Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-02-06

bling, in her chair Looked in with q
madman Would no help come ? She
strove to cry out, but could give forth
no sound The man returned, and again
seated himself near the frightened girl.
81 must be brief must finish be.
fore Mr.. Stanton comes. Mr.. Stanton
and started in business at the same
time. | had plenty of money and he
comparatively mono. started on grand
scale-he on small one. had hosts
of friends. | married, had beautiful
home, and every thing that man could
wish for, and the future seemed bright.
To be sure | lost steadily in my busi-
ness, but | still had plenty. and it would
only be matter Of short time when
the business would pay. Mr.. Stanton
was succeeding with his small capital,
why should not | with my great wealth
But, finally, and almost before I re, !,
allied it, the crash came. Eveyy
thing was swept away. Business. home.
friends, all Why was IL? Why could
not succeed when had every thing
to start on, and Stanton nothing? MY
once friends laughed, and said You
didn't have Stanton's brains, you know
And, again, as struggled hopelessly to
regain a footing, the sarcastic remark
was Get Stanton's brains I tried
in every way to succeed. But no: got
deeper in debt each day. And then.
when all hope had fed, those words
rung in my ears. All that was the
grand secret of future success must
get Mr.. Stanton's brains. hear the
words night and day. see them
wherever | look. And now. not only
my success, but my peace of mind de-
ponds upon accomplishing my object.
| must have them, and you will help
me.
Like one turned to stone the girl sat.
too frightened to speak. But the ma
MAC, his eyes flashing, his hands con-
vulsively working, noticed nothing, 80
intent was he telling his story.
"Sce,' continued he, al have knife.
surgeons knife. All but it is sharp
Now I shall soon have rest" and he
handled the cleaning, polished steel
with caressing motion.
Jennie's eyes, full of agony, instinct
lively sought the window where young
Darcy sat. But he, looking at her,
could see nothing of the pain and ter
ror on that young face. Oh! if she
could only signal to him If she could
only cry out Once or twice some one
tried the door. but finding il looked,
walked away. But no sound issued from
her lips. And bear in mind all this took
but few minutes, although it seemed
hours to the almost paralyzed girl Ii
the man would only leave her, do any
thing but finger the shining blade, II
would be a relief. Again she looked
across the street. Again the appealing
look from the girl. Oh surely he sees
something is wrong, for he has placed
his pom on the 'deslsy III 4 btu sises WI
turned steadily toward her Perhaps
he has caught glimpse of the steel and
is puzzled TO know what It means. If
she could only signal to him for help
now that he is looking. But what can
she do with this man before her, watch
ing her every movement. But see the
man with stcalthy tread now moves
slowly toward the door, and with bent
knee places his eur to the key-hole, as
though listening for footsteps.
Now is her chance She raises her
arms on high with an imploring gest-
ure She dares not cry, even though
she could. Thank Heaven. the young
man has risen to his feet and stands
with his hand resting on the back of his
chair. Again the imploring gesture.
Tho young man turns in an uncertain.
hesitating manner, while her eyes roam
across the room, wildly hoping for some
other means to convey to him her need
of assistance. She sees tho marking
pot, with its big black brush, but where
the paper large enough for her to write
on in letters that he may SEQ across the
street?
Suddenly the watcher across the way
secs hurried movement on her part
tho arms are again raised, and, between
them, on white surface, he reads:
HELP Her neat white apron, in which
she had taken such pride that morning,
had formed her signal
Young Darcy hesitated no longer, but.
with hurried call for assistance, rushed
across the street closely followed by
fellow-clerk.
None too soon, for the maniac had
turned, and, seeing tho white signal
raised, had sprung toward the girl with
uplifted knife. Then, with wild
scream, Jennie fell. just as the upper
glass sasbes of the door were burst open
and the men rushed into the room.
The man was captured and bis story
found to be substantially as he had re-
lated it to Jennie. fnhoriting money
from his father, being naturally ex.
travagant, and with no business ability,
the inevitable crash came almost unex-
pectedly, not SO much, as one of his
boon companions and intimate friends
said, because Of lack Of money, but be-
cause of lack Of brains. The worry,
loss Of bis business. and, finally, of his
health, deprived him Of his reason and
necessitatcd his incarceration in pri-
vote asylum, where he constantly raved
over what his friend said was the cause
Of his failure, and from which he one
day made his escape, with the result
given.
AS to our two young friends, they
were married, Of course, and one Of their
most valued keepsakes is the white apron
which Jennie insists was the means Of
saving her life.