Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-10-24

the l4th day OF February, that L tool
quarters at the Sabine House, ant
after tea L requested the landlord t,
build fire i'll my room, which he did
and he also furnished me with goot
lamp. 1t was eight o'clock. and l sa
at the table engaged in reading, whei
someone raped upon my door. said
Come IN" and young man named
Laban Shaw entered This Shaw
had known very well as clerk OF
Gabriel Butterworth, but | had never
been intimate with him from the fact
that | had never liked him. He must
have seen the look of displeasure upon
my face, for he quickly said
pardon me, Mr.. Watson. / don't
mean to intrude. / have come down
to be present at the examination to-
morrow-summoned by Butterworth's Is
man, OF course-and l got here too late
to get room with stove in it; and,
worse still, / must take room with
another bed in it, and with stranger
for company. And so, may L just warm
my fingers and toes by your fire, and
leave my carpet bag under your bed 2"
He laughed when he spoke of the
carpet bag; but yet he did not know
what sort of faculty his stranger
roommate might have for getting up
and walking off in the night.
OF course 1 granted him his request,
and he put his carpet bag under my
bed, and then sat down by my stove
and We chatted sociably enough foI
half an hour or more without once
alluding to the business which had
brought the pair of us to Wiltonburg
His conversation was pleasant, and ]
really come to like the fellow; and
thought to myself that had been
prejudiced against him without cause,
| AT length he arose, and bade me good,
night, and went away, and shortly af
terward retired.
had been in bed but little while,
when another rap upon my door dis
turbed me; and to my demand of what
was wanted l received answer from
Laban Shaw. He bade me not to
light lamp. He had only come fol
his nightgown. He could get it in the
dark. L arose and unlocked my door,
and his apologies were many and earn
est. He always slept, in winter in a
flannel nightgown, aud he had thought,
lessly left it in his carpet-bag. He ws.a
sorry-very sorry. He had thought to
try to sleep without it rather than dis.
turb me, but his room was cold
and
| cut him short, and told him ther,
was no need of further apology; ant
while hs fumbled over his bag, I wen
to the stove to make double assuranc,
that the fire was all right. Offered
to light n match for him, but he said
he had got his dress and all was right
He then went out, and / closed and
locked the door after him, and then got
back into bed.
But / was not to sleep / had beer
very sleepy when Shaw disturbed me
but an entirely different feeling pos
sessed me now. First came nervous
twitching in my limbs a "craw-
ly" feeling. as some express
it-that sensation which induces gap
ing and yawning, but which nc
amount of yawning could now subdue.
upon me; and, though perfectly awake,
a sense as of impending danger pos
sessed me. At length, so uncomforta-
bic did [ become in my recumbent
position, that 1 arose and lighted my
lamp, resolved to replenish my fire,
and dress myself, and see if l could
read away my nervous fit.
My lamp was lighted, and as I re-
turned to the bedside for my slippers,
my attention was attracted by string
which lay upon the carpet-a string
leading from the bed to the door. |
stopped to examine it, and found it fast
at both ends. | brought the lamp and
took more careful survey. The string
was fine silken trout line, new and
strong, one end of which disappeared
beneath the bed and the other beneath
the door, In my then present condi
tion l was suspicious of evil, and my
senses were painfully keen. Raising
the hanging edge of the coverleI
/ looked under the bed. The
carpet bag which Laban Shaw had
left lay there, partly open, witt
the sillen line leading out from it
What could it mean? Had the mar
accidentally carried the end of the line
away with his night-dress without no
ticing it? 1 drew the bag out from be
meath the bed, and as / held its jaws
apart l saw, within, a double barrelet
pistol, both hammers cooked, brigh
percussion caps cleaning upon tn,
tubes, while the silken line, with dou
BILE end, was made fast to the triggers
And l saw that the muzzles of the pis
tol barrels were inserted into the ent
of an oblong box, or case, of galvan
lied iron. And L comprehended, too
that very slight pull upon that strins
might have discharged the pistols
and, Furthermore, that man outsid
of my door might have done tina
thing!
For little time my hands tremblet
so that / dared not touch the inferna
contrivance; but at length I composed
myself, and went at work. First, L Gu
the string with my knife; and then, a.
carefully as possible, eased down tn,
hammers of the pistol, after which
drew it from the iron case. L had just
done this when l heard o step in the
hall outside my door. Quick as thought
] sprang up, and turned the key, and
threw the door open and before me-
revealed by the light of my lamp,
stood Laban Shaw. He was fright
ened when he saw me, and trembled
like an aspen. | was stronger than he
mt any time, and now he was Us child
in my hands. l grasped him by the
collar, and dragged him into my room
and / pointed the double barreled
pistol at his breast; and L told him 1
would shoot him as | would shoot o