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NEEMAM'S FAILURE _ By JOSEPH HATTON. Author c f "The Queen of Bohemia," "The Three Recruits," Etc. CHAPTER VI. A diabolical fate plats into diaboli cal ha>:ds. "No, be must not come to dinner,", said Needham to himself tin Saturday morning; "no, that might compromisa the situation. Supper? U the house sat on Saturday night, yes; but hardly without; the ser vants must not sea him." Need ham was in hi; bedroom. He had had a cap of tea and dry toast sent up?a very unusual thing with him. He was walking softly to and fro in his dressing gown and slip]>ers. There was something tigerish in his trait, and something stealthy, catlike. "He has no position to maintain," be went on, sometimes uttering his thoughts in a whisper, sometimes pausing to bite them, as i; wore, into Iiis mind and pur pose, as the modern engraver bites his lines into the tune with a burning acid; "a widowecaud unhappy, no future, no pub lic life, no lost reputation to rehabilitate, no father cr mother alive, a sister who is engaged to be married and he simply goes to New York for change, the excuse being a possible windfall of property; fearless of death, evidently, and possibly caring little for Ufa Yesterday I cared for neither; to day, with this new possibility, I long for it; but let me be no hypocrite at this moment The old people in Ireland?can my life, under the circumstances, be anything to them? No. Whatever happens, I shall to morrow be dead to them, dead to the world; and if the devil at my elbow, the friend who has kept me awake all the night, have his will, I shall be a murderer ?alive, safe, with money, free from debt, but with the blackest of all crime* to top the rest of my iniquities." He sat now, cross-legged, on a chair op posite the looking glass on his toilet table; sat and looked at his pale face, his bloodshot ejts, his com pressed hps, with nowand then bis left canine tooth showing. "There is no going back in crime," he said, addressing himself. "You know there is not When you think you have come to the finish, anew road opens up to you, a new way to boll! You would confess and hope, would you? When there was no hope ?only then?when the gub* was at your feet, when the pit were there and the devil with his hand upon your throat to hurl you in. But now he brings you a substitute, and you are ready to continue your wicked march, even to wado in blood. And there are people who do not believo in the devil I" The sun shone into tbe room, and darting upon a pair of razors that were lying before bun, mode a mocking reflection upon the wall He got up from the chair and watched it "Better cut my throat and save my soul! Is that the suggestion?" he said. "No. It is murder, either way. If I kill myself it is murder; if I kill him it is murder. One sin is as black as the other. But the hint is worth taking in another direction. I will carry you in my pocket, a friend in need." He placed one of the razors in its cose, and taking up his frock* coat (which was laid ready brushed with his other clothes near the table) put it into his breast pocket "The poison might not work," he said. ltl must make no mistake. The same initials, too?J. N. It would be like flying in the face of prov?no, the devil?to refuse such an opportunity. J. N. is on my linen, VJ. N. on his. J. N. on his trunks-* He was interrupted by a knock at tfco door. "Ye3." "Mr. Nolan, sir," said the servant "Is it so late?" Needham remarked, look* Ing at his watch before ans wering his S6*? vant. "Ask him to wait." "Yes, sir; and a lottor by haud, sir." "Oh, leave it on the table." "Yes, sir." "No, bring it in." "Yes, sir." The servant entered and gave him tLo letter. "Mr. Nolan will breakfast" "Yes, sir." Ho opened the letter and looked at the signature. "Joseph Norbury f he exclaimed. Then he weut in a stealthy way to tbe door and locked it "Dear Mr. Needham," he read, please ac cept ajy host thanks for ?ne two letters of introduction, I very much appreciate your kindness. This morning I have a lotter from my lawyer in Derbyshire, stating that he will be in town to-day at six Ho ha3 invited himself to dine with mo and talk over business. This is unfortunate-" Here Needham looked up from the letter, and remarked to himself, "I don't know? perhaps it is?perhaps