The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-20
THU GREAT Mill STREET MYSTERY,
Author Jacobs WIFE, soYs
FALSE PRErENcEs," ETC "
[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CHAPTER XVII.
JESS SECRET.

stood for a moment or two motionleSs, as if
thoroughly bewildered. and then she flung
herself upon George and clutched his arm.
Come away, comeln she painted. 'rThey
must not find US here"
The excitement of his delirious attack had
already began to pass away. She could not
tell exactly whether he knew or not the
thing that had happened: but she thought
she saw vague horror creeping into his
dlated eyes. His arms fell to his sides; he
looked passive, almost dazed; he yielded
submissively to her touch. With trembling
hands she guided him to the fight of steps
and the trap door that led out upon the
roof. Her one idea was that of flight. The
possible danger to him, in his feverish
state, of going into the keen night alr and
through the freshly fallen snow, never oc-
Cured to her unframed mind. AS matter
of fact, it was quite enough to kill him in
his present state, but Jess never thought of
that Ali that she was concerned with, was
the task of getting him away from that
house, from the window of which Stephen
Eyre had Just fallen, before his friends or
the officers of justice should persue the man
and woman who had seen HIM fall. Seen
him fall II that had been the only thing!
But Jess knew that there was more TO tell
She was not a moment too soon. A
heavy, uneven footstep was already heard
upon the stairs. She knew it for that of
Dick. the deformed lad who had always
hated her, who had always taunted her
with her condition, and sworn at his
brother for his infatuation for her. She
was hampered with George, who hung
back, and swayed heavily to and fro as
though he would fall, and she could not go
as fast therefore as she would. It was be-
fore she had closed the door behind her, that
Dick Eyre's face appeared at the other door,
leading to the stairs. She looked at him
shrinkingly, pushing George away from
her out of sight as she did so. and he
scowled at her in return and shook his first.
Then strange thing happened. No
sooner had he entered the room than the
floor seemed to tremble and SILVER as if it
were shaken by an earthquake. There was
a noise of cracking wood and falling plas-
ter, and then the rotten boards gave way
altogether beneath Dicks weight, and he
fell with them into the room below, wkile a
binding dust arose, and a noise as of thun
der deafened poor Jess throbbing ears.
She turned and fled. She could not bear
to look at what had happened. Retreat was
now impossible. She must get George up
the stairs, across the leads, and into the next
house at any cost.
George proved quite amenable to her
touch and her persuasions. He followed
docilelv where she led, and in q very few
minutes she had entered with him through
the door in the neighboring roof, and was
flor the moment at LEAST safe from pursuit.
But what could she do nows She stood
trembling on the landing. wondering
whether to go down the stairs or knock for
admittance at one of the doors, and while
She was hesitating, mans rough head was
thrust ont. and mans hoarse voice asked
what was wrong.
"Can YOU take us in9 Can you hide us?n
said JESS in breathless whisper.
"Hide you. my lass! Why, it's Jess, amt
itg'
Eyes, and my husband"
San right, come in. He's done something,
has heF'
YES, and he's wanted" said jess,
In this claim to assistance she saw her
best hope.
.'Come IN here. You'll be safe enough.
Why, your mans drunk, amt he?'
''No, not exactly. A little bit wrong in
his head, said Jess He'll be quiet enough
if you get him to lie down."
She spoke with feverish rapidity. Every
moment of delay was an eternity to her.
"HVell. come in" said the man, rather
doubtfuliy. '1'n put him into my bed, it
amt much of one at the best Of times, and
he--why, he's gentleman, amt he! what's
he a-doln' 'ereE
80, no, no, he's nothing of the kind, {"
cried, jess, in an agony of fear. Hes got
a gentleman's coat on, that's all. Do
take him in; I'm sure that hell be taken,
if we stand out here"
"What's that noise in the streetw said
her friend, suspiciously. 81 hope he hain't
done anything to get me into trouble for
sheltering him? Well, come in. Here creep
into this bed, mate. and keep quiet"
The bed thus roughly offered was a
miserable pallet which George Eastwood,
in his ordinary moments, would never have
touched with his fingers end just now he
was absolutely deaf and bind TO anything
but the necessity for repose. He sank
down on the heap of rags, and allowed
Jess to draw the coverlet over him, con-
cealing his figure up to the neck. The
owner of the bed. who was a hawker by
trade. crept in beside him and signed to
Jess to 60. jess crept down stairs, and
made her way out by the backdoor, know
ing that the best chance of safety, both Tor
George and herself, lay in separation. Sne
managed to conceal herself in an out-build-
ing. and escaped observation for several
hours, at the end of which time it was easy
to steal back into the house where George
still Law.
She found him in the hawler's bed, and
learned from one of the dodgers, that a
search had been made by thepolice through
every room of the house.
'They looked at your man, too" said the
ledger, "but when they saw that he was
Ill they let him alone, and asked no CUES
tons. Who is he nowi Won't you tellF
But Jess shook her head. Her wife face
was set in an expression of intense pain and
fear. By this time she had learned the fnl
extent of the tragedy in Mill street, sne
knew of Dicks death as well as that OF
Stephen, and she had heard many harrow
ing details of the injuries INFLICTED on botn
1t was only natural, perhaps, that she
should look out upon the world with tna'
frozen horror in her eyes.
She was far safer than she knew. Blacl
Sal had indeed, in drunken fit, divulgec
part of her secret to Dick Eyre; but Dlcl
was dead and Stephen was dead, ant
Francis belmont, who knew something
and suspecting more, had not been able t
see the facs of his friend or his friends wifi
at the window of the house in Mill street
NO one else know the circumstances of tn
case except perhaps, Alice Drew sufficient
y well to throw any light upon the subject
lt came to be currently reported tina
stephen Eyre had lost his life in a hsnd-to
nano encounter, with q band OF colners