The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-02-22
THAT SEDAN CHAIR.

the fright of lifetime
"a sedan chair?''
eyes Listen, if you would know all
about it" And he told us the following
story:
ga love tale said he, "of the city
of Lille, of my twentieth year, and my
pastry cooks daughter, mere child,
but SO pretty, SO sweet, SO adorably CO.
quettish; moreover, SO admirably skill
ed in all pertaining to her fathers bust
ness. Nowhere else could / buy such
cake, such buns, such sugared almonds.
And the stacks and stacks of rich con-
fections that / devoured each day to
prove my DEVOTION
"The fire of my love-which she re-
turned between the smiles bestowed
upon her fathers customers - alone
saved me from gastritis by consuming
the heaviness of my stomach.
'This was the state of things, when,
one day, CHANGED to find the pass key
of lie pere, who spent half his time in
the wineshop across the way and the
other half gossiping at his door with his
equally 1ul0 u6lSuDOr5
Determined to profit by this piece Of
luck, managed to speak word to Vic
toire, my little sweetheart, and to pro-
pose to her visit to the theater that
evening, if she could elude the vigil
lance of her mother and join me unseen.
She could easily re-enter by means Of
the pass key.
''Victoire was charmed with my in.
spiration, and six hours after I had con-
ceived the project we had carried it into
execution. Although it was the middle
of the winter the night was superb, a
late rising moon, but thousands of bril-
liant stars shining from every quarter
of the heavens. Victoire trembled like
a leaf in the wind, but | was filled with
such burning ardor that it mounted to
my head like drink of wine.
''We were young, you see; the thea
ter for us a scene of enchantment, in
love with each other and more than
happy. Our hearts, like the strings of
some delicately tuned instrument, vi
brated to the slightest touch In fact,
we forgot everything but each other and
never thought of moving when at last
the final curtain fell until the lampist
appeared to turn out the lights
"Hurrying then to the street, we
found that the night had changed. The
stars were gone, the moon hidden under
canopy of clouds, cold, penetrating
rain beginning to fall and all the sedan
chairs gone with the stars.
"No, 1 was wrong; one was left
standing by the roadside little way
below us. At sight of it fatal idea
popped into my brain. 1t was not yet
very late, and had still so many beau
tiful things to say to Victoire. Why not
get into that chair, refuge from the
chilly rain, and talk everything all over
again?
1.-THE clock at the corner was just
striking IL as we slipped into our NOV
able apartment, rather cramped, to be
sure, but both of us were light and
thin; SO, drawing close and snug like
birds in nest, we awaited the passing
Of the shower-cheerfully awaited it,
strange occurred.
''The door of the house near which
the chair was standing opened noise
lessly, as if hung on velvet, and two
men looked out, evidently desiring
neither to be seen nor heard.
Assured of solitude and a clear
coast, they descended to the street, bear
ing in their arms heavy burden. Just
at that instant the moon slid from I'M
der the clouds, and we distinctly saw
that this burden was human being
wrapped in a long cloak closely muf1ed
about the face and shoulders.
"This was startling enough, but fancy
our horror when the bearers of this
strange load moved straight to the chair
where we crouched in terror, and one Of
them already had his hand on the door
when Victoire uttered stif1ed shrek,
answered by a frightful oath, and quick
as flash the men were gone as they
had come, and the door reclosed as soft
ly as it had opened.
The whole thing had passed SO quick
ly that we might have believed it some
fearful vision, only doubt was not pos
sible-we had seen it-both of us had
distinctly seen the same thing, and
without spoken syllable were filled
with the same blood freezing thought
murder-a murder doubtless committed
in this very house, from which the muir
derers were now seeking to carry away
and to conceal all traces of the crime
with the victims body.
'Oh, let us go, let us gol' moaned
Victoire tremblingly. Let us go at
once, Jacques. am SO frightened
"Go2 Yes, was willing enough, but
how? For as Victoire spoke, two men
emerged from the darkness around us
we could barely distinguish them, as
the moon had gone behind cloud again
caught up the chair and were bearing
us away into the dismal night.
''This was a predicament. We were
stupefed. What must we do? Cry out,
and make dreadful scandal? Betray
Victoire, and expose myself to the risk
of discovery? Never! 1t was not to be
thought Of 1t was not to be thought
of 1t was one of those times when trust
in chance was the only resource, hoping
by blind confidence to propitiate her
favor.
Perhaps this was our case; perhaps,
and l am inclined to think the latter,
we were both so frightened that we had
neither the strength nor the courage to
attempt anything. Victoire had uncon-
sciously thrown herself into my arms.
Her warm breath famed my cheek. Her
little hand held fast to mine. No matter
what threatened us, it was something,
at least. to have gained this happiness;
we would die together, her last sigh on
my lips.
"For these men-we were sure Of it
were accomplices of the first two, and
by previous arrangement they had
been engaged for the carrying off and
concealing of the dead body. Deceived
by our joint weight, they believed they
had it, and we, instead of the murdered
victim, were hurrying away through
the shadowy gloom.
"True, SO we were, but where were
we hurrying? Where were we heading,
as the men trotted on with swift, untir
ing steps, at times almost run? What
were they going to do with us-their
sinister burden?
Presently we saw that we were
passing one of the city gates leading
into the distant country. Again was
tempted to cry out, to call to the senti-
mel, but fear for Victoire deferred me,
Victoire, whose mother believed her
slumbering sweetly under her little
white curtains.
"What should do? What could I
dor was nearly distracted
"By this time we were clear Of the