The Opelousas courier., 1891-08-15

eunging to him IN wet folds and til
water running from them in streams
The old man help up the candle to hi
lace and saw a prominent nose and a pai
Of keen eyes under a wide hat, and flo
the rest there was a handsome. rathe
benevolent. mouth, and a mass of au
burn beard. The man was a stranger t,
him.
"Good evening, sir" he said; in
bluff, hearty voice. ssMay I come in anG
get dry2 Such a dueking | haven't ha6
since ! fell of Freehayen Dock, long ago.
Will you allow such a wet rat IN YOU
house2n
"Yes, come in" Perry replied; and
ushering the stranger into the room, hs
brought ome kindlings and light wood,
with which he soon made a fire in the
fireplace.
The stranger took off his coat and vest,
and squeezed the water from them, hung
them on q chair, and addressed himself
to the drying of his extremities. The old
man looked on in moody silence, and the
stranger was compelled to make the first
advances.
"a nice place you have here, / should
think. / saw it from the bottom of the
bill, before the storm came up"
"Who are you2" Perry abruptly
asked. do you come here on any bust.
ness2 Have you anything to do with
that RASCAL Murch, who has robbed me of
all my property Idon't know, sir; per-
haps | do you ar injustice; but I have
become embittered against everybody.
I'll ask you kindly, if you came here
spying for Issac Murch, to leave peace.
ably-and now"
ION my honor, then, sir" replied the
other, much surprised at the questions,
II don't know anything of Murch, and
I'm above spying for him or anybody. j
came into Freehaven, down below here,
this afternoon, in the steamboat, and ex-
pected to walk over to Westlock before
the rain came N. / got caught, and
made for the first shelter I saw. but If
you'd rather / would go'-
mo, no. interrupted Perry; II
wouldn't turn a dog out into the storm,
much less a human being. Stay till you
are dry, and the rain is over; and that. /
think, won't be before morning. Ill
give you a bed
Finding the old man but little inclined
to talk, the stranger babe his host good
night ard went to the room assigned to
him.
1t was then about ten o'clock. The
storm was at its height, and it continued
for an hour longer, when it abruptly
ceased. The suddenness of its cessation
aroused the occupant of the room, and |
wearied with his stress of emotion. he |
took his candle and assembled the stairs.
he had no heart for anything but his
W dreadful misery; and he would pro
baby have forgotten the presence Of a
stranger in his house but for a raw of
light issuing from the keyhole of the
chamber which he had babe him take.
Randolph Perry paused, and merely
q sudden impulse, stopped and
placed his eye at the hole. He had not
least curiosity about this man, and
bis act was certainly without motive.
But his eye had but singled out his guest
the other objects in the room when
ne concentrated his attention upon him
with the greatest eagerness. He saw him
by the table, his back to the door,
and the candle before him. Four or Eve
piles of bank notes, new and cracking,
before him and he counted them
over rapidly, replacing them all in an
wallet beneath his pillow. In
few moments more the light was ex-
,inguished and the heavy breathing OF
he sleeper was heard.
Silently did the listener gain his own
DOM; and as he stood there he was a
nan transformed Could he have seen
us oWn face at that moment he must
laye been terrified at the fendish pas
ions that peered out from it. He
up his bowed shoulders his
yes lost their ~listless, hopeless expires
i'm and burned with q baIeful light;
nd eve his shriyelled, wrinkled cheeks
lushed with the shame of the dreadful
in with which be was struggling.
For Randolph Perry medltated murder.
With this horrible resolution formed,
he old man rapidly proceeded to its ac-
ompliahment. In his bureau drawer
ay a sheath-knife eight inches in the
llade. which he had never carried since
,oyhood, and opening the drawer he
ook il from 1t sheath, and holding it up
D the light saw that it was sharp. The
lemon must have had full possession of
IN that hour, for he smiled as he
bserved the glitter Of the bright blade.
facing it in the breast of his waistcoat.
e softly left his room and ~traversed the
Listening at the door of his
ictim, he heard his steady, regular
'reathing, and noiseIessIy Enclosing it
e entered and advanced TO the bedside.
But his eyes fingered upon the tale;
. could not withdraw them. They
on d large family Bible, the gift
I his wife IN happier days, and it now
" open, as the hand Of the stranger
hare opened 1t. to the sixth chap. =
y Of Matthew. AT the top of the page
9 saw drawn with a pencil in bold let
but with irregular and wayering
nes, as If By the hand of q child, the
eginning of the thirteenth verse;
ssAnd lead US not into temptation.
A change upon fhe instant came over
andolph Perry. His face turned dead
pale, his limbs shock so violently that
le light In his hand was extinguished
I'D, with oil purpose of crime banished
ON his heart. he feebly tottered from
Ie chamber that had witnessed this
range scene back to his own room,
here be sank ID his knees BY the bed
de and penitently poured fourth his