2
but a moment to live. Aro you afraid
you will lose me ?"
" No, but I want to be sure of you."
" Well, then go and get ready, and I'll
bring the carriage roand to the door."
fOuce more Sir. Judson Judkins groan
ed, but there was no one to hear him.
The lovers had left the room.
" 0, the perfidiousncss of woman !"
said ho, " arising in all his native majes
ty," and stretching his limbs. " I'll never
trust one again." And with one bound
he came out from behind the sofa, and
stole up stairs to his room.
That day at dinner, Mr. Harry Jud
kins, much to the surprise of every one,
introduced to his sister and her guests,
the quondam Jennie Gushington, as his
bride.
" Why, how sly you have been," cried
Florence Richmond.
" Sly ! why, 1 didn't even suspect that
they were lovers," said Mrs. Mugworth.
But just at this moment Mr. Judson
Judkins entered the room, looking ex
ceedingly savage.
" Returned so soon ?" cried Mary.
" Why, where have you been ?"
"I have been," said Mr. Judsou Jud
kins, looking fiercely at Jane Louisa, who
looked scornfully back at him, " I have
been in a renj vvplmsant situation."
lie said no more, and no questions were
asked, for every one saw that tho usually
genial Mr. Judkins was decidedly out of
humor.
That afternoon the bridal pair started
on their wedding tour.
They were living happily the last time
I heard from them. But Mr. Judson
Judkins is still a widower.
How the Atlantic Cable Is Operated.
The press dispatches from Europe to
New York during the last four weeks
numbered about one hundred thousand
-words. New York has been better posted
in the issue of the war each day than
London, Paris or Berlin. These dis
patches have almost wholly been sent by
a single cable, full one third of the whole
to a single daily paper, and with mar
velous rapidity and accuracy. Familiar
as we are with tho work of tho telegraph,
it has been a marvel to us. To hundreds
of thousands of minds the whole process
is and has been a deep enigma. Here is
a man sitting in a dark room at Heart's
Content. The ocean cable terminates
here. A fine wire attached thereto is
made to surround two small cores of soft
iron. As the electric wave, produced by
a few pieces of copper and zinc at Valen
tia, passes through the wires these cores
become magnetic enough to move the
slightest object. A looking-glass, half
an inch in diameter, is fixed on a bar of
iron one tenth of an inch long. On this
tiny glass a lamp is mado to glare so that
its light is reflected on a tablet on the
wall. The language of the cable is de
noted by the shifting of this reflected
light from side to side. Letter by letter
is thus expressed in this fitting idiom in
utter silence on the wall. There is no
record made by the machine except as
the patient watcher calls out to a com
rade the translated flashes as they come,
and which he records. It seems a mira
cle of patience. There is something of
awe creeps over us as we see the evidence
of a human touch 8,000 miles away sway
ing that line of light. By such a deli
cate process as this, and after being re-
peated from line to lino five times before
its ultimate copy is in New York, have
the late great battles been recorded in
our daily papers with particularity, and
sent throughout the Union. Nothing
like it has ever before been accomplished.
The enterprise of the N. Y. press rather of
a single press in New York, has eclipsed
that of tho wealthiest and ablest presses
in Europe. It is characteristic of the
nation to do its work grandly and well.
A Long Nose.
Old Deacon Barleycorn had the mis
fortune to have a very long nose. One
Sunday morning just before going to
church, he had the bad luck to skin the
end a little, upon which he put a little
piece of courtplaster. As he was start
ing around among the congregation with
the contribution-box, the piece of plaster
dropped off, and Boeing some little white
article, which he thought was it, lying on
the floor, he hastily picked it up and
stuck it on. As he passed around the
church he noticed that every person was
troubled to refrain from laughing, which
lie easily accounted for when he discover
cd that instead of the plaster, he had put
on a thread ticket, reading " warranted to
measure 200 yards." This would make
rather a long nose.
