The Opelousas courier., 1898-07-16

/: sIAD s % :: ;ss;:: g.: g ny y:
>~: wonders if the
E*i:"l~ day Of miracles
C:!E:3:1IxsaL:.::& has d 9 d
passed, but I doubt if any man was
ever saved from a horrible and painful
death in stranger name that was
twenty-five years ago, when I was EN-.
ployed as under-timekeeper at Wheat
ly & Sons great saw mills, in the
Westminster Bridge road.
My adventure sprang so directly out
Of an incident connected with my do
mestic life that I may perhaps be par
doned for referring to the incident in
weston. 1t was as follows:
When I first came to the sawmiIls I
lodged with a fellow employe named
Maxwell. He was a tall, powerfully
built, dark fellow, possessed of a cur
ious manner which made many Of us
call him mad, though I believe none
of us ever thought him really insane.
When in q good humor lie was the
best Of companions, and after a time
he and I became great friends.
Our friendship would doubtless have
continued had it not been for the in
| t%ervention of that breaker of so many
friendships between man and mana
woman. Ella Langley was the sweetest
girl I had ever looked upon, and when
I first saw her face I longed to make
her my wife. I confided my purpose
n evening to Maxwell as we sat
smoking u pipes at u lodging, and
he sprang up as though I had shot
him.
Course you, Graham" he said, in a
hoarse tone, the old mad look blazing
i'll his gray eyes; II mean to marry
that girl myself. Keep away from her,
do you hear?"
I could not help laughing.
"Your behavior is extraordinarily
said, "and your remark still more 50.
Haven't I as much right as you to
Miss Langley?"
Fright or no right" he said, in a
logged tone, ''you had better mind
what I say. We have been good
friends, Graham; but, Heaven hclp
you if you make Ella Langley your
wife. If I cannot have her myself, I
will take care that you do not either.
II have heard" I replied quietly,
"of the story of the dog in the Manager,
but I never thought you were that
kind of animal, Maxwell. Come, let
us shake hands, as pals should do, and
forget this nonsense. We both have
equal chances, as I understand it, and
let the best man win"
He held out his hand, sulkily, and
muttered that he had no desire to
quarrel, but that he was very jealous
and hated the idea of having q rival.
Putting down his late outbreak to some
mad impulse which he could not con-
troll, I dismissed the incident from my
mind and soon forgot all about it.
To make a long story short, I may
say that shortly afterward I asked
Ella Langley to marry me, and she
consented. We were we'd within q
short space, and Maxwell congratu-
lated me along with the others, I won
at his m~agnanimity. Little
did I guess the hideous vengeance
was already developing
in his brain; otherwise I doubt if
I should have gone my way with my
bride as joyfully as I went it then.
The weeks passed uneventfully
enough, and brought US to the August
bank holiday. On that day the entire
was closed, the only person
on the premises being myself. I had
to look after the building until 6
p. NJ, when the night watch
man would come on duty.
went my rounds methodically on
and as I returned to the yard
office, where M report book was kept,
[ heard ring at the gate bell. Going
10 the gate, I found, to my surprise,
that the visitor was my late fellow
,odger, Roger Maxwell.
"Holloa, old mani" he said, eve
ust come to get my watch, which I
vas dufGer enough to leave in my
ecker in the shop yesterday. Sha'n't
be q minute"
Although he spoke in a calm man
Ter, and seemed friendly, I did not
ike the look in his eyes. Somehow
II other I began to fear that the mad
less which we had always attributed
o him was now taking hold of him in
'eal earnest; but, of course, I could
make no reasonable objection to his
etching his watch. I therefore ad-
nitted him, and bidding him s'look
harp" I returned to my stool in the
ard Office. I,
The day vas exceedingly hot, and ,
cry soon my head dropped forward [
N my book, and I dozed off into a |
ague, restless slumber. Dream fol- l
owed dream in fitful succession, and
uddenly the face of Maxwell seemed
o come into my vision. His visage |
Ias black with hate, and something
eemed to tell me that he was about 8
0 seek my life. I was %meditating
light, when I awoke with a curious
in my throat, to find the man
'hom I had seen in the dream bend
ng owe me in reality, his fingers
themselves around my neck. i
/ struggled fiercefy, but the strug- J
lie was IN unequal one, for he was in /
nitely my superior in size and o
and then the ~ferceness OF 8
ladness redoubled his vigor. Five
later I lay on the floor of the {
ard Office bound and helpless. To .
~ for assistance was useless, for the q
DOR to the Office was shut, and even o
ad it been open, no cry of mine i
have reached the street.
My position was indeed appalling. h