St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-22

| lily, and Mr.. Clawyer's father and two
| of his uncles had been afflicted with it.
But the deuce of it is" young Mr..
| Clawyer said to himself, savagely, "they
seem sometimes to thrive on it. There
are different kinds of asthma, suppose.
L have known fellows carried off with it
before they were forty, and here. is this
| precociouS dad of mine, close on sew
enty, and his father, who had the same
complaint, lived to be eightythree! a
bright prospect for me, that is"
From which the reader will gather
| that it would have better chimed with
Mr.. Nathan's views and prospects if
his fathers cough had given promise of
| carrying him off to the churchyard
without much further delay. Not that
the young man had no affection for his
parent. He was really fond of the Old
gentleman, and would have thought
it no hardship to put up
! with his numerous whims and
crochetS fer several years to come had
he been at liberty to suit his natural IN
clinations. But the fact was Nathan
| Clawyer's private propensity for ''boOk-
making" forbade it. Matters had not
| gone we'll of late with the volumes in
| question. Indeed, not to mince matters.
| the last three or four had turned out
| such disastrous failures that the young
fellow was we'll nigh distracted. He
had been most severely punched over
! the City and Suburban, where the first
! three faVOriteS came in just as the pub
| lie had backed them; and then came the
Derby. and of the great chorus of curses
that went mp from the ring" when the
winning numbers were displayed. none
were more hearty than those Of Nathan
| Clawyer, for they announced TO him a
| dead loss of more than $4,000.
One way or another he was $1,000
wrong" and the whole of this sum had
| been attained by classifying the loan
| business accounts and forging checks
! and tampering into the bank pass book.
| 1t had always been his fathers custom
| to overhaul his monetary affairs twice a
year, and then, unless provided against,
| the Justification and forgery would
plainly appear and he would be dis
graced and ruined. He bro0ded and
brooded over the matter, and at last re-
solved Oh desperate scheme.
He was aware that his father always
kept large amount of ready money i'll
gold and notes in a locked cupboard in
his bed room. The money would prob
ably amOdnt to not much more than
quarter of what he required to put right
full sum towards that end; and that was
not all. Had any one proposed to Ma
than Clawyer that he should murder
his father outright, for the sake of hid
ing the wickedness he had been guilty
of, he would have Shrunk with horror
from the suggestion. But it was diff
ferent thing if, through him (Nathan).
his parent sustained such fright it
fastened his end, or, at all events, so
grievously upset him as to render him
Incapable of reviewing his financial af
fairs.
His plan was to commit burglary in
the old house in Liant street.
No one lived and lodged there but
himself and his father, and young Ger
aid BuZZard. who slept in dismal little
closet on the first landing. and an old
woman. whose business it was to do the
cooking and keep the house tidy. and
she slept down in the kitchen. Old Mr..
CIawyer slept in the tOp-frOnt room, and
Nathan on the floor Immediately be-
meath. Nathau seldom came home at
night until everybody in the house was
''iemmv;' suitable for the purpose,
and having forced the street door
from the outside, creep upstairs, and
with mask of Grape over his face, en-
ter his fathers chamber, pistol in hand,
! and gag him and rob the cupboard.
Then he would decamp as quickly as he
could, and shortly afterwards return in
his proper person and make the shock
ing discovery, and make all the fuss
requisite for the occasion. 1t was an
ingenious scheme, and if successfully
carried out would tide him over his dill
fculties completely, for it was scarcely
likely that old Mr.. ClaWyer. weakened
as he was by asthma. and seventy years
old. would long survive the shock of be-
ing startled out of sleep by a man with
a mask, and who proceeded 10 gag him
under threat of blowing out his brains
if he resisted.
And to avoid tedious prolixity, Nathan
proceeded to put his plan into eXecu
ton. 1t would probably be a late night
with him. he carelesSly Informed the old
housekeeper, and she need not sit up.
| Meanwhile he had provided himself
with pistol, a cape mask and an old
cap. a cord TO tie his parents hands and
a handkerchief to gag his mouth, and
an implement to force the door. This
last was the most ticklish part of the
Job, for if she were light sleeper the
old woman in the kitchen might hear
him. But he had previously marked
the exact spot where to apply the
''jemmy," and the door yielded with
very little noise. Then he crept up
stairs, without his shoes, and made his
way to his fathers room, the door of
which he knew would be unlocked.
Pausing for moment to slip on the old
cap and the mask he softly turned the
handle and entered. He usually went
up to bid the old man good night if he
was awake. He was awake on this Oc-
casion, but lying with his face to the
| wall opposite the door.
us that you, Nathan?"
And the next moment he felt the
deadly-cold barrel of pistol against the
nape of his neck, and ere he could cry
! out a hand was clapped over his mouth
Zone word more and you are Il dead
man." muttered Nathan, hoarsely; but
| it was unnecessary, for the poor old fell
| low rad Swooned with fright.
/ Nevertheless, to make sure, Nathan
! tied his hands and gagged him, and then
proceeded to rifle the cupboard. The
/ gold was in two bags and the notes in a
cash box, and of these the rObber pos
sessed himself. and crept down the stairs
! to his own room to divest himself Of the
disguise. He carried no light. but it was
! a moonlight night and the window-bllnd
| in his room was but partially lowered.
| He had barely taken off the mask and
cap-he had them in his hand, in fact
when the door was flung wide open, and
barefoot and in only his shirt and trous-
ers, there stood young Gerald Buzzard
staring at him. The lad recognized him
! instantly. despite the dim light.
! "Mr. Nathan!" he exclaimed.
i 1t was horrible predicament. With
out moments hesitation Nathan
Clawyer caught up the pistol and fired,
and with a groan Gerald fell to the
/ floor.
1t was small pistol and did not make
much noise, but apparently it had
effectually extinguisned the life of the
young clerk. Trembling with terror.
Nathan first listened if the snot had
aroused the old woman shut in below,
and finding that all was quiet he lit a
candle. Young Buzzard was shot in the
| head. His hair and face were reeKing
red, and he lay pallid and lifeless.
| Now, what is to be done? If Nathan
| l. l.; &, I,1x ahn ha II