not. At all events J am equal to either fortune." Then turning to the letter again he read, 'Taut my visitor lcavo3 for Richmond at nine or teu, and if in begging your uk dulgenco to excuse me from withdrawfag nay acceptance of your kind invitation to dinner, I may be allowed to come round to you and smoke a cigar after my friend has left for Riebmond, I shall be very glad to do so, and to receive your further letters and advice in respect of my journoy to New York. Do not trouble to answer this. I shall take my chances of finding you, and as I shall have nothing else to do it will not inconvenience me at all if it should bo in convenient for you t<? remain at homo. "Yours very truly, "Joseph Norbuby." "ProvHonco or the devil has a hand in this!" Needham exclaimed. "It cannot bo providence, for providence has written it down hard and strong, and engraven it on the mountain stone, 'Thou shalt do no mur der.' Satau then? Or Fate? Or Destiny? Two lives bau? in th; balauce. Fate, or Destiny, or providence, or the devil know it. They claim the right to elect which is to bo the victim. Ho is picked out from million5!, and under marvellous circum stances, and brought to London in the nick of titno. Tho circumstances which will attecd his removal, bis substitution for another, are made to fit into tbe occasion. Every detail ot the affair is moMed for me. It is us if, like tbe patriarch of old, I had found a ram caught in tho thicket, ready to take the place of this other sacri fice; or tho dagger that pointoJ the way to Duncan's chamber; or liko the omen that encouraged Tarquin. But what is to bo the end? Will not the unseen ministers claim me and dam me at last? There's tbe rub. But sufficient for the day is tho evil thereof. I will go on?Fate continuing propitious? if I swing for it" His face was livid now, his lips fixod and Cruel, and he paced his chamber as he had done before, tigerishly, pausing now and then to mutter and talk. Presently he took the razor from his coat pocket and put it into the pocket of his dressing gown. "I will dress later," hu said; "Diolan will be tired of waiting." Then ho thrust Norbury's lettor into his pocket with the razor, washed his hands, brushed his thin hair, ami tightening the waist band of his dressing gown, glide 1 catlike into the diniug-room, where he fovnd bis confidential solicitor walking about impatiently, one hand in his poofeec, the other winging his eyeglasses about "I have kept you too long,, pray excuse me," smd Mr. Needham; "I did not go to bed until vary late." "I should judge so, for all the years I have known yon I havo never seen you in a dressing .gown before," said Nolan. "And you shall never see mo again in one if my appearance so offends you. I suppose you are thinking at this moment what could have inJuced my constituents to call me a fop?" "No, my friend, I was not thinking of anything so!frivolous. I have received by this morning's post a very strange letter impugning the roah'ty of tho Broad wood trust and mortgage deeds. I have accepted service of writs for fifty thousand pounds, and tho city this morning talks of nothing but your financial rujn. Tbey say that you cannot last twenty-four hours. What is to be done? Can I do anything? I am only here to ask these two questions." "Thank you, Nolan; your sympathy touches ma," said Needham. "I feel as if I had lost my hold on things and on life; that is a fact" "You look it" said Nolan. "I nm ill; but I shall pull through." "You never lacked courage. Look at the difficulty straight in the face; your honor is intact;you have only been unfortunate." "I hope you may always think so. Per haps that strange letter you speak of may undeceive you, who knows? But, my dear Nolan, wait Monday morning may do wonders for us. I think it will You will take breakfast?" "No, thank you, I cannot stay." "Ye3, you can, you must, dear friend. I have business of the last importance to speak about" ' Mr. Nolan did stay to breakfast and re mained until late in the of ternoon. He did not return to the oity, but was driven home in Needbom's carriage. On its return Need ham said to the driver: "John, I want you to catch the next train to Leighton Buzzard. I don't mean to drive to the station. Put your horses up and go yourself. I have a message for you to Dick and some