Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-02-11
THE SECRETARYS MURDERER.

The SECRETARY 5 MURDERER.
The Secretary of the Society for Ed
ucating Cherokee Indians in the appre-
citation of Browning" advanced upon
the Albany Station. She did not hurry.
The society had failed to materialize a
quorum that day, and she had plenty OF
time. She entered with the domestic
eagerness of a suburban, to which was
added an almost tireside expression OF
content, which may be said to be pecu-
liar to that celebrated depot. The true
Boston suburban has an alr-Whether it
reside in the bonnet or the front teeth,
in the coat pocket or the velvet gaiter,
who shall sav-WhIch is as unmistaka
BILE as the raill DAD clock when you come
IN two minutes after train time. The
Secretary was thirty-five minutes before.
For this reason she did not go in
through the big doors, past the tele
graph girl and the newspaper man,
through the hot, huge vestlbule, where
tie fig paste seemed to be about to
melt, the sour strawberries were taking
root, and boiling soda became a vicious
insult. 1t was one of the days when
Boston was conscientiously illustrating
our new climate. 1t was still called
February for courtesy's sake. The
thermometer registered seventy in the
shade, and the furnaces did their best
to compete with the temperature. The
Secretary wore sealSkin coat. One of
its warm pockets embraced a copy of
"Paracelsus. She took out her hand
kerchief and apologetically smoothed
her face If she had been in Chicago
she would have boldly mopped her
brow.
0,,~ ,>ocoopnar ,,oda dopl- nova
ment, threading her way through the
steaming coupes and herdics, in hopes
of monopolizing the cool, outer ante
room on the feminine side of the sta
ton. The Secretary was slight but de-
termined, and the belligerent door
yielded discreetly to this spirited wom-
an A gust Of fresh air swept her in.
She sank into the furthest corner and
removed her sealskin coat, which she
laid neatly on an empty seat. She then
tanned herself sadly with the last clrcu-
lar appeal for funds in behalf of her re-
fined Indians, and wondered, with the
patience of all true reformers, why the
cause was not more passionately appre-
.ciated.
In the main Waiting-room women of a
less literary nature and OF an economic
turn o. mind bought the penny evening
papers of Boston for purposes of in
trigidation, and whisked them vigorous
ly. Most of these women were ar
Tayed in black Demonstrators or fur
lined cloaks. These they retained with
the pertinacity worthy OF nobler cause.
Several of the passengers had their feet
4on the base of the radiator, from which
aoiasts of hot air could be seem to vlbrate.
The pleasant flower girl was vainlv try
ing to resuscitate her gasping carna-
there thirtv-nine years, for the fourth
time resignedly told the lady from the
country what time the 6 O'Clock train
went. The empiOye who announces
the trains took his Websterian attitude,
with one elbow on the radiator, and
harangued his audience with less than
his usual eloquence, grinding out the
names Of stations as lndltferently and
monotonously as the chairman of the
state committee giving the woman suf-
fragists leave to withdraw.
1t was warm. 1t was very warm. But
III the ante room the Secretary breathed.
1t was dusk, and shadows had begun to
envelop the corners of this room. es-
pecialiy those seats nearest the door,
whose upper panels were of glass. The
Secretary was, or thought herself,
alone. Many passengers passed
through, violently characterlZlng the
weather. but they all went into the
main room, and made straight Tor the
radiators, where they sat down, and
such as could not afford the evening pa
per famed themselves with their
gloves.
The Secretary was glad to be alone.
She looked at the Indian circular CEN
seriously. as if it were to blame for the
failure of her life's scheme. The Sec
Rotary was not q Puritan, but she was OF
good old missionary Descent and her
thoughts zen awful subjects rolled. :"
The Secretary was a born philanthro-
pist. She was the most conscientious
soul in Boston and vicinity, and we all
know what that means. She was con-
selling herself by the mental organiza-
ton of O. new association Tor teaching
beggars how to starVe silently and
sesthetically. when she was startled al
hearing a penetrating whisper, not SIX
feet away: o.,
The Secretary turned her head with
the least possible motion, and beheld
for the first time the dim outline of q
man and woman bending toward each
other in the darkest corner OF the room
They seemed to shrink from recognl
ton. The scant light from the covered
court fell from behind them and bic
their faces in deep shadow. To pre-
vent any possible chance Of unidentified
ton. The broad brim of soft felt ha
drooped over the mans eyes, and al
uncomfortable veil enveloped the WON
ans features. The Secretary held hel
breath while the mysterious whispel
was repeated: -,
IHow shall the deed be done ?'
After an agitated pause the woman
voice answered, timidly: "Must 1t be
Is there no escape y
With some sinister deliberation th'
man replied, eve have carried th'
matter as far as we can without dolni
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