The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-03-09

1.-The butler, and that brings me to
the explanation you asked for moment
ago. Robertson, it appears, had hadsa
case before him in which a native was
charged with maltreating his wife, q
mere child barely 10 years of age, in
such brutal manner as to cause her
death. Gases Of that kind are far from
Oelng uncommon, as You KnOW, an0
Robertson-well, he did what almost
any other English judge would have
done under the circumstances-gave the
scamp his deserts and sentenced him to
death.
''Now this occurred only few hours
before he was murdered, and you will
ct once suspect some hidden connection
between the two events. And you are
right. In passing sentence of death
upon the brutal native he virtually
passed sentence upon himself. -
Robertson had in his service at the
time, among other servants, a butler
who was related to the man he had just
condemned. Whether he was aware Of
the exact relationship existing between
the two don t know. but lam inclined
"After applying his eye to the hole
he noiselessly inserted the muzzle>sof
the rife in the aperture, took deliberate
aim at his masters heart and fred.
Poor Robertson! He never knew what
hurt him.
Stanfield ceased speaking, and pain
full silence fell upon us both. The
movement of lizard in the jalousies
through, which the shot had been fred
sent a thrill of horror through my
nerves. fancied could hear the but
ler's stealthy footsteps and see the
CLEAN of the rife barrel in the moon
Light. So awfully real was my concep-
| tioneof the whole scene, that at last, in
sheer desperation, spoke and SO broke
the spell.
"Hadn't Robertson wife2 / have an
idea that once met her in Madras. %.
"He had, and speaking Of her re-
minds me that my story is still unfin-
ished. In fact, the most remarkable
part of it is yet to come.
"About year before her husband s
death Mrs. Robertson, it seems, went
home to England for her health, and
| when last saw Robertson alive-the
| night he had the strange premonition.
you remember-he was daily expecting
| her back. Well, it is singular coinci-
dence, but perfectly true, that the
steamer che was passenger by entered
Bombay harbor on the very evening
| and at the very hour when Robertson
was shot.
MRS. Robertson had gathered all
her traps together, intending to disem-
bark that night, and as soon as she
heard the anchor dropped she left the
cabin to go ON deck. In her hand she
carried small travelling clock, and just
as she reached the foot of the companion
stairs she glanced at it and saw that
the hour was exactly o'clock. At the
same moment an understandable terror
seized her. She looked up quickly, and
there ON the steps above her stood her
husband.
She sprang up the steps to meet him.
but he suddenly and mysteriously dis
appeared. At the top of the steps she
ran against the purser.
"'There's no hurry madam said
he. the tenders not alongside yet
"'But my husband!' cried Mrs. R.
I saw him here just now. How did he
come aboard:
Madam, replied the purser, you
must he mistaken. Not living soul
has boarded the ship tonight.
| Sand he was right, for if Mrs. r.
saw anything, as she declares she did,
it must have been the spirit of her dy-
ing husband"
| "Let us go in, said I, rising hastily.
"This night air has given me chill. !"
New York journal.