The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-04-01

ing, but hope now gave added speed
to my steps, help would soon ne mine
S for Il crowd had gathered on the stree
! and seemed clearly to realize my dan
! ger. Men ran to and fro, or eagerly
c consulted together, and presently I
/ couple OF wOikmen came along drag
, GjaE a tiramen'S ladder. This they
placed against one of the houses; mel
sWarmed up it like flies, and in less
time than il takes to tell il, the China
man was secured-strangely enough
lie made no r!sis lance and did not ap.
pear to be arned-and we We're both
taken down.
When the crowd heard what the
Mongoliau had done, they declared
they would lynch him then and there
They tore him from the policeman who
had him il charge, dragged him to the
nearest tree, which was not tar, foI
our street was planted with trees; a
rope Was brought from somewhere
aud, despite she wretched man {
pleading's III iIniassioned Chinese tor
mercy, was slipped around the branch
eS. At that moment q DrOad-ShOuld-
cred man broke through the crowd
and demanded the cause of the up
roar 1t was Tom. The mob paused
70 eXciaiIn; Tdu to my brother, cluuE
to his arm, and between MY iuC Jher-
ent words and their explanations, he
at last gathered the meaning we wish
ed to convey, but still he looked puZ-
Z!et.
Nellie? Did understand you to
say LOra, that it was Nellie this man
murdered?''
Yes"
why I came straight from the
house and Nellie was there as well as
she ever was in her life, only anxious
at your long absence and curious to
know the cause Of the disturbance
in the street"
There must be some mistake"
answered, Il saw her blood streaming
from under our bed room door. Per-
haps it was her spirit you saw"
"A pretty substantial spirit, then, l
must say, and one that can enjoy NUT
ton chops and fresh eggs as well as a
mortal. Come right along, boys"
turning to the crowd, and see for your
selves that my sister is all right. Come
! Dora
He drew my arm within his own and
! turned toward home, the mob follow
! ing with the Chipaman, the rope still
around his neck. When we reached
| our house there was Nellie safe and
| sound, standing on the steps. Before
we could say word she cried cut:
what are they doing to All Sin
| Oh, what a shame to treat a poor
| Cninamanso.na and i'm pulsively she ran
down, and, while the Mongolian made
| voIuble explanation, pulled the rope
| from his neck.
Speak a little slower, All Sin, then
| shall be able to follow YOU Nicely
said Nellie kindly. | forgot to tell
you that Nellie can speak Chinese
she used TO teach in the Chinese Mis-
sion School.
What does he say?' l asked. And,
Tell US what the heather is saying,
young lady," cried the men.
Nellie asked the Chinaman few ques
tions, which he answered with much
gesticulation, for he was more excited
than | have seen a Chinaman either
before or since, as we'll he might be;
then she turned to US:
Il think can explain All Sins part
in the adventure. When he brought
the clothes this afternoon | found
some were missing. | sent him back
to get them. telling him | would not
pay Tor the washing until he brought
everything. He went away and came
back with the missing clothes i'll about
half an hour. | then paid him and
sent him down to the kitchen for
some things for the wash | had left
there. He got them, and was about
go out when he remembered that he
had not asked me when he was to call
again. Just as he reached the head
of the stairs he saw Dora getting out
of the window, jumped to the conclu
sion that she was thief, and followed
her. l must tell you," addressing the
crowd, that he does not know Dora;
she is usually away at work when he
comes for the clothes.
III Just happened that she got off |
early today, and he saw her for the |
first time this afternoon when she let |
him il, so his mistake was not an I'M
natural one. He did not dream that |
a young lady Of the house would do |
such a thing as climb out of d window |
though if he knew Dora lie would not
be in the least surprised" Here Mel
lie laughed That is All Sins story,
ard it seems to Ine "a reasonable one.
OF course, when he followed Dora she
thought he meant to Kill her, but |
cannot understand what she wanted
on the roof at that hour. What was
it, Dora?n
Then | explained, telling her about
the pool of blood, which | was now be
ginning to think existed only i'll my
Imagination.
oh. that" and an annoyed, per
turbed expression crossed her face
You recoliect that quart bottle of
red ink father brought home that even
ing before he went to the country,a and
which Tom was TO take down TO the
office? He forgot it every day, and
YOU, Dora, took it into our room the
day you needed some; YOU cirelessiy
!eft ii near the door. aud when ] went
in to Get the money for All Sin l must
have knocked it over with my skirt. |
did not notice it at the time, but when
went into our room later on | found
| the bottle lying OH its side, the cork
out and that great pool in the hall.
On again directly addressing the
crowd, ''if there is anyone here who
can tell me how to get red ink stains
out of white marble | shall be so CRATE
| full. Ny father will be crazy if he
comes back and fluids the hall floor
stained.
A ianitor of one of the large city
| buildings came forward. and the two
held consultation. When l thought
| they had talked long enough | inter
rupted them to ask Nellie:
How was it that you did not hear
me when l came upstairs?"
Il was in the front parlor, reading.
| When All Sin left lie did not hear
sound until Tom came home.n
well, l guess everything is clear
now" remarked Tom. There is
nothing to be done but to thank these
gentlemen for their prOmptitude in
coming to Dora's assistance, and to
soothe the Chinaman's wounded feel
| ings.n
With that he slipped something into
All Sins hand which made the Celes-
tial Emile Then Nellie and handed
in cur little contributions, and All Sin
and my rescuers departed.
But unfortunately that was by no
means the end of it. had to face the
ridicule of my friends and the curiosity
of my neighbors, and to this day
whenever Tom desires to be especially
tormenting he makes polite inquiries
for my murderer"
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