Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-30

it, said the man, callously. THE only
question is how to do it."
make it an easy death, then, won't
you'"
"Ay, az. a sudden and a subtle"
The Secretary pricked up her ears anew.
She recognized the classic quotation, and
marvelled that such monsters should be so
highly cultured.
"He might be smothered with a very
soft sofa pillow" suggested the famale ac-
complice
Yes; or l might get a powder from the
Society for Prevention of Cruelty TO Ami
mails" sneered the man. That the trou-
bic with plotting with a woman. Their
hearts are made of jelly. l think I'll cut
his throat, and throw him in the reservoir"
He shot out the words with a savagery
| peculiar to his sex.
"Poor fellow! had taken such a fancy
to him."
The folding doors leading to the larger
ladies room were hooked back, and the
Secretary stared in there, gasping. Her
| spotted lace veil clung to her damp fore
head. When would the gas be lighted?
Why did nobody comet Where was that
subordinate Of whom the Secretary char
acteristically thought as the "colored
annunciatorf"
| The first gas-ight now sprang from the
remote end of the long room. A motherly
woman moved her seat under it, and un-
1 baran 70 dar,, tar bushaunfs
stockings The colored man, carrying his
ladder to the next jet, carefully picked his
way among some children playing with
paper dolls on the station floor. The
Secretary sighed with relief. Surely, she
thought the Internal plot must yield before
such sacred domestic influences.
at must be done so that it seems exact
ly like an accident. The police must be
thrown completely off the track" Thus
the man unused upon his villanous problem.
.1'n help you all can; I'll do my share.
Had you thought of electricity"
"Ah, just the thingw Then, after an
ominous pause, 'Didn't you mention the
fact that he bad burglar-proof mat before
his bedroom doorf"
"Of course he has; l put it there. Can
you make any use of tbatf;'
The voice sounded so sweet, the sugges-
tion so murderous, that the Secretary was
appalled, at the depth of this psychological
anomaly.
81 have 1t. I'll connect it with dead
wire. 1t is the most popular way of dying
just now The electric companies will
have to pay the damages"
"Are you sure it won't hurt'" cried the
woman, anxiously.
He'll never know what struck him."
Excellent The accomphce clapped
her gloved hands softly.
'By his hour tomorrow night he will be
no more"
With this melodramatic and baleful as
sertion the assassin buttoned up his over
coat, rose to his feet, and stamped them
with determination.
Flash, fash, flash! hiss! ah! The lights
leaped along the waiting g-room, and chased
the darkness as it had been maleiactor.
y The colored man, preceded by his ladder.
/ now came into the anteroom in a matter
of fact way that seemed to the Secretary
| forced and incredible. The room blazed.
In the moral influence of light, the man
and woman separated instinctively. The
| Secretary looked at them fercely. All
she saw to aid identification was n blue
barege veil closely drawn, and black
sombrero dipped to ragged beard.
Before the Secretary could make MP her
mind what to do or how to do it, the
couple, with the boldness of habtual
crime, had walked through the ladies'
waiting room and had disappeared.
| ooh, what shall I dof" cried the Secre-
tary, helplessly. She knew how to edu-
cate remote Chcrokees, she had taken high
honors in the Browning Club, but before
the commonplace crime of her native city
her highly attenuated mind dropped.
care you ill., madamf" inquired the can
nunciator," with lordly, patronizng, at
tentive, and courteous sidewise motion of
his head.
Stop those two persons! They are
murderers. / don't know what to do about
it," gasped the Secretary, pointing with
one hand and gathering up her seal-skin
coat with the other.
But that most excellent of employees
folded his ladder and smiled incredulously.
az guess, madam, they're not a-murdering.
but accounting"
perhaps So" said the Secretary, YEARLY.
''You ought to know" But she was not
at all convinced With the necessity
which rests upon her sex for confiding in
somebody, she hurried out TO the main
room and consulted with the flower
woman
al don't believe it," said the flower
woman, charitably. "The man that just
come out of there bought a dozen pinks of
me yesterday
But the janitress, with the experience of
thirty nine years, shook her head. ~ saw
a fellow once in the depot give his girl n
buttoneer, and he beat her brains out with
Il hatchet that very night. / think madam,
that had better take you to the police"
With beating heart the Secretary ap~
preached the station policeman. She had
never had occasion 10 consult an officer be-
fore, except when she wished to get from
Summer Street to Winter Street on Christ
mas week. She felt almost like murder
er herself She trembled visibly.
"Thcre are two murderers in this depot"
began the Secretary, with n heroic effort
after selfpossession. 81 overheard the
whole plot. The deed is to be done to-
morrow night"
The officer reused himself and respect
fully asked for the details, which the Sec.
retary told as quickly an she could. The
officer felt for his "billy, " and asked IL thoy
took n train. The Secretary shook her
head headlessly.
al could point them out If observed
them" She was almost ready 10 cry. The
whole situation seemed to her 80 unculti-
vated. She saw herself teStiiying before n
police court, and reported in the penny
paper
"As you mention reservoir, madam, !
| think we'll search the circuit trains" The
policeman left the Secretary for moment
and consulted the tall gate-kecper with
the fine beard. The officer returned with
discomited expression. He gaid he was
afraid we've lost EN-" "You'd better