The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-11-16
/ 4 AllMINUTE i 0FIl TIME ]
sssssssss By ANNIE AsHMoRE esSe seeeesse

CLASS Car WllHOul peluS lusulleu.
What makes your flowers 50
white" asked he. paying no manner
OF heed TO my words. do YOU think
you can deceive me?"
hegan 10 suspect the man was
drunk.
Aha" cried he. in n voice of ma.
licious triumph. Il can see what the
spotted with blood, and tied with tie
hair OF the murdered man"
For mercy's sake, sir" | 'altcred.
what do you mean? oh, il Iohn
was only here"
But ne isn't" retorted the
stranger, wickedly. "You and | are
the welded pair. Ha, ha. tipped
the guard 10 ker us by ourselves,
and John viii never see You on earth
again Look at me, Alice.
He bent forward till lis breath
Liew in furnace gasps into my face.
You needn't carry yourself so
b"avely. Mark YOU, I've found you
now, and rs sure as there'F blood
spilled darkly, an an open hades
yawning for the guilty, you'll not es-
cape"
At these dreadful words. and his
wild looks, the conviction seized me
that ] was in the presenc, of a mad
man-shut up for the next forty
minutes completely at his mercy,
unles by the mercy of Heaven could
save enough woman's Wit 10 divert
his fury from myself
Almost fainting, | yet managed TO
force a smile, and 10 say, very sooth-
ingIy:
You're making a mistake, sir
I'm a perfect stranger 10 you, aud
only changed my maiden name Of
Alice Hayden this morning for that
OF Alice Maitland. My husband
John, keeps fruit shop in Edln-
burgh."
Curse John Maitland, I hate him
and all that belong to HIM" cried
the brute, and he spat on my bean
tiful white flowers. How dare you
sit there with your innocent smile
and blooming cheeks? Do you know
can hardly Eeep from beating the
smooth simper out of your lying face
against these partition walls, ana
throwing your bedizened carcass
through the window" and he licked
his lips Till my flesh crept. Am |
plump? Am l ruddy? Are my eyes
full OF deceit? Are my hands filled
with flowers"
At each question his voice rose and
his excitement kept pace, until at this
last he thrust eat his bony arms.
with yell of frenzy, as If he would
have torn me in pisces.
Sinking back as far as the seat
would allow me, looked up in help
less expectation of a blow, and for
the first time caught his eyes.
All flaming as they were with
murderous intent. he tried to drag
them away from mine, began to trem-
BILE, and covered down in his seat at
last like beaten dog.
Inwardly thanking Providence for
thrusting this weapon in my hands,
| resolved never to release the fren-
zied wretch from the power of my
eyes until help should come.
I'LL mean nothing, You
know" he stammered, rolling his
head uneasily from side to side.
I'm only telling you my little s.ory
Where was II" And he clasped his
head between his hands in pite e)us
confusion. WAS ] at the Double
Six, or the Queens Bloody Head"
You were at the Double-Siy," an
swered |, determined TO eschew any
thing pertaining to blood.
That's false" retorted he. ais-
| piciously. Il was at the blood
sprinkled bills. Do you know, when
she brought them home, and lait
them one by one before me, one hun
dred, two hundred, three hume red,
four hundred, five hundred bills o.;
the Bank of England, and said 'Thesa
are yours | felt M brain spin off
like rocket up TO the skies. And,
! look you, In every one her gracInGs
majesty was befouled with the NIL
dew of blood, just as If somebody Eac
daubed her of TO express that some
ones contempt for her and her laws.
Why, you know 1t was so plain that
| cried Immediately:
This is your painting. Alice
done in good hearts blood! Why,
you're Alice, you're my wife," ex-
claimed he. breaking OF abruptly.
No, no." / returned, as calmly as
| could, go on with your story.
never heard anything so interesting.
Didn't your" said the madman.
never heard it before?"
Never" answered ].
That's good" he returned, eying
me critically; its something TO have
a new listener It last. The story -
fifteen years old, and nobody has
ever let me tell it through yet Fools!
they pretend TO believe me mad.
WefS do you believe it's true?"
Il haven't heard 1t yet. Go on"
"Oh, | thought / had told It, She
said she had foune the bills in wal
let beside an cid lime pit on Hep
bane Moor, three months ago, when