ALFRED MARTIN'S TERIL.
6 6 TT IS A FOUL and bloody murder,
JL and may God punish the one that
did the deed ! But may there not be some
life remaining ? May it not be in my
power to rob the grave. It is a danger
ous undertaking, and if I am found here,
I shall most certainly be accused of the
crime. Blood upon my hands and clothes,
and I have not touched tho corpse ! Ah .!
I see how it came. The bushes are Btain
ed with it. Tho body was dragged to
this lonely spot. Lonely 1 Who would
ever think of coming hero unless ho had
a foul purpose, save, it might be, a geolo
gist like myself, whom tho simple people
in this part of the country would call
mad. Yes it would go hard with mo, es
pecially as I am a stranger, and though
poorly clad, as becomes my present oc
cupation, have a considerable sum of
money upon my person."
He drew back a few steps from the
corpse upon which he had come suddenly
and unexpectedly, and looked around.
Without noticing his path, ho had jour
neyed to the bottom of a deep ravine be
fore his progress was arrested. High
hills roso upon cither side, covered with
a heavy growth of trees and tangled un
derbrush. A little stream found its way
with great difficulty through the rocks at
the bottom, and its waters were never gild
ed by a single ray of sunlight. Even in
the brightest clay it was gloomy twilight
there; and a more dismal place would
have been difficult to find tho very spot
for dark deeds, for a murder's hiding !
And there, before him, stopping the path
lay a blood-stained human body, as if to
fiuish tho picture aud give gory evidence
of its evil character.
His first thoughts were to pass on.
What had he to do with the crime of
another'!1 Why should ho mix himself
with that in which he had not the most
remote business 1 His clear head and
logical mind foresaw all tho difficulties
that would arise should he bo discovered
and charged with the commission of the
deed, and the fearful net-work of circum
stantial evidence that would surround
him ; yet he was a man of tho most de
termined firmness as well as having a
tender heart, and not for the sake of
escaping troublo, or even danger, would
he sulfer a chance to relieve suffering", or
save life to pass uncnibraced. So he drew
nearer, and bending away the bushes, look
ed scrutinizingly upon the victim of
some fiend's cupidity or revenge.
The corpse was that of a girl who
must have been under twenty years, and
tlie face was one of more than common
beauty. The oval of tho checks was per
fect, the nose straight, tho mouth small,
and the lips, now parted by agony, were
full and arched. The eyes, wide open
and glassy, were blue as the depths of the
of the ocean, aud curtained by long lash
es a shade darker than her glossy brown
hair. The figure was tall and delicately
proportioned, the feet small and exqui
sitely arched, the hands white and slen
der, denoting good birth and freedom
from manual labor. The clothing, now
stained, was of fine material ; and the dis
coloration of the nock, ears, fingers and
wrists the piece torn from the bosom
of the dress, and the pockets turned out
ward told that robbery as well as mur
der had been committed.
At once deeply interested, the stranger
knelt down, brushed back the tangled
tresses, gazed sadly upon the sweet pal
lid face, and examined both pulse and
heart for symptoms of life, hoping against
hope that a spark at least might remain.
But his intellectual and unusually sunny
face clouded, and he shook his head in
doubt. The marks upou tho base of the
skull, caused apparently by heavy blows
from a sharp stone, seemed sufficient to
have produced death alone ; but, in addi
tion to them,' blood was slowly oozing
from, and congealing upon, several
wounds, in one of which a knife was
sticking. His profession had taught him
skill as well as coolness, and with extreme
tenderness aud delicacy, he made a still
closer examination, and began prepara
tions to ptanch the blood and dress the
wounds.
" With this knife," he said, giving ut
terance to his thoughts as he drew out
tho weapoi, " I could even thus kill all
my enemies, make myself rich and I- "
The sentence was never finished. Be
fore it could be, a dozen men, who had
been watching and creeping near, sprang
out of the bushes, and pinioned him be
yond the power of resistance. Taken be
side the corpso, with the blood-dripping
knife in his hand, what could he say in
defence ? The situation he had foreseen
had come upon him, and he stood con
victed, in their eyes at least, a murderer.
