Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-30
The Secretary's Murderer.

The Secretary of the Society for Edu-
| eating Cherokee Indians in the Apprecia-
ton of Browning" advanced upon the AL
bany Station She did not hurry. The
society had failed to materialize quorum
that day, and she had plenty of time. She
entered with the domestic eagerness of a
| suburban, to which was added an almost
fireside expression Of content, which may be
said to be peculiar to that celebrated de-
pot The true suburban has an air
| whether it reside in the bonnet or the
front teeth, in the coat pocket or the velvet
gaiter, who shall sayf-which is as un-
| mistakable as the railroad clock when you
come in two minutes after train time. The
Secretary was thirty-fiTe minutes before.
For this reason she did not rush in through
the big doors, past the telegraph girl and
the newspaper man, through the hot, huge
vestibule, where the 6g paste seemed to be
about to melt, the sour strawberries were
taking root, and boiling soda become a
vicious insult. 1t was one of the days
when Bosten was conscientiously illustra-
ting our new climate 1t was still called
February for courteg's sake. The ther-
mometer registered seventy in the shade,
and the furnaces did their best TO compete
with the temperature. The Secretary wore
a eal-skin coat One of its warm pockets
embraced a copy of PAracelsus. She took
out her handkerchief and apologetically
smoothed her face. If she had been in
Chicago, she would have boldly mopped
her brow
Our passenger made flank movement,
threading her way through the steaming
coupes and herdies, in hopes of monopoliz-
ing the cool, outer anteroom on the femi-
nine side of the station. The Secretary
was slight but determined, and the
belligerent door yielded discreetly to this
spirited woman. A gust of fresh air swept
her in. She sank into the furthest corner
and removed her seal skin coat, which she
laid neatly on an empty seat. She then
famed herself sadly With the last circular
appeal for funds in behalf of her refined
Indians, and wondered, with the patience
vi All True IclOIucIr, WY thO SouoO was
not more passionately appreciated.
In the main waiting-room women Of a
less literary nature and of an economic
turn of mind bought the penny evening
papers of Boston for purposes of infrigida-
tion, and whisked them vigorously. Most
of these women were arrayed in black boa
constructors or fur-lined cloaks. These
they retained with the pertinacity worthy
of nobler cause. Several of the pas
sengers had their feet on the base of the
radiator, from which blasts Of hot air could
be seen to vibrate. The pleasant flower
girl was vainly trying to resusciate her
gasping carnations. The ianitress, who
had been there thirty mine years, for the
fourth time resignedly told the lady from
the county what time the six-o'clock
train went The employe who announces
the trains took his websterian attitude,
with one elbow on the radiator, and
harangued his audience with less than bis
usual eloquence, grinding out the names of
stations as indifferently and monotonousA. :.
as LDc VI but olabO
giving the woman suffragists leave to with
draw.
1t was warm. 1t was very warm. But
in the anteroom the Secretary breathed.
1t was dusk, and shadows had begun TO
enyelop the corners Of this room, especially
those seats nearest the door, whose upper
panels were of glass The Secretary was,
or thought herself, alone. Many pas
passengers passed through, violently char
actering the weather; but they all went
into the main room, and made straight for
the radiators, where they sat down, and
such as could not afford the evening paper
famed themselves with their gloves.
The Secretary was glad to be alone. She
looked at the Indian circular censoriously,
as if it were TO blame Tor the failure OF her
life's scheme The Secretary was not a
Puritan, but she was Of good old mission
ory descent, and her thoughts ION awful
subjects rolled" The Secretary was born
philanthropist. She was the most con
scientious soul in Boston and vicinity, and
we ill KNOW W0uL tuub DnG na5
consoling herself by the mental organiza-
ton OF a new Association for Teaching
Beggars how TO Starve Silently and
Ksthetically, when she was startled at
hearing penetrating whisper not six feet
away: "How shall the deed be donel'
The Secretary turned her head with the
least possible motion, and beheld for the
first time the dim outline Of q man and a
woman bending toward each other in the
darkest corner OF the room. They seemed
TO shrink from recognition. The scant
light from the covered court fell from be-
hind them and hid their faces in deep
shadow. To prevent any possible chance
of Identification, the broad brim Of n soft
felt hat dropped over the mans eyes, and
an impenetrable veil enycloped the
woman's features The Secretary held her
breath while the mysterious whisper was
repeated:
GLOW shall the deed be donel"
After an agitated pause the womans
voice answered, timidly: Must it be' Is
thcrc no cschpef
With some sinister deliberation the man
replied, ave have carried the matter as
far as we can without doing it,"
He spoke grufiiy, and the Secretary
thought she detected cold -bloodedncss in
his voice.
"But-" pleaded the woman.
"No; il has got to he done"
- lie pulled his sombrero lower over his
eyes, and raped the floor viciously with
his cane. The Secretary sank back with
sigh of horror. Instinctively she felt for
her Browning, but her good sense told her
that this situation was beyond the reach
even Of that great man. II occurred TO
her 10 make her presence known 10 the
suspicious pair. IL occurred to her TO get
up and leave the room. ut could only
attract the attention Of the colored AN
nunciator," thought the Secretary. "Ho
seems 10 have very practical mind. Per
haps he Gun tell me what 10 do with this
case"
The Secretary was accustomed 10 classify
humanity altogether by leases, But the
missionary in her kept silence. She listen
cd, and felt IL her duty to give almost as
much attention TO these wicked Bostonians
as If they had been Cherokees.