The west shore., December 21, 1889, Page 471, Image 21

WEST SHORE.
471
thpn, leaping to the roof, ran nimbly along the rafters,
and bursting their bonds, devourod the very mint of
the night.
The bell on St. Steven's rang out deep and nmflled,
proclaiming the rising of the curtain to the lust scene
in a life that was coming down to earth.
Murderer!
The break of the surf mocked the wretched man
as he stole away from his own home. Murderer!
Murderer! All along the lieach the word rolled, and
he raised his hand in entreaty, his blanched face trans
fixed in terror lest the whole world should hear it.
That crash of broken glass, and the fall of the
heavy body, had snapped the vice-like tension which
had held him almost insensible to bodily feeling.
Now, with awful distinctness, he realized what he had
done! All was ended, and every other thought was
thrust rudely aside by that which dinned into his ears
the word, " murderer! "
lie heard it in the pattering rain, lie saw it in
the haze from the street lights. It was nlniut him ev
erywhere. A (Frighted, he glanced back over his shoul
der as ho Btumbled on. His busy brain began to
scheme for the safety of his body. Ho was (lying
from the gallows! He heard the bell in St. Stephen's
tower Btrike, and ho stopped and counted, for so busy
was he studying for escape that ho could not think
what o'clock it might be, nor what day, nor what
month. He only remembered that he had been so
harniHBcd, so driven into a comer that he had again
taken a life, and ho was now hastening from the gal
lows. How many times ho had greedily read of the
(light, the capture, and the last hours on earth of a
murderer! He shuddered, and strove to drive away
the thoughts. He had forgotten to count the hour.
What! was the bell still striking? That was no hour,
it was a steady ringing. Instinctively he glanced
back. There it was, a dull, lurid glare against the
sky. With a cry as of one suffocating he staggered on.
Then came a moment of exultation. The lire
would cover his guilt, lie drew his hat lower over his
eyes, for honest men, awakened from peaei'ful slumber,
were hurrying past him toward the scene of destruc
tion. Perhaps one of these very men would discover
ft, he thought; but it would be so charred, so black
ened, that perhaps they would think it was himself.
If he had only allowed the man who had driven Mm
from the city to see him enter his house, a chain or ev
idence would have ton established that would hay
let him out of the country. Hundreds of though s
began to crowd in on him, and he welcomed them all.
for they helped to Btille that word, "murderer. ui
of the country he would Ik, free. Free? N.methmg
like hoi surged in his hardened breast, r rec or the
load he had so long carried! What was d.sh-.no f
he escaped? There would In- no dishonor. I eopl
would hold their breaths in horror at the accounts of
his being burned alive, and he would be on the sea I.
fore the fraud was discovered, if it were ever d.s. "
cred. He had never known how swee life was ImTo c
He began to see that one might In. glad to I've, e
with a moderate amount of treasure In his js-sm-ss., . .
Ily running and walking he had gone a grea d.s
tan e r he sfw with surprise that he was at the June
tion of Market street with the turnpike. Somewhere,
within hearing, a party of rollicking, half drunken
men were singing to the night in maudlin tones. He
thought how much he would give to ho as light of
heart, and strained his ears to listen, but the sounds
had ceased, and he heard instead, that word " mur
derer." He was startled by the rumble of a carriage near,
and coming toward him. He darted lichind a tree to
await its passing. From his cover he saw it was a be
luted coach, the lanterns on its sides shining on the
dripping Hanks of the horses. The thought came to
him that he would hail the driver and ride to the city.
It was nothing uncommon that a man should lie trav
eling at that time of night. Me came out from his
concealment and held up his hand. The conch stopped
and took him in.
He lav back in the soft cushions. He hop! that
the shutting of the door would relieve him from the
taunting of that terrible word, and he drew the cur
tains, but the darkness was so intense that he raised
them again In an agony of fright, Everything through
which he had passed came back to him, and he cursed
the daughter to whom he attributed all.
The coach rumbled along, at last crossing the
bridge, and c.ming to a stop in Market square, lloa
ton. The driver, alighting, said that the stables were
near, and the horses could go no farther. Parnlly,
the passenger stepjied to the sidewalk and was going
awav, when the driver caught him by the arm ami do
matided his fan. Placing Into the outstretched hand
a piece of money, he turned away. Through the
square, through Darkstone street, pust the ijost olllee,
and by back streets, he went to the North End. Ills
head was on his breast, ami he walked unconscious of
all alKtut him. .
He came to a comer where a night cabman hnl a
stand. The blanketed horse, with long neck out
stretched, was making periodical nods of his head In
his attempt to catch a few winks of sleep he eabl.v,
who was sitting in the coaeh door, Invited him to ride
Mechanically he sloped. The driver arosa and held
wide oiieii the dtsir.
" Where?" asked the driver. Then, n iviiig no
answer, he shook his passenger. The start, and wi d
glance of the deathly white face, were warnings not to
repeat the touch.
" Where are you going? repeated the driver.
"To hell!" was the answer, In a mulllcd tone of
irritation. .... i
The Jehu stepiH.I back, stroked his chin, and
arinncd. Then he t.s.k from his iss ket a pipe, lighted
ft removed the blanket from the horses, mounted his
box ami drove away, turning to take many shrewd
,s.eps through the gfass window at his fare Ihrough
!' street and across another they rattled, till they
drew up before a brick inunsl which was reached by
lung (light of stone steps. Here the driver dis
n.ounred, and, oUrving his j.asscnger in the same
seemingly unconscious niudiluni, ran lightly up tin
M,ps ami nulled the Ml. After a wait of a cw m n
utcs a light pired, shining through curtained side
windows A key turned In the lock and a low oonver
Mtioit ensued, then the driver returned to hU charge
and ordered him to alight.
The old man stood on the sidewalk, Ida head un-