The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-05-22

deferred him from again venturing neal
the scene of the murder, nor did he dare
to enter the village again. And it was
well for him he did not, for evidence or no
evidence, innocent or guilty, every living
soul in the village verify believed the but
ler to be the william who murdered Sir
Walter Harold.
'sTwo years glided away, in which time
nothing was seen or known of the where
abouts of the acquitted mar, whose very
name was synonymous with the Evil One.
Oakly Hall had its spinster mistress, and
young Squire Cloudesley had married some
town beauty with plenty of money; for: on
discovering that Miss Harold cared little
or nothing for him-nor. indeed, for any
one else with view to marriage-he soon
shifted his quarters, finally sojourning in
London, where he wooed and won mil
lionaires daughter.
'Well, sir, Miss Harold, by Sir Walter S
will. came into possession of all her father S
property. She led quite hermit's life,
and was sorry picture of misery-so much
so, that some people went so far as to be-
lieve she was Indirectly implicated in the
murder. One after another, in quick sue
cession, all her servants quilted Oakly
Hall and not-saEing to.-roIaain- -lnn9erziss
the old mansion, she too left it-left 1t IN
charge of care-takers. Soon it was known
as the "Haunted Mansion" and after a
few months was deserted, and subsequently
advertised for sale. So much for the muir
der And now for the sequel of the story
the very key of the mystery-the mur-
der
"The village inn, known as the Three
Brewers, was kept by retired captain OF
the merchant service, who, by-the-by, was,
and still is, very fond of being ''half seas
over" as the saying goes, nautically. One
evening, having imbibed too much of that
delectable beverage termed grog, to avoid
his wife's displeasure-or, to use his own
expression, ''her awful tongue banging ap-
paratus'-he strolled to the stables and
took sanctuary in the hayloft, to sleep off
the i'll effects of the "drop too much.
Soon he was awakened by voices not far from
him-voices that seemed to paralyze him,
making him tremble for his life's safety.
One was strange or unknown harsh voice,
the other was the unmistakable mutter of
his drunken ostler, who, at the time of the
murder, was Sir Walters valet and conf
dental man.
"I tell you what it is, said the ostler,
Il am sorry that ever had anything to do
with the murder, for my conscience has
never been at rest since that awful night,
and I've got so thin on it that every one is
telling me I'm a consumptive. No mat
ter to me whether it be Winter or Summer,
sunny or cloudy, I'm always alike-got no
life in me, no sunshine, no smile, no laugh
and, like all bad men, I've taken to
drinking heavily, and that makes matters
worse still. My dear wife has always been
one of the best of wives and mothers, and
brought up all our family respectfully. All,
she little thinks I'm the wicked wretch you
know me to be! If it was not for getting
you into trouble, [ really think l should
make clean breast of matters confess to
the murder, pray for Heavens mercy, and
let the hangman strangle me out of my
misery. AS for doing another job of the
kind-why, tell you plainly | won't have
anything to do with it.
'''Hang it 7 cut in the other, 4 had to
get rid of the jewelry, and you had fair
half of the money it fetched.
"'Oh, Heaven, yes, replied the other,
Il did did And what good has it done
me? 1 have squandered it away in drink,
trying to drown my conscience. l shall
never forget going into London jewelers.
with my dear old master and there watch
ing him buy the necklace of diamonds for
my young mistress. Yes, it was to be pre-
sented to her on her coming of age. My
master said to me, Godfrey, you are my
personal and confidential attendant, so be
careful and let nobody know of this pur-
chase, as I wish to agreeably surprise your
young mistress on her twenty-frst birth
day. He was so troubled with gout he
could hardly walk in and out of the jewel
ers shop had to help him; yet the poor
old fellow, on reaching home, alighted with
the jewels as proud as a king. All, it was
the devil that brought you to see me that
night, Teddy But when l agreed to the
robbery and let you into the mansion, God
knows l did not dream you meant doing
murder. My dear old master, too-eh ?
Oh, Heaven, when l think of it, l realize
what a wicked wretch | have beenl And
now, you have come to ask me to help you
rob this inn. Why, perhaps you would
murder my present master-eh ?-he who
found me employment here when [ had
lost my character by being a drunkard
No, mol am not to be caught twice in the
same trap. You murdered Sir Walter
Harold; you shall not murder the land
lord of this in
"'I-I murdered him? {? interrogated the
other william.
@'Yes, you did it, persisted the Ostlcr.
Il let you into the house to steal the new
jewels, not to murder my masterl'
"'You speak too loud, you blubbering
fool, you ] said the strangers voice.
Some one will overhear us; then we shall
be run in and doomed to the gallows.'
"'Go away, then, at once, said the ostler;
for there's only about twenty pounds in
the inn, and you shall not rob the old
man of it. Go awayr
"Ihe next moment tnere was terrlDie
scuf1e between them, and the old wooden
structure vibrated as if it were going to be
razed to the ground Soon one of the two
wretches had fallen heavily to the floor
For few minutes my storytelling friend
paused, smiled, and fixed his eyes upon me
very suspiciously, as if he fancied he had
recognized in me an old acquaintance. But
he soon explained the cause of his strange
behavior.
"Now, sir" he continued, II must take
the mask from my face" and he paused
again, with his eyes set to mine as pre-
viously.
"What do you mean, sir ?" said 1. "Ex-
plain-what you are thinking OFF"
81 will tell you, sir, he responded. II
Il was the poor shivering landlord of the
inn-indeed, am still; SO, of course, it
was I who lay in the hayloft listening to
the life-and-death struggle of which l have
spoken"
aOh, indeed /" said L "But finish the
story"
"Yes, sir, 1 will. Well, sir, l must re-
peat that one villain fell heavily in the