The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-17

vault, Evidently every body in the room
was asleep.
81 turned, and putting my hand as
gently and as kindly as possible on my
poor friends shoulder, said in as calm a
voice as / could command:
George, this is terrible, 1 am sorry
down to the bottom of my heart Come
back to my room until we consider what
is best to be done
ave retraced our steps slowly. A
vigilant night Waterman passed on his
rounds, but did not heed us. How he could
know the anguish that was racking our
very lights and Hvers? He couldn't,
happy fellow. As we neared my door, /
had an idea l sometimes have. Strange
that neither of us had thought of a most
reasonable explanation before. OF course.
the whole thing was clear now. Pshaw,
what a brace of blockheads we were, to be
sure. The season was gradually coming
to an end; the hotel was thinning out,
and Mr.. Palmer, the ever thoughtful
room clerk, had moved my companions
wife to larger apartment at the front of
the house. When mentioned this to the
suffering husband he clutched at the idea
as a drowning man does at driftwood.
Only moment was he relieved, however,
for he gasped the horrible words:
But, the trunk"
THAT was a blow to my fine spun
theory, had to admit. Still, / reasoned,
the transfer of rooms might have beer
made late in the aftern DON and the over
worked porterS might not have been able
to attend to the transfer of the baggage.
confess that l was unable to impart
much enthusiasm to my consoling assur-
ances.
Clearly, there was only one thing to
be done. The husband must 60 down TO
hn haSl nd ta;x 1t, -
wife's room-had been changed since his
departure. No; couldn't go. Positively mol
He must be diplomatic, too. / assured
him, for his wife's honor depended on not
awakening any suspicion at the desk L
still felt that there must be clear way
out of this tangle, but l couldn't see any
daylight ahead. He argued with me
again The husband, not the friend, must
go. Yes, l was firm on that point.
braced him up as well as l could to the
top of the main stairway leading to the
office. Then l waited. My friend was
about as diplomatic as Hollander. He
walked up to the desk and, glaring wildly
at Clerk Ben Hays, demanded:
why in the fiend's name did you
move my room while 1 was away"
Your room has not been changed, SIR
was the calm reply of the veteran clerk
as he glanced over the rack on which the
names are all carefully set down. Then
he said Front" in voice that made the
colored porter on duty spring forward.
Mr.. Hays said to him in a matter Of
fact way:
Show this gentleman to his ROOM"
Il saw that a crisis had come. Stepping
down the stairs, plunged into the thick
of the contest. My friend, the husband,
acted as though he would fall limp upon
the floor. Mr.. Hays expected him to- evil
IDENTIFY, for he whispered to the porter to
take the guests arm, but the husband
wouldn't have it. He recovered himself
and stormed like tiger. He knew the
way; didn't want anybody to show him
to-to-hiS room. Hotel clerks were al
ways impudent, he added.
"Mr. Hays, who has had thirteen years
experienc at the Fifth Avenue hotel and
West End, had seen such cases before.
He knew the only way to manage man
under the circumstances was to let him
alone. That's what he did. His theory
worked like a charm in this case; and,
making what apology / could for my now
thoroughly distracted companion, / be-
gan to navigate him toward the stairway.
tell you this staggering man was dead
sober He hadn't had a drop in my
room, because there's never any there.
1t don't last. Why, 1 actually thought
I'd have to carry my friend, his legs
doubled up so under the weight of his
grief. God knows pitied him.
what was to be done? / tried again
and again, to imagine myself in this aw-
full predicament. Impossible. l must, of
course, regard all that knew and had
seen as a sacred secret Though an I'M
willing confidence) that could not be
dragged from me with heated pincers. 1t
should die with me. But what next,
That was the husbands place to decide,
and his only.
Have you a pistol?" he finally asked.
Yes / answered, reluctantly. /
hadn't any real wish to be made an &C
cessory to a murder before the fact, nor
had l the heart to refuse boon to a
wronged and outraged friend. Anything
had in this world was at his disposal,
and said so.
"We had reached my room for the third
time. 1t was after 1 o'clock-nearer ., in
fact, as / found by looking at my watch.
got out the heavy weapon, examined it
to see that it was properly loaded, and
laid 1t on the table so that he could take
it. He OWNED my mental observation.
He evidently believed that / shrunk from
handing him pistol about to be used in
taking a human life. I'd cross the Ru-
bicon. l seized the heavy revolver, placed
IL In his hands, and, with n heroic rising
infle Xion, said:
"'Go, and do your dutyr"
THE way in which the merchant han
died the weapon satisfied me that he
never before had had a pistol in his fing-
ers. His first act was to place the butt
against his breast and to bring the
weapon to a full cock. Then his conf
dence grew stronger and his reckless ness
increased.
stepping back to give the injured hus-
band courage, l urged him to avenge him.
self. l told him how Mr.. Murat Hal
stead had only the other day actually
threatened 10 shoot Mr.. John Il. Mclean,
and that he had telegraphed a column or
so about the daring act to all the papers
of the country. Now, do you know, that
was one of the most unfortunate remarks
i ever remember TO have made The mer-
chant and husband had read the blood