The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-15
A KNOT OUT.
From All the Year Round.

IN
landing, looking down at the crowd which
the two policemen at the head OF the stair
case were driving back, Men, women,
and even children were surging up the
narrow staircase, inspired by morbid
curiosity TO try and get glimpse OF that
attic door which shut in the dreadful
spectacle OF murder
A man lay in that room stabbed through
the heart 1t was the ghastly stream Of
his blood, spilled by his brother man.
trickling sluggishly beneath the doorway
which had first drawn attention 20 his end
Hoarse voices specuated as to the cause
and time Of the crime. The police were
besieged with questions, which ihey could
not answer, though they put on wisc
imrenetrable, superior kind Of air, as If
they could say much on the subject II they
only cared TO do so.
The door of the house had stood open
most Of that day, for there were workmcn
about il, doing repairs after the dllatory,
happv-go-ucky fashion in which poor peo-
pies houses are generally treated. The
murderer must have come and gone with
the people who were coming and going all
day long, in that oyorcrowdcd tenement
The winter day was short. The dusk Of
n November evening set in soon, aud the
foe and the drilling rain had made the
twilight darker. lie had probably come
as the afternoon was closing in one Of the
many children in the house had heard the
murdered man singing in his room at his
dinner hour, Public indignation was all
the greater because the man had been q
universal iayoritc.
Tho woman standing on the landing
heard all this discussed She had heard II
discussed by the crowd outside, standing
staring up at the house as II its dreadful
secret were written on lis walls. She had
heard every possible theory rs 90 the muir.
derer and and his motive suggested Ms she
forced her way up the staircase, every.
body who recognized her as ''thc young
woman who lived in thcucNt attic 10 that
occupied 10y the dead man, called out to
her what had happened
She had been away all day at her work,
and only learned the news on her return.
The police let her pass when she told them
that she lived up there. She stopped on
the landing and looked down at the cx.
cited, upturncd faces. One man, one OF
the ioTcmos, in the crowd, a slightly built,
quiet.iaccd Young man, dressed like re-
spectacle workman, who had not added
any theory to all those eagerly propoundcd
about him, but had stood with his hands
In his pockets, alphabetically staring ut the
guarded door, looked mp with curious,
Sudden swiitnoss rs she looked down.
As II happened, her eyes, with a sup.
pressed, cXpoctant wa,ChiulnCss Of vision,
taking in the whole Of those upturnCd
faces, were resting really on his Perhaps
II was rather her other senses which were
conveying Ia her mind the consciousness
OF that eager, vcngoancc-eNcitcd crowd OF
men and women, and she only saw. IN
reality, that one pale, quiet face. For, "a
their eyes met "a sudden shock like that
Of 0n electric current flowing from him TO
= her set her quiyVring with fear and u
repulsion, AMI she suddenly cared nothing
for the rest Of that Ciowd They might
have been puppets In some mimic show.
They were nothing. II WIS only this one
man with that strange, terrible kccnnCss
of vision against whom she had 10 guard.
She turned and went into her room,
shutting the door upon her.
"who Is tha,2' asked the workman Of
the policemen.
"Junc, Malone, soams,rcss."
CHAPTER n.
II was three weeks after tho murder
LIE In No los Trrycrtun street had gone
back into lis usual routine The murder
was still mystery, hut the dead man had
been buried The police no longer haunted
the street Even the murdered man n
room had a new lodgcr. The young work
man whom Janet Malone had noticed had
taken the room. A. yet few had seen him,
and still fewer had exchanged any words
with him. People looked rather askauCc
at him for taking such lodging, at least
~ soon after the tragedy. hut lac showed
himself rather iaciturn and reserved to his
own neighbour, aud quite indifferent "a
their opinions. His work was irregular
or else hc WIS laEv, for he went In and oul
In dosultory fashion, sometimes spend
Ing the whole day In his room, aud onl,
going out late in the evening. ptunn.
when all the respectable occupants Of th,
house were In bed On other DAYS hc wou,
80 out early. aud he away all day. II any
hOdy In the house had not been too murl
engaged in solving the problem Of exist
encc 10 notice, they might have discoycrc,
that his restless, indifferent ait vas but o
cloak 10 the most intense watchiulncss
When lac was alone that listlcssncss would
fall from him. and every movement would
bctmy an alert decision which BODIED III
for the person who had been deceived by
his appearance Of languor, and his eyes
would brighten into that kccnuc-- Of vision
which had 20 terrified Janet Malone.
She had not met him again. She III,
no, even know that h. had taken IN,
room next 10 hers. She made the dscoy
cry one DAY, about ten DAYS after hc ha,
been In the house. She recognized him q
once. Indeed, his face. with its quiet
Nrlant power had haunted her since "a,
day 81 tile murder
The Wufkmcn had LEFT their work IN th
house hall finished One Of the repairs {,
which they had hal toattcul was 'hc chin
ncy IN her room. Some DAYS, accufdm
tu the Wind, the smoke, instead ol goIu
up, poured down into the room IN q man
ncr almost iutulvuhir. she had mad
endless complaints to the agent ui a.
landlord, but nothing had been done. am
now the Workmyn had oncc moro gun
away without ryctiiying the chimney
This evening, when she came home irut
her work aud lighted her iirv, the smuk
was worse than ever. Hall suilocaicd, VA
flung open her door, aud stepped out ont
the landing. AZ the same moment q
elosc upon II, that Il almost seemed ~
II the opening Of her door lad been N
signal iof him to orcn his-thc youu
workman appeared NJ his doorway Jan,
recognized him through the wfcaths ,
smoke rolling mp between them. N
bhank back, under the shock Oi his uncs
pected presence.
rs your noon on Grc7' he asked
'What n smokcl'
"No." She had recovered herself 81
Is my chimney"