Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-09-04

him..
Mr.. Hatch's face grew livid, but he con-
trolled himself almost instantly and said.
with the careless air which was habitual
with him in moments of suppressed pas
sion, $50 supposed from your constant
recurrence to the subject" And, without
waiting a reply, spoke Of something else.
The next day our journey began.
c. was a large town, crowded and
busy. I made no inquiries for Horace
Travers the first day of our stay. Edward
took me directly to his house, large.
handsome building in retired part of the
place. 1t was elegantly furnished, and
secretly wondered how an unmarried man
came to be possessed of so comfortable
dwelling l fancied he might have been
married before, but dismissed the thought
as impossible.
A man might conceal the knowledge OF
dead love, but dead wife always takes
an honorable place in his memory.
Edward left me alone a great deal. He
said he had been trying to sell some prop
erty Of which he had found it troublesome
to take care, and he meant to stay in c.
until he was rid of it.
Naturally, of course, took to the library
in his absence
There was curious old secretary in one
corner. l rummaged this in search of
sensation. for the days dragged on heavily
and at last found sensation | little ex-
pected. There was a drawer in it which
had never succeeded in opening, and my
curiosity was reused to such pitch that
broke it open. l doubted if Mr.. Hatch
would ever know or care what had done.
: There was a folded newspaper in the
drawer. 1t was yellow with age, and when
l lifted it saw under it a small hammer.
The newspaper was printed in town east
Of c. at least hundred miles. | won
dered if l were to make any discoveries.
was trembling all over, and felt that moth
ing would seem strange now, and, as | took
up the paper, began with the first page
and read it carefully. Then l turned tc
the second, and half way down the first
column read:
melancholy Accident-The body of
young man was run over by the night ex-
press. The deceased was a stranger in the
place, and there was nothing upon his per
son to identify him except a small Tesla
ment, with Laura to Horace on the fly
leaf. The remains will be buried tomor-
row, after the inquest, as their dreadfully
mangled condition renders early interment
necessary"
When l became conscious again my
mother was with me. When l was we'll
enough to travel she took me home.
I asked for my husband, and they told
me at last that he was dead My mother
admitted that he had killed himself; but
why never knew until years after. Then
I came across it in a paper.
He had killed Horace Travers They
were partners.
Quite unexpectedly he met Horace at
that little wayside station.
Hatch was an adept in crime then, and
his confusion and guilt were only too evi.
dent to Horace, who comprehended ere
long that the friend he had trusted had
robbed him of everything. and was on his
way to leave the country with his ill gotten
gains.
Horace sprang at him, seized him by the
collar and called loudly for help, but the
engine was blowing and whistling in the
station and no one heard the cry. He was
repeating it, trying to drag Hatch with
him, when the latter, rendered desperate
by the attack and his probable arrest,
seized a hammer off a pile of lumber and,
quick as thought, struck him with the i'm
plement on the back of the head.
It killed him instantly.
And that was the way my darling died
Courier Journal.