The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-03-13

nderstand-though when was in INV o,vn
room and heard that terrible tick t;ci Of
that horrible gas-pipe, l felt sure soma a ~, ~
ful deed was In contemplation vet when
daylight and / saw those two peonIa fana
to face l couldn't believe it of them tbev
looked so innocent, SO good; there was sncR
| an absence OF all suggestion of wickednass
in those blue eyes of Miss Emily in fiat
square, handsome face of Will Graham
'Well, at last matters came to a crisis
1t was one summers night l had worked
hard all day and was terribly worn ont
and nervous. l came home; had chin or
| something. Anyway, Eliza allowed me
only light dinner and made me 90 to nod
early. During the evening the house was
very quiet; the gas-pipe especially was 81
lent as the grave. | fancy | must have
fallen asleep, for remember nothing be-
| tween Eliza's coming upstairs about ten
O'Clock and being awakened shortly before
midnight by a sound coming, of course
from that gas-pipe. OF late, YOU see. had
got so nervous over it that the slightest
sound from it woke me instantly. Eliza
slept on placidly as a dormouse ct nv side
Il listened intently. Whether it was NV
| weak condition or presentiment, l don't
know, but felt sure at once that some
thing dreadful was coming. 1t did
Give made up my mind, Will'-from
below.
"'Well, what to dog
"'Just as you said. Shooting's the best
She'll die instantly, you know, and won't
have any dying farewell's to go through
don't feel up to such a thing-have never
| had any practice in Just that line
Horrible girl | thought. People don't
| generally get much practice at numbering
| their mothers.
Ppm going to do it now, too. I've dali
| lied over it a dreadful while and I'm going
haUp nv
breathe freer. Therell be nothing more
| but the marriage, and after that can rest
Was she fiend: red lies Appar
rently they both were.
'''All right; go at it, This from above.
do it up brown. I'll help you spend the
money!
II could stand it no longer. 'Elizap |
shrieked, there's murder murder murder
going on in this house Get up! get upI
81 simply flew up. In two seconds l had
on pair of trousers and coat. Eliza
tried to hold me, but l flung her off. There
was no time to be lost. | expected the
sound of a pistol-shot before | could get
downstairs.
Il went down three steps at time. On
my way met party of people coming
from the front room, where they had been
playing whist.
"'Mr Jonesr shrielled our landlady, see
ing my excited face and glancing at Eliza,
who was hurrying after me in her night
dress.
& Madam ? cried, there's murder going
on in your house. Come at once-come
To the rescue, l command your
"'With the whole house following, |
rushed to the door of Miss Marvin's room.
/ flung my whole strength against the wood.
A series of shrieks came from within.
" It's locked it's locked it's lockedp I
cried.
"'Of course it's locked, you indecent
man. cried our landady. The ladies are
gone to bed What do you mean"
" Mean, madam = l cried; 4 mean there's
murder going on behind that door,
''By this time l had succeeded in con-
vincing somebody that some foul deed was
under way, for the two young men from
the drugstore and both servants came
rushing up. One had the fire tongs, the
other the shovel, and one of the servants
had seized decanter, which she evidently
meant to use as a bludgeon.
"Bent on saving that poor old lady from
dreadful death at her daughters hands, l
threw my whole strength against the door
The drug clerk helped me. There was a
straining of the wood, a bursting Of the
latch, the door gave way, and there we
stood in the midst of the room. gaze one
spring tolOard the murdereSS aud pi,lioHed her
IN Dly arms"
At this point Mrs. Jones, who had listened
with the utmost interest to her husbands
narrative, burst into peal of laughter l
laughed too and then meekly inquired of
them both what was laughing at:
''Well, Teddy, what was its What hap
pened next?'
Teddy Jones gave prolonged sigh.
''What happened next? Why, that miSer
able wretch, VIII Graham, actually
threatened to have me arrested for as
saulting his promised wife. Think of it-a
decent, respectable married man like me p
H., ,lo,,
it all about9"
''What was it all about?n The disguised
look that Teddy had worn when literary
people were first spoken of came over his
face again. ''Why, it wasn't anything.
Miss Emily was one of your precious
literary people-writing nasty story with
a murder in it, She and VIII Graham had
been engaged for three years. He usually
helped her out with her plots Just now
there was family row because Will
wouldn't take tho old lady's money to go
into business with. VIII said he wouldn't
risk impoverishing her. The old lady got
provoked. She was tired of seeing Will moth
ing but telegraph clerk, so she said they
shouldn't speak to each other until he came
to his senses and went into something for
himself"
But how did Miss Emily come to under
stand telegraphy 2"
"Why, she was an operator herself She
didn't like it, and found writing, literature
-bah!' Clones was contemptuous still
paid her better. So she went at it, and,
as afterwards learned, she really made a
good thing of it,
But what did they do to you for raising
such terrible fuss in the housef'
'Don't speak of it. | thought those
women would never have done screaming
and railing at me. Will Graham took me
| upstairs by the ear, and Eliza put me to
bed. The landlady said / had behaved like
a fiend, that her house had always been
decent and respectable, and that | had
| ruined her Old Mrs. Marvin kept having
! Mysteries twice a day for fortnight. l had
| brain-fever for six weeks. Then, before
had more than half recovered, they gave us
| warning, and Eliza and had to turn out
into the street. Literary people-ugh !n-
| Hd1per'S Weekly.
ANCIENT WATER WORKS.