medicine for the horses. And James-" "Yes, sir," said the footman. "I wish you to go with John." "Yes, sir." "I shall not want you here. I am going out to-morrow." "Yes, sir." "You w?l stay ail night at Leighton Buzzard and meet me, both of you, with the dog cart at the Loighton station, at the first train ?n Monday." "Yes, sir." Mr. Needham looked at his watch. "You have two hours to put up your horses and go to the station. When you are ready I have a bottle for you." "Yes, sir," said the two servants to gether. They took a bottle down to Leighton, with a note from the master; but it was not the bottle which had boon delivered at Port land place with so much ceremony the day before. John, however, was instructed not to open the parcel until Monday morning, when Mr. Neodham would instruct him m the asa of it Wiion the two men servants had gone, Mr. Needham (having oskod John to leave the stable key on the study table) went into tho yard and smoked a cigar there?a very unusual thing for him to do. Ho went into the stables, and patted tho cob which ho used for city work in his singlo brougham. Then ho examine 1 the harness and tho brougham, strolling in and out of tin stables, the harness-room and the coach house. After a whilo ho carried the cob's harness into tin stable and put it on. He pooped out into the yard to sea if ho was noticed. No, all was quiet Ho then ex online?! the brougham, came back and looked at tho traces; went back to the coach house, returned to tho stable, un harnessed tho cob, patted its neck, replaced the harnoss; then picked up tho cigar ho had laid on a window lodge, and wont back to his room. "I might do it somo other way," he said to himself, "did not fate and circumstance point to the ono way?my way?the way I was going myself. My own plans are laid? they are simple and natural, and I see them in.Uotail from first to lost On tho eve of their fulfilment there comes to mo this sub stitute, this second self, to take my place. If I accept him, I should put him into my place, detail lor detail, and the only way is to drive him to tho spot where tho body of John Need bam is to be discovered. Tnoro is no otbor way; but tho doing of it the successful carrying out of such a substitu tion of me for another?what an undertak ing! It must be done quickly and with l firm hand. What if I bungle as I havo done so of ton of late? What if I bungle and am detected in the midst of my work? ' Well, there will be poison enough for both of us. 1 feel as if I had already taken some noxious stuff into my veins. - Men who commit murdor must first be mad. It is insanity My will is moved by some other power than my own. It is as if I woro creeping and crouching for my prey ; and I grow hot and cold." Ho paced the room in that catlike, tiger ish way which had previously character ited his movements, and he paused to catch sight of his pale face in a mirror?palo fao? and bloodless hps. Presently he sat down again?sat at his desk and sorted papers. Then he made some memoranda in his diary, took a bundle of bank notes from the safe, and placed them in a pockotbcok. Pres ently Lo rung the bell. "Send the cook to mo," he said to the parlor maid" who answered the bell. "Yes, sir." "And, Mary?" "Yos, sir." "Wore you ever at tho oporaF "Yes, sir; thunk yon, sir." "It is a p;reat night at tho opera t?-night Would you like to go to-night!" "Thank you, sir." '?You shall, thon, and Jauo as well; thore is only Jano besides tho cook, eh?" "And Sarah, sir." "Well, lsball not be homo until very late to-night, and you can all go. I will got seats for you in tho upper circle; I shall be there, so shall expect to soe you in your places." "Thank you, sir." "And let mo soo, 1 supposo Rogers would not mind taking chnrgo of you, eh?" "Don'tknow, I'm sure, sir." "Ah, well" I will spoak to him?that will do." "Thank you, sir," she said, and bowed herself out of the room. "Master's gone mad!'' sho exclaimed. "Clean mad?mad as a hatterl Whoro's Rogers?' "In tho butler's pantry." "I want to spenk to him; if ever there was a hatter as was mad, master's him!" Mary flow to the butler, wIkj recoivod her request with some incredulity and consider able loss of dignity. "Me take charge of a lot of kitchen wenches at the hopera; Mary, it's you as is mad!" said the butler. His bell rang