To appeal to their reason he saw at a
glance would be useless ; they were not of
the class that would look deeper
than tho surface. His defence must be
made at another timo and place ; and in
truth, he was thinking more of tho corpse
of tho murdered girl than of his own des
perate situation, and, drawing himself up
proudly, he asked that she might be cared
for.
" Whatever may bo your purpose with
mo," he said, "at least see if thero is not
life remaining. Take your hand off, and
let me see if my skill can be of any avail.
I am a surgeon."
Scowling brows and clenched fists
were tho only answer he received. They
paid not the slightest attention to his
words, except it might bo to grasp him
even more firmly than before, and hurry
him before a neighboring justice to be
examined and exhibited as a monster !
It was even a more unpleasant situation
than he had anticipated, aud tho chances
were desperately against him ; but he re
tained his coolness, and prepared to make
the best possible defense.
The evidonco was given with the ut
most bitterness honestly given, perhaps,
but without the slightest leaning toward
the side of mercy, aud with the morbid
desire on tho part of tho majority to see
a man hanged, for such a thing had never
happened in that neighborhood. And
what could he say to rebut the sworn
statements of a dozen witnesses '( What
were his assertions against the evidence
of their own eyes aud his bloody hands
and clothes.
But he had tho satisfaction, if, indeed,
it could be called by that name to learn
who the supposed victim of his murderous
knife was to learn that her name was
Ethel Loring that she was comparative
ly a stranger upon a visit to an old uncle
who lived near the scene of the tragedy
that she was an orphan, and rich in
her own right that she was known to
wear coscly jewels, and curry with her a
considerable sum of money all of
which was missing , and that she had
gone out to take a walk alone, aud was
found as described. These facts, togeth
er with his having been detected bending
over tho body with a knife in his hand,
the out-of-the-way place, tho provocation
for the deed in a pecuniary point of view,
the almost certainty of remaining undis
covered, that ho was poorly dressed, a
stranger, had been seen lurking in out-of
the-way places for several days, and that
in his pockets was found about the samo
sum of money, and of the same description
as that known to have been in the pos
session of the murdered girl, were dwelt
upon by the prosecuting attorney with
remarkable force, and tho prisoner saw
that it was next to useless to attempt a
defense.
To all questions ho replied in a simple
and truthful manner, stating that his
name wa3 Alfred Martin, his ago twenty
five; that he was by profession a surgeon,
unmarried, possessed of some means; that
a lovo of geology had led him thither ;
and that those who had accused hiiu of
loitering in out-of-the-way places would
have seen that he was innocently study
ing the formation of tho earth, if they
had given proper attention to the matter.
As to his being the murderer of the
girl, he denied it in the most emphatic
manner, and explained how he come to
bo bending over tho body with the bloody
knife in his bauds.
" You will deny next," sneered the at
torney, " that you threatened to kill all
your enemies in tho same manner."
" I believe I did use some thoughtless
words to the effect that I could, with
such a weapon, kill all my enemies, and
make myself rich, but none such as you
would put them into my mouth.
" I heard him distinctly,'' volunteered
a strong, rough-looking man, who was
said to have been among the first, if not
the first, to discover the murder, who had
guided others there, and had been the
most willing and strenuous in his testi
mony against him.
Martin turned his gaze upon, and no
ticed him more closely than he had done
before; caught his eye, and thought that
he shrank back. It might have been
mere fancy, but he become more and
moro convinced that the fellow had some
object in getting him convicted, and
tried to remember if he had ever been as
sociated with ever met him before, and
given him any cause of enmity. If such
was the case, it had entirely slipped from
memory, and his own position gave him
little time for thought, as ho was asked
to account for the money that was taken
from him being tho same in amount and
of the same character as that of the mur
dered girl's.
