Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-22

area door, and leaving me in the inner room, hurried out Juliet-like to greet her Romeo.
 Here's the parcel of chalks, pretty one" I heard MT. Talbot say Put them away carefully for me, darling, and I'll call for them as usual in the morning"
 Amelia had left the door leading into the passage slightly ajar, so that had been able to play the eavesdropper l without leaving my chair, which was l fortunate, for the next instant she stepped coquettishly into the room with brown paper parcel in her hand, l which she popped into an open drawer, and then, with saucy nod to me, popped out again.
 1 Her lover seemed to be in a hurry this particular evening, for I heard Amelia say, 'Wot, you aint goin' yet? l Put down yer at and coat and give us kiss"
 Presumably the obedient Henry put ] down his hat and coat as directed. whereupon Amelia snatched them up playfully and running once more into the room where I was sitting, threw them upon chair, and returning to Henry said triumphantly:
 There! you shan't ave 'em back again till you beave eyerself A nice l young man you are to walk out with gal, and never even want to give her a kiss"
 l That's soon put right" was the re- ply, and from the sounds which reached my ears, have cause to suppose that Henry was as good as his word. Pre- sumably, however, preoccupation of 1 some sort tended to make him less amorous than usual on this occasion, for when Amelia next spoke there was , a ring of disappointment in her voice.
 Dye call that a kiss? Why don't 1 yer give us a real 'ug?"
 l An ardent lover, when the object of i his adoration thus coyly capitulates, ] and gives him to understand that the favors she has to bestow are his for l the asking, might reasonably be ex- s pected to snatch her passionately to himself, and to cover her lips, hair and cheeks with burning kisses, but MT. Talbot's reply to Amelia's tempt 1 ing invitation consisted, so far as could gather, of mumbled protest about having to be going now.
 Very well, MT. Emery Talbot" snapped the sighted maiden, I'll give I you yer old parcel back and wish you good-heyening;; and perhaps you'll find another young woman to walk out with another time"
 70 Lord love us, what lot you wom- en are!" groaned MT. Talbot in voice which, though intended to be persua- siye and conciliatory, sounded to me more like the voice of a man to whom ] it would have been an intense relief to tear his own and perhaps his com l panion's hair. Lord love usi I never knew such fool as you are in my life. I didn't mean anything, my dear. You know I love you better than-lump l sugar, do, and from the noises which ensued l gather that he was bestow- l ing "real tugs" with an ardor, which, if assumed, was sufficiently ursine to satisfy the most exacting of maidens.
 Here was my opportunity Very l quietly I reached over, and took MT. Henry Talbot's parcel of chalks from the drawer As I held the package, with a hand which haste and nervous ness made none too steady. something l metallic rattled ominously; and when, I with humping heart, laid my ear be- side the thing to listen, I distinctly heard the clock-like beating of an in- l fernal machine. Repressing the in- l sane but perhaps natural inclination l to dash the horrid object away, and I mastering, by sheer willlcontroI, the blind, unreasoning rush of panic stricken impulses that sprang up with l in me, I tiptoed across the room, and l lifting MT. Talbot's coat, stuffed the parcel into the pocket.
 How long sat in my chair looking in sort of frozen horror of calm at l dirty brown bowler hat and grease soiled yellow overcoat, reeking of bad tobacco and stained with beer-neither of them objects to be associated readi- ly with tragedy-I cannot say. To me who fancied as I sat there that could hear the stealthy working of that devils plaything and hour-glass, tick ing away the lives of human beings of whom it, was possible I might my. self be one-it seemed very eternity before Talbot said. Now get me my l coat and hat and I'll be off
 But when, some minutes after, a l dull echoing roar. as of the distant discharge of musketry, set the windows rattling in their sockets like teeth in skull, causing Amelia to drop a plate with crash, and to scream out, "Wot hever's that?" I knew that Number I Three of the internal brotherhood had I handed in his papers to no earthly chief, but to that arch-conspirator l who is the master of every murderer.
 CTo Be Continued:)