The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-02-02

ONChAAlSs AS hlI0buy H1cuOiOhCup IAOy
were exemplary lodgers-regular in
their habits and punctual in their
payments; but, as was only to be ex-
pected, on account of his cheerful and
contented disposition, Mr.. Flincher
stood highest in the esteem of Mrs.
Nobler. When the latter came home
she thought it her duty to acquaint
him with the vengeful threats Mr..
Widgery had uttered against him, at
the same time begging OF him to be
careful. But Mr.. Flincher only
laughed. as...-.
"He does not mean any harm, Mrs,
Nobler. He is a frothy, little chap
when he gets into passion, but If
l live until he assassinates me /
am booked for being the oldest inhab-
liant of Bloomsbury"
Mr.. Widgery did not return that
night till Mr.. Flincher had retired to
rest, and next morning Mrs. Nobler,
white as the breakfast table-cloth,
had something startling to tell. She
had discovered q pistol in Mr.. Widg-
'ery's room! Not in O drawer or cup
board, where the innocent possessor
of such a weapon would have deposi
ted it, but under the edge of the car
pet at the back of q couch. Widgery
had goneto business, and the alarm
ed landlady brought it down in her
hand-holding it with a buster and
at arms length. 1t was an old-fash:
Toned pistol with single-barrel, and
it was loaded!
Mr.. Flincher looked puzzled and
little dismayed as well.
upon my word it looks as though
the vindictive little beggar meant mis-
chief. Stay, though! For all we
know it may have been lying where
you found it previous to our quarrel.
He knows as much about firearms as
of astronomy, and it may have come
into his possession in some odd way
Or other, and he hid it there because
he was afraid of it,
"But the carpet was taken up for
beating only yesterday. and my look
ing to see if Mary had laid it down
properly led to my finding the murder
Gus thing"
"Then he must have purchased it
and brought it home last night. Mrs.
Nobler, it looks rather ugly. Some
thing will have to be DONE" a..
Something shall be done, Mr.. Film
cher. l shall be sorry to part with
Mr.. Widgery, but I can't risk the
house getting bad name through
murder being done in it. will give
him notice to quit this ve"y night"
"You are very considerate, Mrs.
Nobler, especially as regards the
reputation of the house." returned
Mr.. Flincherlaughingly. "You might,
perhaps, arrange with Widgery to
shoot me away from home, and then
you need not give him notice. But g.
still better plan, I think, will be for
me to withdraw the charge from the
pistol-he will never miss it--and for
you to replace it where you found it,
and we will say nothing about it and
await results"
But Mr.. Flincher was not quite
faithful to this compact. 1t was such
a good joke that he could not resist
confiding it to Daisy Dimpleton. 1t
was late in the evening when he and
Daisy were taking walk in Regents
Park.
"But good gracious, Joseph"
said she, as with little shiver she
frightened the linking of their arms.
"you don't think he could be so ma
licious and wicked as to want to
shoot your"
"Don't I tell you he has vowed to
shed my blood. And such being ser
iously his intention I cannot see
that he could adopt a nearer. or
more convenient means than byput-
ting a bullet in me. 1t is fortunate,
Daisy" continued Widgery's rival
merrily, "that the deadly weapon is
not doubled barrelled, or there
might be bullet for each of u.s."
"Oh, pray don't make fun of any
thing so dreadful"
dreadful! Why what is there to
be afraid Of in an empty pistol? [
tell you what though, Daisy, it would
no more than serve him right if he
were so malicious as to make use of it,
to turn the tables on him."
(Which tables? What do you
mean, Mr.. Flincher?"
Gust this. If he fred at me, and |
could any way manage it, would fall
down fiat and pretend that"
And at the very instant, and as
though as challenge to him to at
tempt the maneuvre he was speaking
OF, came the bang of @ pistol shot, and
as Daisy Dimpleton uttered cry of
alright, down fell Mr.. Joseph Flincher
at full length on the grass, and there
PAGES off, with the smoking pistol
still in his grasp, and seemingly hor-
ror-stricken by the CHASTITY deed he
had done. Fortunately the part of
the park where the tragedy was
enacted was not much frequented.
No one was in sight, and the explo-
sion had not been particularly loud
one.
Overcome with terror, and scarce
knowing what she did, Miss Dimple
ton knelt down by Mr.. Flincher.
"Oh heavens! Are you shot? Has
he killed yop2' ....
Her face was close to his as she
spoke-he was lying at full length and
fat on his back-but his countenance,
instead of being death-like and pallid,
became instantly overpowered with a
broad grin.
II am all right, he whispered, soft
~ and quickly Keep it up: Make
hiR949 believe that ! an dead as a door
nail"
MISC Eimpleton, wing was a young
person OF lively disposition, took the
cue without q moments hesitation.
ooh, how cruel, how cruel y she en-
claimed in agony "Oh, tell me you
are not dead, Say one word to mel"
Mr.. Flincher made no verbal re-
Spouse, He gasped, made q eurgling
noise in his THROAT, raised his head
and shoulders from the ground, and
then fell back with dull, dead thud.
ooh, horror, horrorp' groaned Mr..
Widgery in hollow tones che had not
moved an inch from the spot where he
stood when he took such fatal aim,)
81 have slain himl my dear friend and
companion"
as no more" said Miss Dimpleton
sternely Rs she rose to her feet.
''You have sacrificed him to
yourinsahe jealousy, ana it will be my
dutv fo hear witneasi against VIII