto e, ami the b.ooI- red Q are of a
drug i,Js lump that fell sh Aer across his
path making am Shudder. Bat on he went,
round Park road. past Pr mrose mill, and
now skirting its western side. and so into
Haverstock hill, finally Climb ng the steep
ascent to Hampstead. PASSING the last
lights OF hou and lamp, the lriver p. unged
vita his sIle It passenger into h darkness
made visible az intervals b., sharp flashes
OF lightning, The impressive stiffness of the
night BEN, heightened by thunie' that
rolled over tue hid an into the distant val
leys, leaving behini it long listening
pauses of silence.