Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-09-27

! to retreat, for the noise of the opening
of my room door would be the signal
for instant investigation by the already
suspicious Whitney, and l aad no time
to suddenly assume my ordinary dis
gUise. There remained but one course
to pursue 1t required the exercise of
the greatest caution and more courage
than | believed | possessed.
There was small empty room be-
yond the apartment of the Whitneys
which commanded full view of the
sick mans chamber. Once there 1
should be comparatively safe.
"But to reach it must pass the door
of the room where the Whitneys lay.
Carefully poising myself l essayed
to pass across the intervening space.
Slowly l advanced, moving first one
| limb and then another hardly daring TO
breathe, and feeling forward with my
hands outstretched lest [ should sud-
denly encounter some unexpected OBJ
stacle.
81 had safely passed the open door of
the Whitneys' chamber, when l became
confused, and in the utter darkness lost
my way. Vainly 1 stretched out my
hands. At last to my great joy they
fell upon door handle. l turned it
softly and noiselessly and entered. AS
quickly and as noiselessly / closed it.
There was 4 dull lighJ in the room.
looked around and by its rays saw that
by mistake | had entered the apartment
of my sick uncle.
''He was broad awake and sitting up
in bed staring at mo with two glaring
awful eyes. The living image of my
mother, as he had known her in her
youth, and clad in my white night robe,
his diseased and distorted imagination
completed the illusion.
Mary he gasped, do not come to
reproach me-
'Hush!' l whispered, Mastering to
the bedside. Hush, uncle. Do not
make noise, for Gods sake
''Ie trembled violently. do not
understand, he said, vaguely, as one in
dream. His terror seemed to have de-
parted at the touch OF my hand.
:. Listen, | said. Il am not Mary,
your sister. / am her daughter. We
heard you were very i'll and wished to
see us, so mother and l came 70 town.
We have been here for weeks trying to
see you, but they kept us away. Don't
be frightened at what | am going to tell
you. The Whitneys are not your
friends. They are giving you improper
medicine. Don't take it, uncle, for
Heavens sake. It's poisonr'
:" Poison! Oh. you don't mean that;
and Sam Whitney, 300, my old partner
Ives, uncle, j do mean it, and I'm
here at the risk of my lie TO tell you.
Hark, he's coming now to give You your
medicine. Pretend TO take it, but don't
swallow it. It's arsenic
"A dreadful expression passed over
the face of the old man; but even in
that moment he thought of my safety.
(" "'IIide, child, hide, he whispered and
ne pointed to the closet.
"From there | witnessed what con-
firned my suspicious. 1t was Samuel
Whitney who poured the draught which
my uncle pretended and did not drink.
Subsequent analysis has, you know,
proved il to be most deadly poison.
Horror stricken at tho enormity of this
mans crime, with the knowledge that
instant death awaited the penetration
of my disguise, l awaited only the COM
ing of daylight to pick quarrel with
my mistress, which resulted in my in
stant dismissal. left her house to re-
port at police headquarters, but some-
thing had alarmed the Whitneys. When
the officers reached the house the birds
had flown.
'.My uucle has been dead year. My
mother, sole heir to his considerable es-
tates, lives surrounded, as you see, by
every luxury. AS am only twenty-five,
and am quito wealthy in my own right,
/ presume / am to be envied. Austin
w. Granville, in Chicago Journal.
Robinson Crusoe-"Well, Friday,
what have we for dinner to-day?" Fri-
day--"Goat soup, goat chops, boiled
goat, roast goat" Robinson Crusoe--
"pon't, Friday can't gotr'