out as ho spoke. "'Ow^ver, we'll see about it now; there's the governor's bill;" and Mr. Rogers went pompously forth to the stu ly. Atter shaking with the master ho visited ! the housekeeper's room, and not finding j Mrs. Short went back into the kitchen. "Where's Mrs. Short?" ha asked, j "Gone to Leighton Buzzard; muster ox j pects coiupauy there ou Monday," said tho cook. . . . .. _ . "Mary, Ws you as is mad!" "Well!" exclaimed Mary, "is it true?" "Not as he's mad, no ; but peculiar; its bis birthday, and be says that he feels that he'd like us to keep it?that is, you and me and Mary and Jane and Sarah; and he has ordered a supper for us after tho opora, and, he says, as it's the fust treat as he's given us, he'd lite it to be special you see, and he's asked me as a favor to take charge of it; and cook is not to go to the opera, but she's to go to the Crown, where he's ordered the supper at ten o'clock, and help the Crown to do the thing proper, and he pre fers it to having it hire, and thinks it will be more jolly liko; and he won't want no* body at home, as him and Lawyer Nolan is agoing to do soma work together, because master's going to Laighton Buzzard on Monday and then to Ireland for a week," Mary, nevertheless, contended that the master was "mad and looked it," and she was '"dead sure of it,V when the butler be ing recalled by Mr. Needham returned to say they could each invite a friend to the supper at the Crown. On the other hand, th 3 cook contended that he was getting to be a lonely man, and consequently begin ning to "think of others a little," and for her part she always felt he was "a goed sort/' and now he was "a beginning to show it" In the meantime, Mr. Needham called at the Opera booking office, and paid a visit to the Crown tavern (a coachman's resort near Brunswick place), at which latter place he arranged for the supper, and was voted a 'Tegular brick" by tho landlord and his wife. Then he strolled into Oxford street and purchased a strong narcotic. Ho walked and felt (and he thought so, com muning with himself in bis strange way) as if he were in a dream, but knew he was.awake?as if be was led on?as if he was destined to do a cruel thing, and could not resist it Somo of his forgeries, his desperate attempts to keap his head above the eddies of financial trouble, had been done under tho influence of a similar in stinct?a kind of impulse?as if his evil nature was altogether beyond tho control of his moral faculties. "Is a man responsible for what he does when he is fighting for life in a whirlpool?" Needham was muttering to himself as he walked back to Portland place. "Adrown ing man snatches at straws; and if another man comes along ho clutches at him, ovoa though thoy both sink together. In his blind despair ho wUl clutch at tho swimmer who comes to his rescue, aud cling to him madly without reasoning, until the rescuer is smothered, and perhaps the drowning man floats safely to tho shore clinging to tho dead. It must bo that it is intendod I should five; but London asks a sacrifice, the banks ask a sacrifice; financial honor calls for a victim; the widows and tho orphans cry aloud for vengeance; and lo. and behold! Fate sends tbe sacrifice in lieu of tho ono that was prepared. Who knows that I may not bo destined to atone to all these people, to repa/ them, to re-endow their iistitutions and their homes?" It was a ghastly smile that flickorod on bis lips at this latter thought, as if the fiend within him rojoicod at his hypocrisy. As the solemn clock 0:1 his library mantel pieco pointed to a quarter to eight ho stood within tho shadow of the silk curtains and saw the ltut of his little crowd of attendants trooping out into Portland place towards Oxford Circus on their way to tho opora The sun had sot in lowering clouds, and there was promiso in tho chnnging wind 0/ a wet, dark night. He noted these signs, and said to himself: "Everything in earth and heaven, if I may use that word, favors tiny escape, and points the road to freedom." CHAPTER Vn. DJ WHICH A SILENT PASSENGER 13 DRIVET INTO THE DARKNESS. Oddly enough, at 9:80, just a3 Mr. Joseph Norbury was walking up to the door of Mr Neodbam's house, tho door was open, one* the ownor himself was taking off Ids coa' in tho hall. "Ah!" he said, "this is lucky. I left word