The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-04-19

OugGlv mYollu6u- cAC tiAS0 OhHSA -it-~-
of conversation, but had no better sue
cess in persuading him to drop his as
/ sumed character.
Before dinner was over she was more
than half convinced that he was not
acting at all. and that the real author OF
the farce was Mr.. Reggie Bunkum, who
had amused himself BY palming off this
4 old fossil upon his cousins for drawing
| room comique.
When the ladies had retired the male
! portion of the company tried their hands
\ at drawing out Mr.. Twizzleton; but as
they succeeded no better than Mrs.
l Carnegie in getting behind his disguise,
/ the opinion was very soon formed that
the Joke was a dismal failure, aud that
/ Mr. TwiZzleton was making an gorgeous
j fool of himself The last hope OF getting
any fun out of the thing expired on their
return to the drawing-room. On being
sounded respecting the banjo, Reggie
/ Bunkum's boosted chum vehemently re-
| pudiated any knowledge of the instru-
ment, while request from Mrs. Hardup
for the ''three dogs in the barrel pro
duoed look of hopeless bewilderment
upon his features which was almost
/ pathetic in its intensity.
In the meantime, however, the striking
realism of Mr.. Twizzleton's performance
had made an impression on Jack Hardup
somewhat similar to that on Mrs. Car
negie, only Jacks suspicious took some
what different direction from the
EisQE'4,o sMIsar fhompstBlas,n his trusy
butler, on one side, and Intercepted him
closely as to Mr.. Twizzleton's appearance
on his arrival. The butler no sooner
gathered that his master was perplexed
about his new guest than he proceeded
to unburden his own mind.
''Beg pardon, sir, he said, Shut do
understand as you think there is some
mistake about Mr.. Twizzletonl"
''He is not at all the sort of gentleman
expected to see, Thompson. But why
do you ask2n
because I see some things, sir, when
was unpacking his portmanteau that I
don't like the look of at all"
"What sort of thingsP inquired
Hardup.
"Wel, sir, p'raps as the gentlemen are
all in the drawing room now, you
wouldn't mind stepping up stairs and
seeing for yourself. l can lay my hand
on 'em in moment
Jack reflected an instant, hesitating
between the obligations of hospitality
and anxiety to get at the bottom of the
Twizzleton mystery. The latter motive
prevailed, and he accordingly hurried
up to Mr.. Twizzleton's apartment, fol
lowed by the butler Thompson at once
produced two black leather cases.
Opening the first, Hardup found it to
contain several mysterious looking in
struments, of the nature and purpose of
which he was ignorant In the second,
however, he was startled to find q
pair of desperate looking knives, with
long blades highly polished, and as
keen as razors. The very sight of them
made Jacks blood run cold.
'Well, Thompson, he said, more
puzzled than ever, "what do you make
of theseln
"'Tain't for me to say, SIR" replied
the butler; "but hope they don't mean
murder-that's alp
'Murder What do you meanfn
''Well, sir, if as you say you have your
doubts about this gentleman being Mr..
Twizzleton, all that I can say is that
some of these burglars and gentlemen
sharpers have precious artful ways of
gettin' into folks houses, and if those
tools Thompson pointed to the first
case amt part of burglars stock in
trade, Pm
-.NoasanssL ThnR2snn. interrupted
his master. ''Yov've get burglary on
the brain. Put the things back and say
nothing more about it. y
With that Hardup made his way back
to the drawing room, feeling rather
guilty. He found that Mr. Twizzleton
was not in the room Nor was Mrs.
Jack was told that Twizzleton
had earnestly begged for five minutes
with his hostess, and that
they had gone together into the library
only moment ago. The company were
busily discussing the mysterious strsn-
ger.
81 don't believe his face is made upat
oil, "said one lady. 81 could see wrink-
les distinctly, aud Pm sure he never
hired such a bald head as that
"My impression is that the whole
thing is a joke of Reggie Bunkum's,"
observed Mrs. Carnegie, adhering to her
previous theory.
81 believe" said Mr.. Fred Jarvis,
''that it is Reggie's friend, and that he
has gone off his head. have heard Of
cases where fellows have played the fool
in this way until they have come to be-
lieve they are somebody else.n
At that moment piercing shrek re-
sounded through the house from the
library, causing the guests 10 look at
one another with Mortified glances. Fol-
lowed by Mr.. Jarvis and the rest of the
gentlemen, Hardup hurried away in the
direction of the disturbance Opening
the library door, they found Mrs. Hard
up, to all appearance, half fainting with
terror, and clinging 10 the bell pull, while
Mr.. Twizzleton stood between her and
the door, evidently scarcely less agi-
lated.
ooh, hold HIM hold him p' shrieked ,
The lady. ''He's madI He is going to ,
murder men
There was certainly some reason for I
alarm, for on the table lay a case of /
weapons scarcely less formidable than |
those Hardup had see up stairs.
"What is the meaning of this, sirl"
cried Jack, while two or three gentle
men cautiously surrounded Mr. Twizzle- ,
tom.
"My dear SIR" replied the stranger,
hopping the perspirstion from his brow s
with red silk handkerchief, "Tm as '
much at loss to understand matters as
s0tr-olf- dssi.sd 4 - your
sdy in order to demonstrate on her i'm !
prudence in not taking more care of !
herself. On my producing my instru- i
nents for the purpose of making an ex- )
animation and asking to see her arm she
It once fell into the state of agitation
which you perceive"
EITHER you must be out of your mind,
Mr.. Twizzleton," exclaimed HarduF,
lngrily, "or this is the most impairment
iooling I ever
The sentence was cut short by the en-
rance of the butler. Jack was about TO
Iay that he could not be interrupted at
his moment; but, on Thompson mys-
ieriousiy whispering something in mis-
EAR, he made hasty apology to the !
and left the room. In half
minute he returned, accompanied by d,
II r. Z