Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-03-18


perhaps, she was good to me. She
sent me birthday present regularly,
and when 1 introduced my chosen
bride to her (here he looked at his
wife fondly) she approved my choice,
but stipulated that we wait five years
before marrying.
9. "The time passed by faster than I
expected, and 1 was, L can assure you,
happy when four had gone by, and as
the end of my probationary term
drew near reminded my aunt of this.
She replied that she was happy be-
cause had borne the trial so satis-
factorily, and promised on our we'd
ding day to give me $4,000 to buy q
farm with. You can imagine how de-
lighted was could have'embraced
tho whole world indiscriminately, and
little did l think that my aunt would
be absent at the time of the happy
event. Meanwhile, reckoning my
chickens before they were Matched,
looked round everywhere for suit
able piece of property. OF course,
the rumor was soon set afloat that old
Miss Jenkins must be very well off, as
she was contemplating the purchase of
a home for her nephew. You shall
hear how disastrous this rumor was to
prove for me.
81 had just decided upon place which
Ithought would suit, and had returned
to my quarters. when messenger
hurriedly handed me a large official
looking letter. tore it open with
trembling hsnds, and found that it
contained the news that the previous
night my aunt had been murdered,
her house set on fire, and it was sur
missed that she had also been robbed.
1 Immediately informed my be-
trothed, and then proceeded to be-
stow the last honors due my aunt.
Such dreary journey hope never
again to take in my life. Aside from
a sad feeling, all my hopes of hap
piness and success were now shattered
destroyed at one blow, like card
house. When / reached the place I
found the house half burnt the ruins
were still smouldering, but practically
the place was completely destroyed.
By order of the court, until an ex-
animation could be. made, everything
had been left as it was found, and as
| wandered disconsolately around, I
tried to form some idea of the scene
of the murder, which appeared
not to have taken place in
the bedroom, although my aunt
must already have retired. In
the hallway traces of blood
were still visible. Her body was
found in the sitting-room, and the
theory was that, hearing a noise, she
had risen to see what it was, had
been foully murdered. and her body
then dragged into the adjoining room,
while the murderer set fire to the
house, hoping thereby to conceal
every trace of his crime.
"However, the criminal had miscal-
culnted, for the sitting-room was only
half burnt, clearly showing the traces
of the murderer's mode of entrance.
The old desk was broken open and the
contents riaed; the coffee-service was
still standing on the table, but, strange
to say, the brown pewter pot was not
to be found, and near the wall lay the
large Maltese cat, its spine broken by
o powerful blow from an axe.
"You can imagine how dreary life
now seemed to me l knew that Ella
would remain truo to me, even under
these adverse circumstances, and We
both understood that uhe day of oul
marriage must be indefinitely post
poned that 1 virtually would have tc
begin life over again.
81 sought and, through somo infu
ence, obtained a place as warden il
tho large prison at W. But
oh! how different from the
pleasant country life 1 had dreamed
of! Instead OF being the owner
of q pretty little home, with a loving
wife always at my side, 1 was com
PEELED to pace those gloomy walls,
day and night, and witness crime and
misery daily. Only the hope of sooner
or later finding some moro congenia
occupation made my situation at al
endurable. And yet I am glad tt
have undergone the experience, bittel
as it was, for otherwise l should no
now be sitting here comfortably
within my own little home. But thu
change came in very unexpected
manner.
"One night-it was rainy, bluster
ing, autumn night was making n.y.
last round of inspection, when 1 sud
denly heard loud and plaintive cry
At first thought it was the wall of al
infant, and opened the window at the
end of the hall, from beneath whicl
the cry seemed to come. In darl
corner of the yard I saw something
white. At the same time / heard {
second cry, more plaintive than tn,
first, and recognized it MS that o
a cat in pain. AS always had beer
fond of animals, I ran dow
to the courtyard, and there
found that the superintendent's cat
whose soft, long fur I had SO oftel
admired and caressed, had beel
caught in fox.trap belonging to tn
superintendent, and which, in som