if you cair.o in my"absonce that tbero was coffee, and cigars, and wine, and soda^ and brandy, in tha library, and that . hoped you would make yourself at home I felt sure I should bo back in time, there or thereabouts. I have been walking asf os the Bath botol with an old friend from Dublin, who is so occontric thus h> will never trust himself in a cab or carriage in London, and I had just let myself in with my latch key?bachelor fashion. Come in; I am very glad to sea you." He shook Nor bury's hand warmly and then, speaking as if addrossing a servant whom he professed to boar approaching, he said, "It is only I, Rogers, and Mr. Nor bury; we can And our way to the library, and don't let us bo disturbed." The truth was bo and Norbury were alone in tho bougie. "I live very simply," ho said, loading the way to the library; "an old bachelor, aud I disliko giving trouble," "I bops your servants appreciate your consideration," said Norbury. "Oh, yes, I tiiink thoy do," he nuswered. "Now sit in this chair; pray bcliovo I am sorry not to liavo hod the pleasuro of your company at uinnor. Asyou could not come, I simply had a chop, and cleared up a little business with my secretary. I hop-3 you will liko theso cigars." "Thank you," sail the guest, taking a Habana from the box which his host pushed toward him. "You are very kiml. The disappointment is mine. My lawyer is an old friend, and 1 could not well, on tho ovo of leaving tho country, obstruct his ar rangements, seeing that they were chwfly in my interest" "Will you Uike coffee? I havo it hero, you sea No trouble." He pointed to a silver coffoa urn, under Which was curling a thiu bluo flame. "My butler hail just placed it ready as wo came in?a little cafe noir." "Thank you," said Norbury. The host assisted bis ^uost and himself to coffee, but Needham took no brandy. "And what is your bot?l in New York?' " 'Tho New York.' it is called.'' "You have written them advising them of your coming, of courso?' "Yes, I wrote about ten days since." "Always so much pleasaiitor to bo ox pecteJ," said Needham. "I have written tho letters I mentioned; I think thoy will 'w of service to you. You spoke of your sister hist evening; is she likely to join vouf I "Ob, no, I do not expect to stay long; moreover, she is engaged to be married, and I am ratfler a selfish follow, I fear. She has been my housekeeper ever sinco tho death of my wife, and I hate parting with bor." Just as a conjurer "forces" a card upon you, so Noadhaiu by oxamplo seomcd to force the cafe-noir on Nor bury by binisolf drinking in a somewhat ostentatiou? way. Then ho led his guest into talking of his illness, and^the reasons why his doctor ad visod change, prcfo.-siug to sympathize with him, and at tho same time tolbng him of the sudden death of a friend who had developad similar symptoms. Norbury was thus brought Into a framo of mind lhat might possibly prepare him to cxpjricnce without surprise a sudden symptom of illness. "As for death," he said, "there was a timo whon I had a horror of it. but all that massed away when Host my wife. I am no Junger afraid of death?1 havo often wished for it. Don't you think our education upon this matter ii alt jgother wrongf "In respect to the preparation for doath?" asked Needham in reply, weighing his words and pressing his feet upon the'floor as if to steady his Derves. "Yas. Many of the Oriental races have no fear of death. The Chinese regard it as nothing; tho Japanese will commit 'the happy dispatch' smilingly. A Chinaman doomol to the headsman finds a substitute on payment of a sum of money to his fam ily. Death being the only certain thing fn life, the penalty of life, we ought to accept it as a matter of course and not moke a horror of it Children should be brought up with these views." "Indeed I rhin:i you are right" "aid Needham; "but I have never reflected milch upon death, and I can hardly realize the condition of a man who could volun tarily take the place of a condemned crim inal." "Some poor devil whoso life was a fail ure, and who really loved his family and saw in his death their release from poverty and persecution, and particularly an Orien tal?could you not reolizo the idea of a mac courting death under such condi tions!" "Oh, yes, I think I could," said Needham, "but I could better understand