Year: 1865

A


the disordered state of the bed-c'othes as


that one of the shut hands contained woody


curl that knew must have been torn in


the conflict from the murderer's head The


coldness and rigidty of death were already


creeping over her frame "Poor unfortunate


girl p | groaned out as | staggered


against the wall, "this was the cry we


heardn In some strange way the sight of


that dsfgured corpse impaired a sudden


and almost unnatural courage. God help
ing me, Pll thwart this ruffian yet" ! said
"and there's no time to be lost ; my poor,


kind-hearted Susan " | reyerently drew


the quilt again over the dead discoloTed


face and, with firmer tread than | had
entered, left the room. Let me see,"


said al must try and not tell aunt yet, }"
and when returned " On second thoughts, +"


said /, q ] have determined not to waken
Susan while, at all events till we see


what may be done she would be sure to


cause some disturbance in her fright"


"Oh, nonsense" aunt whispered, = i


won't have the creature perhaps murdered


in her ben without knowing or hearing a


word come, I'll go to her myself"


stop, aunt said, you must not"


Why? Oh, Maggie, is there any thing


more ?" For she saw the agitation that
could not conceal .-.-.-


! '' No use," said in concealing it he
! has murdered her already we have but
our own safety now to think Of" / dread


ed the effect of this intelligence upon one


who was already so entirely unnerved by
| our terrible position she sank back into
her seat, and folded her hands with a look
| of passive despair.


Poor thing p she murmured, Il sup
pose she has only preceded us a little


+. Look now, dear aunt" and | knelt down
! beside her chair, and my voice was wonder


fully steady and strong, am resolved on
/ one last effort for our lives. I'll just go up
( this moment and see if | can't get into that
room and bring out the keys without his
! hearing me, and then we might readily es-
cape. See, it is our sole chance"


/ Aunt Osborne shook her head, and seem
! ed incredulous as to my ever succeeding
| saw with fresh concern that kind of
! apathetic stupOr was stealing over her, and
/ | dreaded that she might get fit.


/ d" Come, courage" | said God will not
/ forsake us. I'm quite certain that / shall
succeed


: Slipping off my shoes and folding my
.
! impeded, l literally crept up stairs, advanc-
ing with extreme care, lest the creaking OF
"a board, or the slightest sound might indi-
! cate my approach. When | reached the
lobby, stood by the cloak-hole, as we cal
led it, already referred to, for some mo-
ments, to listen but there was not the least
sound then with, if possible, yet more
stealthy movement, | went on 20 the door
of the room, and again stopped, scarcely
daring to draw breath for fear of arousing
Parks suspicious | had felt marvelously
firm and nerved up to this, but now that
was actually on the threshold Of the apart
ment where the assassin was, the full cons
ciousness of the impending danger came
with such force that | teh the rapid beat
of my heart, and my limbs shook so that |
had to lean for support akainst the wall
| again called up the tragedy below, that
had impaired such feeling Of Indignation
as to quell the overpowering nervousness
that had preceded it. | passed my hand
gently along the door, which was half open,
to ascertain if by any chance the key might
be on the outside and to my great Joy |
unexpectedly found it was surely, |
thought, most merciful providence that
il happened to be so Somewhat reassur-
ed by this discovery | went on into the
room Here | assumed a STOPPING posture,
fearful lest possible CLEAN from the win
dow, falling on nay full height, might do
mischief, | had now, Of course, need of the
utmost caution an unguarded stir. sud
den encounter with any article of furniture
and we were ruined To provide against
the latter peril, | kept swaying one arm
gently round me, treading step by step,
more, as | aftcrward thought, like person
picking his way through some morass, and
carefully feeling every lOOthold for fear of
sinking. At last reached the small table;
there in a momentary pause | heard from
the bed a heavy breath, All inarticulate
mutter, accompanied by a restless move
ment. ] stretched out my hand quickly,
too quickly in the intense eagerness to
clutch the basket with the keys, and turned
it :over with q loud rattle. TO grasp them
all with one desperate effort, to turn and
Hy, regardless of silence now, and to drag
the door after ne and turn the key, all was
the work OF an instant. The relief with
which felt he key tnrn and heard the
lock click may be better Imagined than
described As rapidly as my feet could
carry me hurried down to my aunt, with
presence Of mind enough, however, to seize
the garment that came first to hand, from
where they were hung, ,as passed the place
on the lobby, with which to protect my
poor old relative against the night air
could hear as dccelded the stairs, the
wretched assassin making the most vigor-
Gus, but Intellectual, efforts to force his
way out, but in the hall, as | was wrap
ping my aunt up in the cloak that | had
brought, we heard the window above let
down. and at once a long, low, peculiar
whistle "Quick," exclaimed, seizing by
the arm my haIfscared companion, who
could scarce be persuaded that the hopa Of
eXtrication now open to us was reality.
ave must 90 by the back-door and ont the
little wicket at the other side of the yard
the fellow evidently has accomplices out
side, and we have not done with danger
yet" 1t was no easy matter to get poor
Aunt Osborn on she was in so great a
trefnor that her limbs all but failed. We
got, however, to the yard, and out the small
door, locking each after us, and So avoid
ing the Laurel Walk, as the most probable
place where the others might be watching
or concealed, we ran on up the front avenue,
and this it was am sure that saved us
for those in the plot who were outside, con-