The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-06-13
A ROMANCE.
ny Jackson Sturges.

AOIh.
! Soon after our installation in the
house we learned that a Mrs. Marvin
and her daughter occupied the two
back rooms on the first floor. Directly
over their apartments was our room,
and a young man named William Ora
ham tried to make himself comfOrta-
Die IN the back room of the third floor,
directly over that used as a temporary
home by myself and Eliza, my wife.
1t did not need very sharp pair of
eyes to discover that Mr.. Win Graham
was in love with Miss Emily Marvin.
Eliza and understood it before many
days,
One day when came home little
earlier than usual Eliza said to me:
Jack, l think there is something
very mysterious about Miss Emily. l
was going past their room to-day and
l happened to look in and there sat
Miss Emily at her writing desk. The
tears We're streaming down her cheeks
and her pen was going like Wild-tire.
Sne was talking to herself. When l
got up stairs l lay down for Il nap.
Presently heard a queer noise. First
l couldn't think what it was, but l
listened again and then made up my
mind that somebody was playing on
the bracket below as if it were Il
piano. / have always said her actions
We're very strange, and Mrs Smith
says so, too. l tell you Jackson, that
that beautiful young girl is crazy
stark, staring crazy"
AS matter of course l paid no fur
Their attention to what l felt certain
was EliZa's nonsense about Miss
Emlly's mind being out of order But
one evening soon after entering our
room l heard a most peculiar noise. 1t
sounded like tick, tick, tick-tick,
tick, tick and it came from a gas
pipe.
Now, I must tell you that among
my earlier experiences in life l was
once a telegraph operator. / knew all
the dots and dasheS and succession of
ticks and spaces between the tick.
that are equivalent to the letters of
the alphabet. And here l heard them
again. l saw through the whole bust
ness at once. and as l did so lust
lay down on the bed and laughed until
l was afraid | would have every but
ton Oft my vest.
Some one had told me that Will Ora
ham was a telegraph operator. He
had evidently taught Miss Emily the
art, and here they We're communi-
eating with each other in the most sat
lsfactory fashion, while everybody i'm
aglned that they We're conducting
themselves like perfect strangers. l
then waited patiently to hear what
was being said. The conversation I
had happened upon ran as follows:
How are you this EVENING""
lawfully tired And .you?'
Tired, too. Mamma has been par
t1cularly eXaspera ting
Has she: Am l newer to have
talk with you again.
Il don't know. Keep up your .spir-
it's
81 will; but 1t is dreadfully trying"
Il think somebody is coming"
e:Oh, DEAR
l heard a door open and shut, and 1
knew that somebody had entered the
room below.
Well, matters were going on in this
fashion when one day began to think
that the lovers were giving "a new turn
to their conversations. One day j
heard Emily say to Will:
There's no use; I've got to ,do iit.''
"''What?"
Kill her"
'All right"
But 1 hate to; and I can't think
how"
''Shoot her,"
"Nonsense!'
AT this point my wife came into the
room and she made such a noise that I
could not hear anything more. But
not long afterward there were more
serious communications:
Dear, dear WIFI
'What is it!
II WON'T love you If you won't help
me-" ~
Will help you-with all my might"
linen tell me what is q good way to
kill an old woman"
"Arsenic.."
THAT won't do art all:'
BLOW her up with gunpowder."
Nonsense! You can't help me one
9TH die for YOU"
Il don't want you to die. I want
her to die, and I don't know how to
kill her.
well, kill her somehow, or >she'l he
the death of both of U.S."
HOW could these two innOeent-IoOk-
Ing young people be depraved enough
TO plot the murder of fellow being
IN such hearrless manner? And who
could the victim be? Who but the
poor old lady to whom Miss Emily
owed her being?
Well, at last matters came to a crisis
1t was one summers might. AS 1 law
In bed I heard a noise.
l listened intently. Whether It WAS
a presentiment or not, I don't know.
put L fell sure at once that something
dreadful was coming. It did.
1--WE made up my mind, WILL" from
below.
We'll, to do what?"
Just as you said. Shooting is the
best. She'll die instantly, you know.
and I won't have any morbid fare,
wells to go through. I don't feel ND
to such thing-have never had any
practice in just that line"
Horrible" I thought. "People do
not generally get any practice at MUIR
0ering their mothers."
I'm going to do it now, too. I've
da1lied over it a dreadful while, and
am going to have it over BY mid |
night. Then I'll breathe more freely.
Theme will be nothing left but the mar