Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-08-15

/ Id the use Oh love III III I8ita one 1t SUCH
time3 Tell me what has happened OF
what you imagine. Perhaps it Is some
fancy that can prove untrue"
The idea that her fathers brain wss
touched had again seized her-he under.
stood that M she spoke.
81 am not insane" he answered,
'.though have enough upon my mind
| TO make me so. Jessie, am criminal.
My crime is known 20 Casper Paul. He
has me in his power"
"a criminal you3" she gasped.
"What il your crimei"
He answered one awful word:
''Murderw
And now Jessie thought that she knew
that he was mad. She flung her arms
| about him.
"Dear papa" she said, '.dismiss the
idea. You kill any one7 You've dreamed
it-you fancy it. People often have de-
lusions. This is one. Let me send for
DR.. Balm; it is fever or something.
You haven't killed any one."
"My dear child" the merchant an
swered, sit is only too hideously true.
You know that I have hasty temper,
! that speak furiously at times; and you
know of my miserable half-brother, the
disgrace to our family, Dick Lane. AL
ways bringing shame upon my mother in
his boyhood, always coming to me for
money, which he drank and gambled
away as soon as he got it."
"But you sent him away, you gave
him enough to live on in Canada" the
girl replied. "You saw that he was
settled there in comfort"
"Yes, did all that man could do, I"
said Mr.. Lane: "But a week ago he re-
turned as poor as ever, worse than ever.
He came to the office; sent him away !;
he returned. This time I drove him
forth.
"'Dare come to me again. said,
'and I'll kill you All my clerks heard
me, Casper Paul heard.
"I beg pardon, threat like that
might be used against you if anything
should happen to that gentleman he
said.
" The sooner that what you call
''something' happens to that fellow, the
better for the world said.
"A day or two after holiday came
Decoration Day-you remember. The
clerks were off. It was quite incon-
venient that they should be, and in the
afternoon I went down to the Office to do
what could myself.
''After / had been alone there for
some time, Casper Paul entered. He said
that he felt as though / needed him, and
did.
81 felt pleased that he had come. We
worked away together until it was time
to light the gas. Even the janitress and
her family were away; the place was de-
serted.
"Casper had gone to another room to
get some matches, when heard shut
fling step upon the floor, and turned and
saw Dick, who had made his way up
the stairs somehow.
"'Out of this room! cried.
'Just a minute, Brother Tom.' said
he.
"He put his hand upon my arm. In
my rage I struck him. He fell like
log. AS he did SO Casper ran into the
room-he stopped over him.
"'You've killed him, sir he said.
81 was horror stricken. I could not
believe that had committed murder.
3" Call DOCTOR I said.
" Its no use, SIR Casper said, che
is quite dead. Your having threatened
him before the clerks would be against
you. His neck is broken, it must have
hit against the brass rail-
''He showed me his hand, red with
blood There was blood unon the floor
also.
"'Come,' he said, I'VE don't want any
one to see this. I'll drag him out into
the alleyway. There's no one in the
janitress's place, and the police will find
him and think he is tramp that has
fallen down the stone steps there
"sNo, no. said what I should do |
is to give myself up
Having threatened to kill him, that |
might mean the gallows, sir, he said.
81 knew he was right. hid my face
and let him do what he would. He |
dragged Dicks body out somehow, and |
came back and washed up the floor, and |
then he made me 60 home, calling cab |
for me.
"'You Sec, he said, "a valuable life
like yours, sir, ought not to be inperiled |
for creature like that
81 thought him my friend at the time,
but the very next day he began to show
what he meant, and at last he told me
plainly that for such service he deserved |
a proportionate reward. knew that /
was in his hands, and / said: Name |
Il -