The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-12-09

forty-hve, eight, thlrty-two, seven thirty-
ten thousand five hundred and something;
hundred and twenty, eleven; ten thousand
and-ten thousand and-ten thousand
and-more than ten thousand times, Theo-
philus He's been hanged by the neck
till he was dead ten thousand and
something times, Theophilus! Think of
that Isn't that sufficient to kill a man?
What fool that Jenny is y
The feeble man rose in his excitement
and reeled around the room, his face Grim
son and his eyes afame.
''When, thirty years ago, she listened to
his smooth voice and he stole her away |
from me-oh, Theophius, had | been born
a cat And in less than year, when she
was in that condition in which woman
appeals to every sense of tenderness and
consideration in man, he was beating her
ike dog, Theophilus beating her like
dog.
By this time the poor man was reeling
wildly about the chamber, stumbling over
chairs and tripping on rugs.
'Beat her like dog, and knew moth
ing of it Like dog, Theophilus. DO
you understand that? And that wasn't
all"
His husky voice fell to whisper.
Halfstooping, half-crouching, he halted in
front of the cat and, with outstretched arm
and finger pointed at the cat, he hissed
'He murdered her one day.
murdered her And for that,
Theophilus he Strengthened, threw back
his head and shoulders, and passionately
exclaimed in loud voice-''for that drove
him to the gallows; and | saw him fall
through the trap, and saw his purple face
when the cap had been lifted
DE slowly dropped after that outburst,
gradually settled into himself, and then
sank groaning into his easy chair, where he
sat staring vaguely at the clock.
The two women looked in once or twice
during the day, but he told them firmly at
last that he desired to be left alone,
Jenny went to her own home, which was
in another street. and thenceforward the
suffering man had only Theophins for
company. He talked now and then to the
cat, whose peaceful attitude remained I'M
disturbed
At eleven o'clock that night Mr.. Wheel
er so weak that he could barely move,
composed himself as usual to watch the
execution. Had not his sense become SC
dull, and had it not happened that Theo-
philus was without the range Of his vision
he certainly would have noticed thatstrangt
occurrences were on the march. 1t is true
that about twenty minutes past eleven he
heard Theophilus give voice to alarm anC
distress; but he only laughed foolishly a
that, and in a thick maudlin fashion trieC
to reassure the animal, knowing nothing o
the stealthy entrance of man through th'
door
"That' right, Thooph-Theoph- -Theopl
]. what's your name, Theophilus? What
your name, hey? He's all around here
4 old fellow-all around here. Can feel hin
t smell him. You afraid, Theophilus
y Don't be afraid I'm not afraid, Ha
:. Don't do that, Theoph- heoph-Theopl
t what your name, Theophilus? What
e your name? Six minutes more. Kee
d an eye on the doors up there. Theoph-
n Th-Th-ophilus. Gracious me what
: name for cat Ha, ha What nam
Theos-T -Theoso-phy Oh, what a nam
5 for cat Four minutes more. Keep a
:, eye on the doors up there-doors u
d there.
r And thus he rambled on until the littl
!, doors flew open. One more swing Of Ii
k pendulum, and then the execution; NJ
: Wheeler had nerved himself to witness it
/. to drink in the sweetness Of it. His du
d eyes and deathly pallid cheeks had take
d on new life, and with suppressed respir
m ton he had leaned lurchingly forward, h
N mouth drooling and his head nodding
le with heavy palsy. But before the pei
n. dulum could swing once more and relea'
% the trigger, the dark form of young ma
SC uprose between him and the clock and shI
1t off. his view.
N For little while Mr.. Wheeler eoul
y not understand what had happened. IT
-e stranger had brought his face directly b
to fore Mr.. Wheeler's, and the wretched ma
o started helpless and speechless at the al
partition.
d WWell, said the stranger, his hard vol,
as comporting well with the sinister cruelt
,e on his face-awell, have brought you
l. this much sooner than | expected. Yo
at are more nervous than thought. An
" now, after torturing you thus far, dal
D, carry it no further, for fear that | sha
" not leave sufficient life in your miserab
body TO treat you as my father treated yol
at wife and as you treated him. 1t is all
delicious revenge, You had forgotten a
re about me, eh2 Perhaps you did not kno
,e that she gave birth to me before my fath'
,r put an end to her. Well, | am his SC
is and your wifes son, and ! inherit m
le fathers spirit. 10 you understand all that
m It was not clear that Mr.. Wheeler di
lie He still stared in that hopeless way, NJ
lie knowing that the execution had regular
occurred, or, perhaps, believing that IL
,e figure had stepped forth from the clock