his fighting to the la3t and then committing suicide" "There lam not with you. Suicido is a coward's act Wo are here for weal or woe to run our course-"? * But would not your Oriental friend who gives himself up as a ?ubstitufcj for another be practically guilty ef his own death?" "Ah, to d?cuss that," replied Norbury, "would be to chop logic after the manner of the grave diggers in Hamlet After all, Mr. Needham, the one great thing is to bo prepared. As Hamlet himself said, on his way to that fatal fencing bout 'The readi iness is all" As he spoke Norbury sank slowly back in his chair. "Dear, dear!" exclaimed Needham; "you are ill?a little brandy,, the room is close, there is thunder in the air." Taking from the mantelshelf a silver cup (which contained a carefully-measured and deadly doso of oil of almonds) he poured a little brandy into it, shook it together, and pressing tho cup to the hps of his rtupafled guest forced tho contents down his throat THE MURDEB. And then, ono hand clutching the back of a chair for support, ho watched his victim; watched him with staring eyos and half prrted lips, and with his guilty hoart thumping at his ribs, as if it would pound its way through them; he pressed bis left hand over it as if to hold it back, while his right hand draggod the chair as ho fell back a paco or two contemplating the dying man. Thon with a sudden effort he tore off his coat and flung it over the terri bly upbraiding eyes of his murdered guest. This done he stood again apart, away from the dread thing "now half covered up in the chair?stood and waited and trem bled, waited and waitod, it seemed hours, though tho timo in which so much ovil had been accomplished was very short. Pres ently he thought ho heard a footstep in the house; then he thought there was a listener at tho door. It required a tremondoui effort to move; but at lost ho crept to thtj door, opened it and listened. Tho hall clock was beating out the time in its usual way, but to Needham tho souud was omin ous; it had a deathly sound, a warning sound, and it seemed to throaton him. Ho wont into the hall It was dark. Ho had purposely allowed tho gas to remain unlightod. A flicker of the street lamp came in over the glass above tho door. There was a lantern on the hall table. He crept to it and took it up, and returned .to the library. All still, deadly stilL He heard for tho first time tho ticking of tho clock on the mantelshelf. He lowered tho gas in tho chandelier, as if ho feared to see too much whon ho should remove tho coat from tho silent figure in tho chair. He went behind it and lifted tho cover gontly, bit by bit, until the faco was exposed. Then he recoiled from it, then approached it afresh; touched it, listened to it raised ono of its hands, felt its pulse, listened at its hoart All still; no sound, only the two clocks and a distant roll of thunder. "Pull yoursolf together!" hissed between his teeth the living man, who now almost envied the dead. "Everything works for you?heaven aud hell, even the night, dark ness and storm." Tho hall clock struck ten. He listened and counted every stroko as tho hammor fell. "No more!" ho said, taking out his watch, looking at it, and then placing it to his ear. "No more! The Fatos are with me. Now to business! What is thereto foar? Adoad man Is nothing?dust, clay, a clol, noth ing. Come. John Needham, to business!" Ho reached over to tho spirit decanters and pouring into a glass a large quantity of whisky drunk it off. Then stretching him self unto his full height, he turne I up his sleeves, upostrophiziug the corpso as ho did so. '"You are John Needham?poor Needham, member of jtarlinment, banker, tho ruined financier, and you must not be found dressed in Joseph Norbury's clothes?come! It will not matter to you how you are dressed; it will tome. Joseph Norbury must not go nbmt in John Needham's coat, nor woar Joseph Norbury's watch, nor cyry Joseph Norbury's purse, dot anything olso that is his! Come!' It seemed as if the situation, the whisky, and the gift of life with a now name, made physically & now man <>f the villain. He I workea at his guastly business with the j energy of a giant and the vigor of a looter j on a battlefield. Once or twice be refreshod , himself from the spirit decanter, and wiped the perspiration from