Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-02-17

L LuTQeQ auu SUI TuCh diuOuS Iucm Will
my stick. 1t did my heart good to
; hear their screams.
After that | was let alone, and /
tramped forward, past the scattered
houses, toward the open country and
the moors. Up here there was scarce.
ly any fog, but could see it by the
rising moon, hanging like a shroud
over the town below The next town
was near twelve miles of, but l do
not remember that l thought of getting
SO far. | could not have thought at
all, in fact, or | should have taken
the highroad upon which the jeweler
had been stopped and murdered.
There was shrewd wind blowing,
and l shivered al over; but the cold
at my heart was worse, and my ha.
tired of the man who had set it there
grew with every step. l thought of
the four months and more which
parted the two lives of Gabriel Foot
and what l should make of tho new
one. l had my chance again; chance
gained for me beyond hope by that
counsel but for whom l should be
sleeping tonight in the condemned cell;
a chance, and good chance. but for
that same cursed lawyer. Ugh! how
cold it was, and how hated him for
it
There was a little whitewashed
cottage on the edge of the moor and
just after the hedge-rows ceased; the
last house before the barren heath be-
gan, standing a full three hundred
yards from any other dwelling. Its
front faced the road, and and at the
back an outhouse and a wretched
garden jutted out on the waste land.
There was light in each Of its win
dows tonight, and as | passed down
the road heard the dismal music OF
of fute
Perhaps it was this that logged
my thoughts and woke them up to
my present pass. At any rate, | had
not gone more than twenty yards
before | turned aud made for the
door. The people might give me 3
nights lodging in the outhouse; at any
rate, they would not refuse crust to
stay the fast which / had not broken
since the morning. | tapped gently
on the door with my knuckles and
listened
1 waited five minutes, and no one
answered. The flute still continued
it's melancholy tune; it was evidently
in the hands of learner, for the air
q dispiriting one at the hest-kept
breaking of suddenly and repeating
itself But the performer had pa.
tience, and the sound never ceased for
more than two seconds at time. Be-
sides this nothing was to be heard
The blinds were drawn in all the win-
dows. The glow of tine candles
through them was cheerful enough but
nothing was to be seen of the house
inside. l knocked second time and
third with the same result. Final
ly, tired of this, | pushed open the
low gate which led into the garden
behind and stole around to the back
of the cottage.
Here, too, the window on the
ground floor was lit up behind its
blinds, but that of the room above
was shuttered. There was q hole in
the shutter. however, where knot
of the wood lad fallen out, and Q
thin shaft of light stretched across the
blackness and buried itselfin ragged
yew-tree at the end of the garden.
From the loudness of the sounds l
judged this tu be the room here the
fute-playing was going on. The
sound of my footsteps on the thin
soil did not disturb the performer, 80
| gathered handful Of earth and
pitched it against the pane. The
flute stopped for a minute or go, but
just as | was expecting to see the win
dow open, it went on again. This
time the tune was pretty Polly Oil
YER"
crept back again and began to
hammer more loudly at the door.
Come" said 1, "whoeyer this may
be inside. I'll see for myself at any
rate" and with that | lifted the latch
and gave the door heavy kick. 1t
few open quite easily-it had not
even been locked aud | found my.
self in low kitchen. The room was
empty, but the relics or supper lay
on the deal table, and the remains Of
what must have been q noble FIRE
were still smouldering on the hearth
A crazy. rusty blunderbuss hung over
the fireplace. This, with couple of
rough chairs, a broken baconrack and
a small side table, completed the fur
niture of the place. No; for as l sat
down to make a meal of the remnants
of supper something lying on the
lime ash floor beneath this side table
caught my eye l stepped forward
and picked it up.
1t was q barrister's wig.
This is queer business, thought
L; and | laid IL on the table opposite
me as went on with my supper. 1t
was q "gossan" wig. as we call it 10
our parts; wig grown yellow and
rusty with age and wear. 1t looked
30 sly and wicked as it lay there, aud
brought back the events of the day
30 sharply, that queer dread took
me OF being discovered with 1t. l
pulled out my pistol, loaded it,-they
had given me back both the powder
and pistol found on me when was
taken,--and laid it beside my plate.
This done, went on with my supper
1T was an excellent cold capon,-
and all time the flute upstairs kept
toot-tootling without stopping except
to change the tune. 1t gave Hearts
Of Oak" "Why, Soldiers, Why"
Like Hermit Poor" and Come, Las
ses and Lads" before | had fairly
cleared the dish.
"And now." thought I, II have
had q COED supper; but there are still
three things to be done. In the first
place want drink, in the second 1
want n bed. and 10 the third want
to thank this kind person. whoever
he is. for his hospitality. I'm not
going to begin life No. 2 with house,
breaking.
arose. slipped the pistol into my
Jailpocket and followed the sound up
the ramshacklc stairs. My footsteps
a .-.