Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-11-28

death. 'IlJah CLOSED ner eyes WI"
one deep shuddering sigh and tainted.
When she regained her senses, She
feared to move or look at first, dreading
what ghastly sight would meet her
She put out her hand and felt abou'
cautiously. The dead form of Sleiran
was still beside her; the pillow resk'l
over the face; in the room no sound,
but below a stealthy passing to and
fro-Tong and his wife preparing to
get rid of the body.
"'Tijah paused, thinking what to do,
then she rose slowly and crept outside,
The door of the house was open, and
Tong had evidently just gone out. She
caught up a sarong skirt which lay
near her on the flor, and flung it over
her head; then, without a backward
glance, she fed through the doorway
and as fast as her terror-stricken limbs
would carry her down to the seashore'
1t took no time to unfasten the koleh
the paddle and had set out in her tiny
boat to row over the miles of sea which
lay between her and her parents home
in Malacca. 1t was a frail bark for
safety; but she felt she could trust 20
IL sooner than to those bloodthirsty
creatures she had left behind. A long
way she rowed, and the next day when
the sun got up and scorched her, She
pulled in her paddle and rolled herself
IN her sarong and lay down in the bot
tom of the boat and slept. She wa;
aroused by the movement of her cookie
shell. 1t was night; a breeze had
sprung up and a squall was coming;
white crests tipped the waves and 4
heavy bank of clouds obscured the star
light, and in a few moments a black
pail of darkness enveloped her. The
wind struck the fragile craft, whirling
It wildly round, and before she could
seize the paddle to try and steady it, the
boat capsized, and she was flung into
the angry sea. She struck out boldly
and swan until her hands touched the
upturned bark, to which she chung, Ell.
de%avoring to right it. Poor girl! she
knew not where she was, how far from
shore, how long her strength would
last, and whether there was any hope OF
succor.
AT last the squall passed wei and the
water became comparatively calm, but
the moon had not risen and she could
see nothing. She began to get exhaust.
ed and felt that she could not hold Oh
much longer and would sink and drown
unless Tuan Allah took pity on her.
She thought sadly that she was young
to die, and prayed for help. A small
thing as light as a feather touched her
cheek-a mosquito, sent to save her
life. When she heard the sound which
Tuan cursed just she knew that
land must be quite near, for a mosquito
never flies out to sea. She let go her
anchorage, and, making one more eff
fort, swan bravely on, and very soon
her feet touched the beach.
Meanwhile those cruel murderers
had finished their work, and before day,
light dawned had got rid of every trace
of their i'll doing. The neighbors in.
quired what had become of Sleiman and
why he had come and gone sc sud,
denly.
"'Oh,' said Tong, he left hurriedly;
he took 'Tijah with him and went away
in the kloeh at d&ybreak to catch a
steamer which would pass there going
to Singapore
"The village people thought II
strange and shrugged their shoulders
for a little, then forgot it. But 'Tiiah
told the tale to the authorities in Malac.
ca and the police came over and
searched there many days, but could
find nothing-only it vas thought sus.
picious that the cattle dealer should
have completely disappeared, and that
Tong and his wife should have so much
more money.
"'Ah,' they said, ''Tijah hated us.
She lies in what she says. She has got
rid of her husband somehow, and meant
to steal his money
ut was a very mysterious affair, and
no M could make out the truth; bu,
when the police had given up all search
finding they could prove nothing, quite
Unexpectedly the murder was found
out. A man of the village went into
the jungle to cut wood, and at midda,
he walked down to the creek to wash
after his food. Coming back through
the swampy mnngrove near the river he
l noticed a very great swarm of flies,
They were like O cloud, they were SC
thick. What have we here?' hi
thought; some dead animal, perhaps,
and went to see. Sunk in the mud wher,
the river washed over 1t at high tide h,
! found a barrel, from which proceeded
(. a very nauseous smell. His curiosit,
was aroused, SO he put in his hand
feeling something hard, he drew it out
1t was a skull, the skull of a man, an,
projecting from the upper jaw was
long tooth, like a tusk. 'Aha!' he cried
l 'Sleiman!'
He went and told the police, and the,
: came and took the cask, and the mur
der was proved, because the clothe
and the tooth were those of Sleimar
4 So Tong was hanged, and his wife |
in prison now in China Jail in Singa
pore. She will never come out till sh
d dies. ,
sand 'Tijah is my wife, and I love he
s and she loves me, and we are very har
|, py. She is grateful to the MOSQUITO"
b My pipe was finished and / knocke
i out the ashes.
"Thank you for your story, Ma
Q which proves once more the old adagt
+ Murder will OUT I feel a special In
9 terest in Katiiah since you have toll
9 me her romantic history. And now pc,
q haps those blessed mosquitoes will lie
e me have some sleep. Anyhow, I'll try
g and you had better do so, too"
=, And as we turned in Mat murmure
once more: "Tuan."-St. Pauls,
e The saxon Alphabet.
1t is q curious fact hat in the nortl
ern parts Of Ireland and Scotland a
o phabetical characters closely resen
bling those Of the Saxon were in ON