bis face. When tho changes bad boen made be ! tween the living and tbe dead, which the living considered sufficient, then came the j no less difficult work of removing tho ; body; but tho murderer was equal to the ! occasion. Ho carried it out into tho yard ' and thrust it into the brougham, which ho j had already dragged out of tho carriago bouso for the purpose. Thcro was not a single detail that be had not thought out on the lines of his own proposed suicide. He had not permitted himself, so far, to change a singlo item of bis original plan excej.t this incident of driving to Hamp stedd; for he bad argual that if his scheme was simple and bad no hitch in it, all he bad to do was to fit his substitute into tho plan. Tho only change was tbe brougham. His own idea had been to walk to the scene of his own death, a favorite rcaort in life, and there take his fatal dose. The in troduction of tho brougham had necessi tated tho absonce of the servants. These supplementary incidents bad worked out so far to his satisfaction, the most tremen dous of all of them, the discovery of tho substitute, having boen in Needham's opin ion little less than miraculous. Having deposited his ghastly load in tho brougham, he leaned, gasping, against the coach house; for though he had carried his load with something like the grip of an ex pert at such work, balancing the weight of the difficult and awkward burden so as to make it bearable, he could hardly stand erect for some minutes. Presently, how. ever, ho wont back into tho house, straight ened his room, washed and laid aside "tho extra coffee cup, placed in his pocket the phial of poison, carefully removed all traces of his visitor; then going.into the hall and putting on Norbury's light overcoat, taking bis own on his arm, and his crush hat in his hand, bo returned to the stables and ?har nessed the cob to tbe brougham. Opening the gates stealthily he looked out. No one stirring, the night dark, a steady rain fall ing; everything still favored tho criminal and his work. He led the horse through the gateway, put out the lantern, placed it insido the doors, whichho carefully closed; aud then, mounting the box seat, drove quietly through thi Mows and out into Marylebone road. The rain fell in a steady downpour. Tho perfume of roses and stocks from adjacent gardens filled the dripping atmosphere; but in the imagination of the solitary driver of the silent passenger the gas lamps pointed their short arms at him. The long, glaring reflections of the lights on tho wet pave ments seomod to follow him. He drove on, nevertheless, and to his troubled fancy the wheels of the brougham made an awful noiso. His horse clattered over tbe stones as if with tho design of calling attention to tho awful thing be was dragging. "That is why they walk the horses in a hearse, and the mourning coaches that follow creep along," tho driver thought, "tho noise is so groat!" Ho pulled the cob into a walk. | "Yos," he thought, "tbat must be it; thero is more noise attending tho romoval of tho dead than the living?a kind of sympathy, as if tho stones spoke, as somebody has, I thiulr, suggostcd. But now that his horse only walked through the rain, ho noticed that as cabmen rattled by thoy turned to J look at him Ho bad not lighted the lamps of bis brougham, so tbat the light of pass ing vehicles seemed to flash upon him and try to unnorvo him. Ho therefore urged the horse once more into a trot, and rattled over the stones with the rest of the traffic. Ho turned into tbe Allsopp Mews, aud would have gone through Clarence gate into tho park, but ho dared not risk having to pull up for gates to bo opened and shut; so ho kept to tho road, turning into Upper Gloucester place, now at a walking pace, now at a trot, the gas lamps pointing at him as before, and the blood-red glare of a druggist's lamp that fell shoor across his path making him shudder. But on ho went, round Park road, past Primrose hill, and now skirting its western side, and so into Haverstock hill, finally climbing the steep ascent to Hampstead. Passing the last lights of house and lamp, the driver plunged with his silent passenger into tho darkness, made visible at intervals by sharp flashes of lightning, the impressive atUlness of the night being heightened by thunder that rolled ovf-r