The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-14
The MISSING MISER.
ny WALTER JERROLD.
Copyrighted, 1895, ny walter JerroId.

in thirty miles OF LONDON the l4illt' 'ii'''S
scene an old-fashioned Observation-Disclosures
COTTAGE. standing at the extreme end of
the village and inhabited by an old soil
tary. Gregory Carlow by name.
Gregory was a man of over seventy,
recluse. who was something of a mystery
to the whole of The neighborhood The
present generation knew him only as an
eccentric old fellow who lived by himself,
spending very few shillings each week on
his living. The younger folk called him
'miser" but their elders thought that
they knew better, seeing that each month
he was known TO receive postal order
for one pound from some one in London,
presumably a Weather relative.
on the July evening on which our story
opens the old man might have been seen
in the large brick-hoored sitting room of
mis- cottage. and could any of the villag
ers have glanced in they would have con-
cluded at once that he well merited the
title Of mser so literally bestowed upon
him by the juveniles. Daylight was rap
idly fading, so he lit a tin oi-lamp which
hung from the great center beam which
crossed the ceiling supporting the Others
and went to the window to draw across
IL the heavy piece of stuff which did duty
for a curtain.
AS he did this he failed to notice
mans face that was quickly withdrawn
from the diamond-eaded panes against
which it had been pressed but he did OBJ
serve that the gate was open at the end
of the red-tiled path which ran between
borders well filled with a fourishing po-
tato crop.
At once all his fears were alert Who
could have opened his gate? lie turned
TO the table in feverish haste, seized some
papers, and pushed them into his pocket
and then catching up the gold and silver
which he had been counting, pushed 1t
into coarse linen bag and went to the
open hearth with its quaint. old-fashlon-
ed, overhanging chimney. He stopped I'M
der the front of this and stood mp to put
his small hoard on the deep shelf at the
side His head and shoulders were hidden
by the front OF the chimney, and ne did
not, therefore, see strange man enter
the room, and was indeed totally unaware
of the presence of any intruder until he
heard muttered-
Damn the old hunks, where have he
and his money got TOP
The poor old man trembled with double
fear-for himself and for his precious
noney-as he stopped down in a cramped
Uvid face and horror-struck eyes at the
speaker. The latter heard the slight
movement which the old man made, and
rushed upon him, kissing:
That's where you keep your money,
is ito"
Poor old Carlow was dragged rudely
from the hearth and began shrieking for
assistance as loudly his WORKOUT
strength would permit.
Help! help" in piteous tones, rang out
his aged treble.
you'd best be quiet" said the other,
with a muttered oath; land you'd best
give up some of that money quietly.
mo; leave me. Help! helpr and the old
fellow with strength born of despair in
realising that he must help himself, turn
ed on the robber.
The latter. younger by nearly half a
century, seized the other by the throat
and swore that If he did not hold his
tongue 1t would be the worse for him.
Firmly gripping his victim he shook him
backwards and forwards, and as the old
mans grasp on his arms suddenly relaxed,
threw him to the floor
80 much the better" said his assail-
ant; perhaps you'll be quiet for a min
ute or two now"
Saying this, he stopped within the CHM
ney and stood up as the old man had
done. Striking a match he peered over
on TO the sooty brick shelf at the side.
On this he found the bag which he had
seen on the table and a smaller one. Seiz-
ing them as the match which he held
burnt his fingers and went out, he adj
Vanced into the middle of the room.
He looked at ihe old man lying inert
upon the floor
Perhaps, you old fool, you'll be more
generous to visitor next time"
On the point of leaving the cottage with
his booty a sudden horror seized him, and
he glanced again at the man whom he
had so roughly handled, went up to him
and turned him over on his back.
MY God! he's deadr
The robber started with terror at the
crime which he had committed for the
possession of a few pounds. Then the in
stnct of self-preservatiOn asserted itself
and he dragged the body across the room
to the hearth As he did so a paper fell
from one of ats pockets. The man picked
it up. and saw on it inscribed, Last VIII
and Testament"
Your last will, is it?" he said pushing
II back into the pocket from which it had
fallen; well there it is, and much good
may II do you"
BY dint of much struggling and pushing
he succeeded in getting the body up on 90
the shelf from which he had just taken
the money The brick recess was only about
two feet deep by two and a half in length
and the old mans limp limbs hung over do
what his murdered might.
Some distance above the shelving bricks
an iron bar crossed the chimney-pr
used al some time for hanging bacon dur
ing the process Of smoking. Catching sight
of this the stranger brought a chair on to
the hearth, and standing on ID succeeded
IN getting the old mans body into an up
right posture between the bar and the wall
and tied him to the former by his neck
CLOTH so that his head hung partly over It
while his feet rested on the shelf
''Thatll not easily be seem" said the
murderer, as he shifted the chair back
into the room. "an if it is they'll think the
old bloke 'angcd issef," Then he took the
lamp and peered upwards and turned away
again in horror ana fear the light shin
ing directly on the old white face, which
seemed TO be glaring downwards
las 10 be hoped the chimney don't want
sweeping yet" said the man to himself as
he drew back with a face scarcely less
pald than that of his victim. Carefully
locking the front door he went TO make
his escape by the back way. In the yard
he paused and wondered if lit" was really