The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-11-22


what have forgotten?" asked
the madman, scowling.
II don't understand about the
Double-Six."
THAT part is of no consequence to
the story"
Pardon me, but 1t is. | can't make
out beginning or end without it. I'm
sure a gentleman of your mind ought
to make palmer story than that"
How can / give you brains and
Information, too?" retorted he, cum
ningly enough; cor is 1t that you
have only been making a pitiful pre-
tense of interest to cheat me? Do
you suppose l don't see through your
little wiles, and despise-"
Come, comet" interposed 1.-TWO
minutes more. You have interested
me so deeply in your sad history that
1t will be great pity If you ieave
out, as one may say, the very text OF
it ALL"
You want me to criminate my.
sell" said the maniac, sullenly.
Nothing of the kind" cried I,
with cheerful briskness. 81 only
want to hear how the Double-Six
could make you ILL.,"
"Ah, you don't believe It? Well,
you see, when Paul Etheridge got a
hold of me-curse himl how was |
to know he was a blackleg?-he
worked and worked round me until
my money was all staked and lost,
then my land, then my house, and
last, what think you he proposed?
My wife! Ia, hal my wife against
five hundred pounds! And 1 flung
the dice and an ace and a FIVE, and
he flung the dice and got the double
six. Ha, ha, ha! that was grand!
that was rare! I'm l eliminating
myself?"
No, no, go onl The illness?"
"Then something crashed down in
my brain, and l knew nothing until
weeks after, when they told me had
had brain fever, and 1 lay and lam
guished in white room, where de-
mons in bloodred haunted me every
night, and told me that Paul Ether
idge lay murdered, by my hand, in
the old lime pit. Ha, ha, hal"
AS he shouted these words in mad
frenzy the shrill whistle of the en-
gine approaching the station smote
on our ears. The next moment we
had plunged into the throat of the
tunnel, and the spell OF my eyes was
broken.
Before l could realize my danger,
before 1 could raise an arm in de-
Tense, the manias was clutching at
my throat i'll murderous strangle,
and shrieking in my ears, far above
the roar of the wheels:
Devil! l knew you from the
first! I've only a minute of time,
but it's long enough to push you into
perdition! Down with you! Down,
down to hades, my false wife!"
And as the blood surged through
my whirling brain, l seemed to be
falling, falling through blood-red
darkness, while a thousand cannon
broke in my ears, and then l gave in
to my doom.
I looked pin my husbands arms,
and round upon a pitying throng.
The dread minute was overpast, and
l was saved!
How? We had shot into the light,
and the conductor, summoned by
those in the next compartment, who
were alarmed by the noise, had
crashed open the door as the fren-
zied wretch was kneeling by my
fallen body to complete his work.
In a few seconds we were at the
Princes Street Station, and while
John took me to the nearest ladies'
room, the madman was quietly Sc
cured by two keepers who had been
on the watch for him, and taken back
to Glasgow.
And that was my Homecoming.
Rather a black one; but my John
said that evening at our own little
fireside as he tenderly bound up my
bruised neck:
tits been a great escape, Alice,
my dainty, and in token to our deep
thankfulness to the Hand that was
stronger than madness or murder,
We'll from this night on make our
VOWS: AS for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord"
Yes, sir, you may say that l look
as If all had been blessed with me.
We've been happy together here, and
we look to be happy up yonder.
Here's Bonacorde Station, and there's
my mother. Good-by, sir, and thank
you for your good wishes.-New
York Weekly.