" It is a easo that might happen a
thousand times, was the reply; ' but per
mit mo to ask if she is indeed dead 1"'
" You will soon see," growled the stiff
necked justice, " see more than you
want to."
" If dead I have no wish to look upon
her again. The horrible sight I have
had is fully sufficient, and 1 have seen
enough of death not to bo curious in
such matters."
" No doubt of it ! Murder and robbery
are your trade."
The old uncle of tho murdered girl
stepped to the side of tho justice, and
they had a short whispered conversation
but evidently an important one. Tho
purport of it was soon mado known.
" Alfred Martin," continued tho officer
of the law, " as you choose to call your
self, though no one hero is fool enough
to believe that to bo your correct name,
you deny all participation in tho foul
deed that has been done ?"
" I do."
" And you are willing to prove it by
any means within your power ?"
" I am."
" Officers, guard him safely, and re
move him to the next room. We will
soon see his guilt clearly proved."
Without the most remote idea of what
was going to take place, the prisoner per
mitted himself to bo led into another
apartment, and saw to his surprise and
horror, tho corpso of tho girl stretched
out upon the table, still as bloody and
ghastly as when he first discovered her in
the gloomy ravine. It was a sight that
would at any time have caused him to
shudder; now it almost unmanned him
for an instant, especially as tho dress had
been cut away so as to expose a wound
in tho lair white flesh, llis natural
emotion was at onco taken as evidence of
guilt, and he heard whispered comments
to that effect. The " I told you so !" of
the man who had before volunteered his
testimony, particularly attracted his at
tention ; and, from that instant, he watch
ed him as closely as possible without
being detected, and summoning his cour
age, he turned to the pompous justice,
and demanded what was intended by such
unusual proceeding.
" It is the death test !" was tho solemn
response.
" You will have to explain more fully;
I do not understand."
" We believe that the corpso of a mur
dered person has power to distinguish be
tween the innocent and guilty. Place
one hand upon that wound, raise tho oth
er to Heaven, and assert your innocence
if you dare ! If you are indeed without
guilt, all will be well. If not the blood
will flow again."
Another time, Martin would have
laughed outright at tho stupid supersti
tion of which ho now remembered to have
read. Yet, thero was something solemn
in thus calling upon the dead to give evi
dence for or against the living, and he
would willingly have been spared tho or
deal, for the most simple accident might
cause a drop or two of blood to exude
from tho unclosed lips of the wound,
and then his fate would be . sealed in
deed. " If guiltless, why do you shrink ?"
asked the man of tho law. " It is only
the murderer that need fear."
He could hesitate no longer without
convicting himself in their eyes: and,
stepping to the side of the corpse, he laid
his right hand upon the wound, and call
ed God to witness his entire innocence.
Then he stepped back so that all could
seo that no blood had followed.
" God has attested your guiltlessness,"
said tho uncle of the poor girl. " But,
see, tho blood is beginning to flow, and
the guilty man must bo near. Let each
in turn do as this stranger has done."
In the opeuing of the wound, and tho
oozing of blood, Martin saw far other
things than did the afflicted old man ; but
he wisely held his peace, and managed
to place his back against the door so that
no one could go out, and watched each
as they went through the death test. But
there were no more crimson drops bub
bling forth as a sign of guilt ; and, as the
justice declared that all had gone through
the ordeal, a sigh of intense relief burst
from many lips.
"Not all," replied Martin. "There
is one yet remaining," pointing to the
one who had made himself so officious.
" That man has kept in the background."
" John Kirkpatrick, is this true V
u No; it is a lie !" was the answer.
" It is true," repeated Martin, firmly.
" I have kept him under my eye all the
time, aud I swear that he has not been
near the table"
" I have, you all saw mc."
