Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-04-09

htue things In private, yet, rather than
miss the chance altogether, | would
have stopped 10 the vulgarity OF cut
ting your throat on the public plat
form in the presence of lot of coarse
minded porters, YOU will see that
am only carrying out the doctrine so
admirably enunciated by my esteemed
friend, the late Mr.. De Quincy, with
whose lucid essay on Murder Consid-
cred us One of the Fine Arts you are
doubtless familiar. There shall be no
indecent haste, There are yet five
and-twenty minutes before our train
will reach town. Twill allow you, say,
quarter Of an hour; ten minutes will
be more than ample time for me TO do
all that / require, and we will, with
your permission, devote the interval
to u calm discussion on any subject
you may suggest Now, can speak
fairer"
All this was aid in the calmest and
most natural manner. l mentally
thanked heaven for this unlooked-for
rcprieye. Short as it was, felt there
was yet chance for my life. Much
might happen In quarter Of an hour.
I he train might be stopped by some nc
cident, or might even be able to mako
my escape by another door. Still, l
felt how hopeless it was to speculate
on this, for n single look at the door
convinced me of the folly of the at
tempt, since, in order to reach it, l
should haze to pass my terrible CON-
panion. He looked at his watch, and
said quietly;
"Ten minutes gone!"
Only short five minutes between
life and death!
The ghastly glitter Of the polished
steel seemed to grow red in the pale
lamp-light, and the dark, cleaning eyes
were bent on me with the fierce, eager
look had noticed before.
A sudden thought struck me. / re.
membered having heard that almost all
lunatics labored under some special
monomania, and that by humoring
them on this one point, and abstaining
from contradicting them, they would
often become so interested in the sIb-
ject as to lose all consciousness Of
everything that was passing around
them. This, then, was my last chance,
and / resolved to try it. at once di-
vined my companions weak place, and
looking him steadily in the face, said,
as calmly as 1 could:
"My dear sir, as have still to detain
you some five minutes longer am sure
you will pardon me for asking a single
question. You have just now referred
to an ingenious essay by the late air,
De Quincy. / need scarcely say that |
fully agree with the views therein ex-
pressed, and that # you are really
homlcidal connoisseur-a dilettante IN
murder-and follow the art from a
genuine low OF it, then, of course, my
throat is most heartily at your serI-
ice. But if, on the other hand, as i'm
agine from your locks, you are only
beginner, then l beseech you, for
your own sake, that you reflect serious
ly before you commit yourself to pro-
fession for which you may find out too
late that you have 10 natural genius"
For Il moment 1 thought had gained
my object, as he assumed haif-medi'
tative air. But nfter a brief pause,
he suddenly said, with the air of q man
who had perfectly made up his mind:
mo, my friend, it won't do; am de-
termined TO act up to my principle,
so pray say no more on the subject
You have just minute and SO seconds
to live. In the meantime / am sure
you will excuse me for attending to
this little instrument"
And suiting the action to the wort.
he turned up the sole of his boot and
commenced sharpening his hnife in the
most business-like manner. .
It was a situation full of horrible
suspense. The precious seconds We're
flying fast. ! fancied | beard a mock.
ing Shrek amid the roar Of the hurry
ing wheels. The Kissing as Of thou
sand snakes rang in my ears. A low,
crunching, wailing sound, slight jar.
ring Of the timbers of the carriage.
Was it.? A wild, maddening hope
leaped up in my heart.
Zone minute MORE" muttered my
tormentor.
Again the sound was repeated, but
this time more distinct and prolonged.
| ! could not be mistaken; it was the
sound OF the brake, the train was stop
ping.
1t might be only a temporary diminu
| ton of speed; no, we were perceptibly
slackering our pace, the train wna
about L, stop, and in another minute
assistance would be athand The qucs-
ton was: Would he perceive it? |
| looked up. Too late! Too late!
With yell, the mere memory OF
which makes my blood run cold, he
| sprang upon me; and a. we rolled to-
gether Mt the bottom of the carriage |
saw the cleaning knife brandished
above me. 1t was struggle for dear
life. Despair gave me strength to
|
The form above me swayed for on in
slant, the blade swerved in it's descent,
and, glancing harnlessly within an
inch of my forehead, shivered into frag-
ments against the floor of the c,irriage
With wild curse he seized me by the
throat, his knees pressed heavily on
my chest; and all was a blank.
When l came to my senses found
myself on the platform at - station.
"That was n rum customer, sir, OF
your'n," said the guard. "When we
opened the door he had a.nosi nigh
throttlcd you, and it took half dozen
men Of us to hold him. 1t seemed he
escaped at York from his keepers, who
were bringing him down from Scot.
land, and whom he tried to murder
score Of times; but it was Lot until
after they had missed him for some
hours that they made out he had gone