tho hill and into tho distant vol leys, leaving behind it long listening pauses of silence, TO DE CONTINUED. URIC GUANO. TO THE MANY ENQUIRERS I WOULD state that one car has arrived. The de mand for this MANURE will be larger than supposed. To CASH BUYERS the price will he re markably low. Orders Idled as rapidly as possible. TO OW.KK1IS OF STKAJI MILLS, ic., &c. 1 have just received a lot of WROUGHT IRON V?, % and 1 inch, PIPING, COUP LINGS, ELBOWS, B. G. BRASS VALVES, CHECK VALVES and PACKING STUFF AN INVOICE OF FEESH FLOUR. GOOD at ?5.00. BEST AT 50.00. ALSO, BRICK, CEMENT, PLASTER PARIS, LIME, HAUL Stock Food and Hay ON HAND. John A. Hamilton. Yan OrsileirsPMoppli Ballen OVER B. B. OWEN'S, Russell Street, Orangeburg, S. C. To THE PUBLIC : 1 have opened a lirst class Photo Gallery. I would lie pleased to have samples of work examined at Gallery. All werkstricklyfirst-class. Photos of Groups and Babies a speciality j by Instant method. All Vowing Exteriors, Dwellings, Horses, Dogs and Animate ! taken at short notice by instant method. Old pictures coplciljand enlarged. Special I attention given to this branch of work. ; Pictures finished in water colors, India Ink i and Crayon. Also Photo taken from the j size of smallest pocket to fnil life 3x3 feet j All work done with neatness and dispatch. : Vewing any where iu the State. Special .discounts on all orders over ?10.00. Give line a call, 1 will assure satisfaction. All ! work CASH ON DELIVERY. Postively < no credit. VAN OPSDELL, Artist, July 17 Russell street, Orangeburg, S. C. SPRING AND SUMMER 1886. HENRY KOHN ALWAYS IN THE LEAD, AND showing a magnificent stock of seasonable DRESS GOODS. Ladies Whtte and Col ored SIMMERSIITS in new and exclusive designs, consisting of India Mulle, Cambric, Lawn and Batiste. Prices much reduced, You can get an ele gant Robe and Trimmings complete for 53.25. IT IS POSITIVELY TRIE HENRY KOHN is selling DRY GOODS cheaper this Spring, than they have ever been sold before. Calicoes from 3K cents up. Dress Ginghams 7 cents up. 40 inch India Lawn 1254 cents. Pacific Colored Lawns G}4 cents, former price 12>? cents. 4-4 Bleaching 7 cents, former price 10. Uandercheifs at 3 cents. 1000 yards of Remnants of Worsted Dress Goods at (i cents and up. DO YOU WANT a nice and cheap SUMMER DRESS, if so HENRI KOHN'S is the place, you can get Satteens, Ginghams, Cambrics, Grena dines, Surah Silks, Grosgrain Silk, Black Tricotiue, India Foulards, China Pongees, Spanish and Oriental Loce Nets for Suits. CRINKLE CLOTH is the popular wash goods this season. Large variety at HENRY KOHN'S. 15 cents per yard. Novelties in striped and figured Bourette Camels Hair Cloth, Albertross Nuns Yeil ings, Egyptian Suitings. BI?URNIN<B GOODS. We have been induced to keep the genuine FRENCH MUSLINS AND SATEENS, also Tamise Albertross, Crape Cloth, Tri cot Homespun, Batiste, Cashmeres and Silk Warp Henrietta Cloths, all warranted to give satisfaction. LACES Elegant variety of all over Laces. Orien tal and Egyptian Flouncing and Edgings, newest designs. "WE'VE GOT YOU ON THE LIST" young man to sell you a SPRING SUIT OF CLOTHING. You know that HENRY KOHN is Headquarters for MEN AND BOY'S CLOTHING. It is needless to go into details, but our CLOTHING this sea son is all made up with the Patent Square Shoulders and Corset fitting waists. We have also the Crinkle, Coats and Yests. And suits for extra size men. "HODGES" is the name ofthebest UNLAUNDRIED SHIRT I have ever handled, and I have had the "Globe," "Diamond" and "Qua. kcrCity/' but this "HODGES" SHIRT beats them all. Price Si.00. We still have that Wonderful 50 cent linen bosom Shirt. LADIES HATS. A very choice line of Ladies TRIMMED HATS for early Spring Wear. All the new shapes. It ID GLOVES, BOYS CLOTHING, new Spring Styles. BIATTINGS, Art Squares, Canton Mattings in all colors, and plain from cents per yard. BODY BRUSSELS, TAPESTRY AM) INGRAIN, HOLLAND SHADES, one yard wide and two yards long, with fancy dads, sprint! rollers all complete?1.00 LACE CURTAINS of all kinds, including the handsome pat terns in Scrim at 15 and 20 cents per yard. HENRY KOHN'S DRY GOODS BAZAAR, N. B. BUTTERICK'S METROPOLE TAN PATTERNS, APE SOLD ONLY i AT HENRY KOHN. ! WHITE SEWING MACHINE STILL IN THE LEAD, TOOK ALL THE PRE* j MIUMS AT THE STATE FAIR. I HENRY KOHN.