Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-02-27
SECRETARY'S MURDERER.
By ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS AND HER
BERT D. WARD.

BERT D. WARD.
The Secretary of the "Society for
Educating Cherokee Indians in the Ap-
probation 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. 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 Secre-
tary Wore a seal-skin coat. One of its
warm pockets embraced a copy of
PafS.elsus. She took out her handker-
chief and alphabetically smoothed her
face. If she had been in Chicago, she
would have boldlymopped her brow.
Our passenger made flank movement,
threading her way through the steaming
coupes and herdics, in hope of monopo-
lizing the cool, outer anteroom on the
feminine side of the station. The Secre-
tary was slight, but determined, and the
Delligerent door yielded discreetly to this
spirited woman A gush of fresh ar
swept her in. She sank into the furthest
corner and removed her seal-skin coat.
which she laid neatly on an empty seat
She then famed herself sadly with the
last circular appeal for funds in behalf of
her refined Indians, and wondered, with
the patience of all true reformers, why
the cause was not more passionately ap-
preciated.
It was warm. It was very warm. But
in the anteroom the Secretary breathed.
It was dusk, and shadows had begun to
envelop the corners of this room, espe-
cially those seats nearest the door, whose
upper panels were of glass. The Secre-
tary was, or thought herself, alone.
Many passengers passed through, violent
~ characterizing the weather; but they
all went into the main room and made
straight for the radiators, where they
sat down, and such as could not afford
the evening paper 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 Secre-
tary was not Puritan, but she was of
good old missionary descent, and her
thoughts ION awful subjects rolled. 81
The Secretary was born philanthropist.
She was the most conscientious soul in
Boston and vicinity, and we all know
what that means. She was consoling
herself by The mental organization of a
new association for teaching beggars
how to starve silently and esthetically,
when she was startled at hearing a pene-
trating whisper not six feet away: ''How
shall the deed be done?"
The Secretary turned her head with
the least possible motion, and beheld fol-
the first time the dim outline of man
and woman bending toward each other
in the darkest corner of the room. They
seemed to shrink from recognition. The
scant light from the covered court fell
from behind them and hid their faces in
deep shadow. To prevent any possible
chance of Identification, the broad brim
of a soft felt hat dropped over the mans
eyes, and an impenetrable veil enveloped
the woman's features. The Secretary
held her breath while the mysterious
! whisper was repeated:
Glow shall the deed be done?"
After an agitated pause the woman's
voice answered, timidly, unjust it be
Is there no escaped"
With some sinister deliberation the
man replied, eve have carried the
matter as far as we can without doing
! it."
He spoke gruf1y, and the Secretary
| thought she detected cold bloodedness
in his voice.
"But-" pleaded the woman.
'No; it has got to be DONE"
He pulled his sombrero lower over hi:
eyes, and raped the floor viciously with
his cane. The Secretary sank back with
a sigh of horror. Instinctively she fell
for her Browning, but her good sense
told her that this situation was beyond
the reach even of that great man. It oc
CURED to her to make her presence known
to the suspicious pair. It occurred tt
her to get up and leave the room. 81
could only attract the attention of thu
colored annunciator," thought the Secre
tary. "He seems to have a very practi-
cal mind. Perhaps he can tell me wha
to do with this case"
The Secretary was accustomed to elias
sify humanity altogether by ceases" Blu
the missionary in her kept silence. Sh'
listened, and felt it her duty to give al
most as much attention to these wicked
Bostonians as if they had been Chero
KEGS.
/