The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-08-13
WESTMINSTER, MD, SATURDAY, AUGUST 49, 1892.

On the day on which Jack Sprouse had
gone TO town Malcolm, Tim Tinkers little
son of seven or eight years, had seen him
as he passed his father shop and had asked
him, handing him few cents, if he would |
buy some fish-hooks for him. Jack had
promised with smile, for he was yet
young, and small boys delight in fishing
had not faded from his mind
Late in the afternoon, after the cows
had been driven up, Malcolm had deter
mined to go over to Mrs. Sprouse's and get
his hooks from Jack and be ready for an
early fishing excursion with his favorite
friend next morning. 1t was nearly dark
when his small legs brought him to the
door of the cabin.
There were two rooms to the house, with
an entrance door facing the north on one
side and the south ON the other, and as
there was no particular front to the house
visitors might enter at either open door
and pass through into the adjoining room
without the ceremony of knocking.
Little Malcolm's bare feet entered noise
lessly through the door facing the north
just as Mrs. Sprouse crossed the threshold
of the adjoining room from the south side,
and in that moment, by the light from the
open door, he saw Bill Sprouse step from
behind the door and stain his hands with
his mothers blood The child was too
much terrified to cry out, and, following
an instinct of self-preservation, which was
wise, rapidly and noiselessly crept under
the coverlid of the bed close at hand, and
in the remotest corner lay still.
Had he fed through the open door be-
hind him the murderer, turning from the
bloody deed, might have caught sight of
him, and there would have been three
fold murder in the sweet October twilight
A child's feelings are infinitely keener
than those of a man or woman, not as last
ing but more acute. They are more ut
terly lonely in their loneliness and their
disappointments are to them insupportable
The darkness of which they are afraid is
not merely the absence of light, as to us,
but an ocean of blackness whose depths
are peopled with mysterious forms of hor-
ror ready to grasp them as they pass
| through with flying feet and quivering
nerves. In their weakness and helpless
ness they shrink tremblingly from the hor-
: rors which their ignorance has created and
for the moment their suffering is supreme.
Sturdy, independent little Malcolm had
not 'fashed" himself with imaginary fears
in his short, healthy life, but the awful
fear which took possession of him in this
real danger was equal to the widest fan
cies of other children As he lay there
with all his faculties preternaturally quick
ened, he heard, after a few minutes, a
mans footsteps nearing the same door by
which Mrs. Sprouse had entered and heard
his cry of 'Lord a mercy y as he hast
ened to her side. An instant later NAL
colin had heard the blow, and the heavy
fall which marked the second murder
Then the child had had but one thought,
how to escape before the terrible axe should
slay him also and with tense nerves he lis
tened to every movement in the next room;
the instrument thrown down and the mur-
derer walking to and fro. What words
can describe his horror as the footsteps en-
tered the chamber in which he lay, came
up to the bed, and rested there. The
cover-lid was shaken to and fro by some
slight motion of the man whilst engaged
in an occupation which the child could not
see or guess.
But he saw as it fell at the foot of the
bed, and remaining there with the light
from the outside door full upon it, blue
cotton shirt stained with blood. and if his
horror could have been augmented it was
at the thought that when Bill Sprouse
stopped to pick it up he might, from the
foot of the bed, where the spread was
shorter, catch the glimpse of himself,
which he knew, with some strange intui-
ton would mean death to him.
Malcolm saw the murderer moment
later stand in the light of the open door,
and look carefully at the the loose yellow
brown pants he wore, as if he expected to
find 5lood-stains there. Satisfied with the
inspection, he came back to the bed, tax
ing something from its surface, and sat
down on a low stool between the foot of
the bed and the open door, The child
could see that he had small bag, and that
with unsteady hands he united it and took
from it roll of bank-notes, which he
counted over, and then quantity of sill
yer. For this filthy luere he had parted
with all natural affection-for the misera-
BILE sum of $500 he had robbed himself of
those who held him nearest and dearest.
1t was the price of blood he was count
ing. A little bird, frightened by some
enemy from its roost for the night, hutter-
ed close to the open door, poisiDg itself on
its wings when just in front, and seeming
half inclined to take refuge within. The
noise to the guilty man appeared for an
instant the rushing of an army coming to
take him, and several coins which he had
not yet replaced in the bag with the others
fell ringing on the floor and rolled here
and there about the room.
The gathering darkness made them hard
to find, and as the man peered around the
agony of the child grew to the highest