Hut, upon reflection, no ono had seen
him, and ho was forced forward. Then
an entire change was visible. His flush
ed face grow palo as ashes, and his brut
ish lip trembled. He looked wildly for a
chance for escape saw there were none
and, putting on on air of bravado, ex
claimed, with an oath, " Well, I can do
it ogaiu."
With the words, ho had raised his hand
and extending it had nearly touched
the corpse when ho shrank back with a
fearful groan. His eyes had been tho
first to seo that the blood was flowing
freely again from the wound not one
alone, but all I
A strong man at all times, he was ren
dered doubly so now by desperation ; and
in his efforts to get away, his coat was
torn to shreds, and the jewelry and money
of which tho girl had been robbed, fell to
tho floor, and raving and cursing, he was
carried away to prison.
During this exciting scene Martin had
remained unnoticed. When tho justice
and tho uncle of the girl thought of him
again, they found him with his hand upon
her head, and a smile playing upon his
lips.
" What is it?" they both asked in one
breath.
" She is not dead. Show mo where I
can place her upon her bed, and summon
some women. She is not dead ; only
stunned."
And he lifted her in his strong arms
and carried her to another apartment.
It was weeks before Ethel Loring was
sufficiently recovered to appear in court.
Then her evidence was conclusive. She
instantly recognized the prisoner Kirk
patrick; and the simple manner iu
which she told the story of assault, rob
bery, aud attempted murder, added much
to its force. Without leaving the box,
tho jury found him " Guilty," and he
was sentenced to death.
Tho trial over, the uncle of the girl
called Martin aside, and asked the amount
of his charge for his professional servi
ces. " No matter I will repay it I will
give you anything you demand."
" Hero, then, is my charge," he replied,
taking the hand of the blushing girl. " I
came here to study geology, but uover an
ticipated such a rare specimen."
An Amusing Incident.
MANY years ago there was in tho eas
tern part of Massachusetts a wor
thy 1). D., and although he was an emi
nently benevolent man, and a good Chris
tian, yet it must bo confessed that ho
loved a good joke much better than the
most inveterate jokers. It was before
church organs were much in use; it so
happened that the choir of the church
had recently purchased a double base
viol. Not far from the church was a
large pasture, aud in it a huge bull. Ono
hot Sabbath iu the summer ho got out of
the pasture, and came bellowing up the
street. About the church there was plen
ty of untrodden grass, green and good,
aud Mr. Bull stopped to try tho quality;
perchance to ascertain if its location had
improved its flavor. At any rate the
doctor was in thc midst of his sermon
wheu: .
" Boo-woo-woo" went the bull.
The doctor paused, looked up at tho
singing scats, and with a grave face said:
" I would thank the musicians not to
tune that instrument during service time;
it annoys me very much."
Tho people tittered, for they well knew
whatthc real state of the caso was.
Tho minister went on again with his
discourse, but he had not proceeded far
before another " Boo-woo-woo" came from
Mr. Bull.
Tho parsou paused once more, and
again exclaimed :
" I have onco already requested tho
musicians in the gallery not to tune their
instruments duriug sermon time. I now
particularly request Mr. Lafevor that ho
will not tune his double bass viol while I
am preacljiug."
This was too much. Mr. Lafevor got
up, much agitated at the thought of
speaking out in church, and stammered
out :
"It isn't me, Parson B. ; it's th-
th-that mischevious town bull."
A clergyman in a certain town iu
Massachussetts, having occasiou to call in
the services of a brother minister, ten
dered to him ut tho close of the day the
usual fee for preaching, which, in those
days, (it was before tho war), was ten
dollars. Such a sum for such work was
then thought good pay ; but on this occa
sion he was blow to tako it, aud finally
said, while putting it in his pocket-book :
" I talked to tho Sunday Schools nearly
half an hour, and besides I had eomo
conversation with an impenitent sinner ou
the steps of tho church, and I thought
fifty tent more tcould he about rt'yht."