The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-06-22
'POTHECARY'S FOLLY.

curly in the century the scene Of the spas
Ilodic effort of local patriotism, which pro-
duccd the Folly" a building which per
Eaps, only owes its survival to the need of
= historic fact to mark that such patriot
ism ever existed.
y wealthy apothecarv. being persuaded
that 4 certain spring in the neighborhood
contained all the principal ingredients of
the pharmacop1eia, built n bathhouse on a
scale that should have proclaimed TO far
and near the natural attractions of
Twentyford. Having done he slept
with his fathers, and his heirs and assigns
were left to discover that il takes other
ingredients besides those of II chemical
nature to assure the reputation of a spa
The apothecary had travelled, and in so
doing had acquired taste for Moorish
architecture. The bathhouse profited by
many minaret. But he was also of y
frugal mind. and having launched out in
an uuwonted indulgence OF his fIyOrite
tastes in design, il became necessary TO
steer his course somewhat differently in
the matter of the intended material,
which he changed from stone TO wood,
painted duh red for the sake of
rich and quiet effect The result did
not appeal as it might have done to the
u.ind~of he inhabitants. who uugrGteSully
styled IL ''POthecary's Folly"
That solitary bathhouse, however, was
to become the scene of one strange event
in the commonplace history OF the town
The cider apples were red on the trees
the hop Eatherers singing in their loaded
wagons, aud wholesome smell of brew
ing in the air lent an additionally hos
pitable and comfortable feeling to our
usually comfortable county on the morn
ing in question, which rose, as like its
fellows as nature could make il, whea
Twent yford awoke, hearing rumor
p-ickcd its ears. rubbed its eyes, and
listening again discovered that a shabby
and unohtrusive French woman had been
murdered in one of the bathrooms of
the Folly"
She was a sort of amateur commercial
traveller who sold French flowers TO shops
and had passed the previous night at n
small inn In the town. She had been
heard 10 complain of ''le rheumatism"
being. IA the landlady said, about the
only Christian thing she had said"
But she had proceeded 10 cure her all
ment by bath in the saline spring, an
act which the worthy landlady would by
no means have approved Perhaps IL was
the commercial failure and general ne
glcct by the great world of the Folly"
which had brought the springs into such
sp-ctcd himself would have endured the
rarking and twinEing of every joint
rather than have recourse 10 the baths.
Perhaps so; greater minds are Influenced
by like considerations
Anyhow, tho woman died-what else
could one eXpect'"
My aunt and I, quiet folks rs a rule,
even for Twentyford, were mixed up in
IT, in 81 far - there was but the length of
Pear street between US when the prisoner
was apprehended. We saw but the backs
of the only two policemen for miles
round, and thow they came To he there ut
that moment no one knowsD with some
thing or somebody between them, and
were told that we should receive sub
poena as witnesses To my aunt this in
formation was full of terror.
'My dear" she said, Il shall never for
get how your poor uncle's nerves were mp
set by the unprincipled young counsel
who examined him about that most dis
agreeable soap boiling business lie said
your poor uncle mean-thaC we We're
inundated by 'bluebottles' from the hor-
rid-smelling works, and they asked him If
he WAS quite sure il was not black bottles
or brandy bottles he meant, and, IL so,
wherein they differed from n bluebottle?
Discraceful treatment il was. and what
we had suffered from those insects no one
knows! / think, E.llice, we will just turn
into Skaters for that pink ribbon l
wanted; we may perhaps hear what really
has happened"
Mr.. Slater said ''the prisoner was
young lady of 'prepossessing appear
ance;' it was thought, by one of his young
ladies' that perhaps the prisoner was r
flower harris, too, and that perhaps pro-
fessional jealousy afforded n motive for
the crime,' but the opinion did not find
favor; the young lady" ranked profess
ional zeal at a romantically high figure
We gathered at last that the police had
taken her up because there was no one
else they could take up-a very sufficient
reason; that is TO say, no one whom they
had not known from a baby" and We're
therefore able to vouch for anything they
might do or say, in reason of course; -'get-
tim bit lively Saturday nights, burning
ricks. breaking into Shops" &c, but
this ere amt reasonable"
The police We're probably right; they
had not imagination enough for the kind
of crime.
The police had been summoned, in
stantly too, IL appeared, by the cries of
the attendant" who, unsccustomed 10
duty in that capacity, had returned-soon
after admitting the murdered woman TO
the bath-room-from the wash tub, which
habitually claimed her attention in her
own cottage
Astonished at the silence which greeted
the application of her ear TO the keyhole,
she opened the door. which was guiltless
Of lock or bolt, and found the unfortunate
woman lying on the floor with her throat
cut, and n queer big kind OF knife lying
beside of her, and all her rattle traps and
them big red and yellow flowers out of her
pack all strewn about; Tor. bless ye, they
did f4tfer the material flowers. they were
that I,eautiful; thinks TO myself she've
killed herself sure, but the perlice ought
to see TO it, 50 oilers and screams with
l.. q l..