The Dillon tribune., 1886-04-17
NEEpHAM'S FAILURE
Dy JOSEPH HATTON.
Author Of The Ques,. Of Bohemio," '7hs
I:fer Recruits,' Etc.

e 'ock was beating on. the tine IL its usual
way, but to Needhan. the sound vas olnin-
Gus: it had deathly sound warning
sound, and it seemed to threaten him.
He went into the hall. It was dark. He
bad purposely allowed the gas to remain
unlighted. A flicker of the street lamp
came in over the glass above the door.
There was lantern on the hall table He
the library. All still, deadly STILL He
heard for the first time the ticking of the
cl,ck on the lnantelshelf. He lowered the
gas in the chandelier, as il he feared to see
too much VIXEN he should remove the coat
from the silent figure in the chair He went
hehind it and lifted the cover gently, bit by
hit, until the face was exposed Then he
recoiled from it, then approached it afresh;
touched it, listened to it. raised one Of ito
hands, felt it's pulse. listened at it's heart
All still: no sound, only the two clocks and
:, distant roll of thunder.
Pull yourself together!' Missed between
his teeth tue living man, who now almost
envied the dead. Everything works for
you-heayen and he'll e~a" tho night, a"' :
ness anu storm
The hall clock struck ten. He listened and
counted every stroke as the hammer fell.
mo more" he said, taking out his watch,
looking at it, and then placing it to his ear
mo more! The Fates are with me. Now
$40 Musiness! What is there to fear. A dead
snaI is nothlng-dust, clay, clol moth.
ing. Co2Ie, John Needham, to businessv
He reuched over to the spirit decanters
aud pouring into glass a large quantity of
whisky drunk it off. Then stretching him.
self up to his full height, no turned up his
sleeves, apostrophizing the corpse as he did
You are John Need|,am-poor Needhanl.
member Of parliament. banker, the ruined
fnancler, and you must not be found dressed
IN JOSEPH, Norbury's clothes-colne. It will
not matter to You how you are dressed; it
'yin to me Joseph Norbury must not go
about in John Needhan,'s coat, nor wear
Joseph Norbury's watch, nor carry Joseph
Norbury's purse, nor any thing else that is
his! Ccme!"
1t seemed as if the situation, the whisky,
and the gift Of life with new name, made
ply sically a new man of the villain He
worked ut his CHASTITY business with the
energy OF giant and the vigor OF IL looter
ON Il battlefield. Once or twice he refreshed
himself from the spirit decanter. and wiped
.he perspiration from his iace
When the changes had leen made be-
twteA, the living and the dead. which the
living considered sufficient, then came the
no less difficult work OF removing the
body; but the murderer was equal to tho
occasion He carried it out into the yard
and thrust it into the broughan,, which he
had already dragged out Of the carriage
house for the purpose. There was not Il
single detail that he had not Thought out Oil
tn" lines of his own proposed suicide.
He had not permitted himself, SO far, I,
III.
except this incident Of driving to Hamp.
stead; for he had argued that ii has scheme
was simple and had no hitch in it, all Lc
had to do was to tit his substitute into tho
plan. The only change was the hroVghan.
His own idea had been to walk to the
scene Of his own DEATH favorita rs,sort in
life, and there take his fatal dose. The III
PRODUCTION Of the brougham had necessi-
tated the absence of the servants. These
supple nentary incidents had worked cut
50 far to his satisfaction, the most tremen-
tlous Of all OF them, the discovery Of the
substitute, having been in Needham's oph,-
ion little less than miraculous.
Having deposited his CHASTITY load in the
hougham, he leaned, gasping. against the
coach house; for though lle had carried his
load with something like the grip of an ex-
merit at such work, balancing the weight of
the difficult and 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.
sued his room. washed and laid aside the
extra coffee cup, placed in his pocket the
phial of poison, carefully removed all traces
IT his visitor: then going into the hall and
putting Oh Norbury's light overcast. taking
his own on his arm, aud his crush hat in
his hand, he returned to the sta bles aud har-
messed the cob to the brougham. Opening
the gates stsalthily lie looked out. No ont.
stirring, the night dark, u steady RAIN fall
ing: everything still favored the criminal
and his work. He led the horse throug h
the gate way, put out the Ian tern, niac.i it