The stranger slowly replied, "I have."

"And who was she with?"

"That Frenchman, as you supposed."

"Good God!" exclaimed the stricken Brown, as in agony he paced the room with fearful strides. There was a moment's silence.

"Did you take her from him?"

"Yes, I persuaded her to accompany me to my

room at The Union.""

Why did you not bring her to me at once?"

"I knew your passionate nature, General, and I feared you would kill her."

"I will!" growled the General; "by Heaven, I will!-but not so not as you think; I'll poison her!"

Bogle, his face pallid with apprehension, his teeth chattering with fear, looked at Artemesia ;—she met his horror-stricken gaze, and, with a subdued shriek, clasped the baby;-it awoke.

The General, in a low, deep voice of concentrated passion, continued: "I'll poison her, Charles!"

"Oh!" he exclaimed, with deep emotion, "how I have loved that"

Here the infant Bogle, who had been drawing in his breath for a cry, broke forth;-" At once there rose so wild a yell." Human nature could not stand it longer.

"Smother that little villain!" said Bogle, in a fierce whisper; "I can't hear a word."

Artemesia, with the look of Lucretia Borgia, withdrew with the child to the adjoining room (No. 31, Tehama, contains two rooms, a small parlor and a bedchamber), and administered a punishment that must have astonished it-it was certainly struck aback. If babies remember anything, that youthful Bogle has not forgotten that bastinado-applied a little higher up than is customary among the Turks -to this day. "At length the tumult dwindled to a calm," and again Bogle clapped his ear to the wall. He heard but the concluding words of the murderous General

"Bring her up with you at ten o'clock to-morrow evening, and a sack; after it is over, we will put her body in it, and carry her to Meiggs's wharf, where there are plenty of brick; we can fill the sack with them and throw her off."

"Well, sir," replied the stranger, "if you are determined to do it, I will; but poor Fanny!"here emotion choked his utterance.

"You do as I tell you, sir," growled the General; "there's no weakness about me!" Here the door opened and closed.

Bogle rose from his knees, the perspiration was running down his fat face in streams.-" No weak

ness," said he. "Goodness Gracious! I should say not; what an awful affair;-coming so close, too, upon the Meiggs forgeries, and the loss of the Yankee Blade;-how providential that I happened to overhear it all! Gracious Goodness!"

That night, in a whispered consultation with his Artemesia, Bogle's plan of action was decided upon. But long after this, and long after the horror-stricken pair had sunk into a perturbed slumber, the footsteps of the intended murderer might have been heard, as hour after hour he paced the floor of his solitary chamber, and his deep voice might have been heard also, occasionally giving vent to his fell determination-"Yes, sir! I'll-mur-der!!!!!!!! !!!!"

CHAPTER III

The next morning a great change might have been observed in our friend Bogle. He appeared unusually quiet and reserved-pallid and nervous ;starting when anyone approached him, he stood alone near the door of the Tehama; he sought no companionship-he asked no questions. Men marveled thereat.

"What has come over Bogle?" said the Judge to the Major. "I haven't heard him ask a question to-day."

"Well," was the unfeeling reply, "he's been

asking questions for the last thirty years, and I reckon he has asked all there are."

But Bogle knew what he was about. At three P.M. precisely, General Brown came majestically down-stairs; he passed Bogle so nearly that he could have touched him; but he noticed not the latter's shuddering withdrawal; he looked neither to the right nor to the left, but, gloomy and foreboding, like an avenging genius, he passed into the apothecary's on the corner.

"Give me an ounce bottle of strychnine," said he. "For rats, sir?" said the polite attendant.

The General started; he gave a fearful scowl. "Yes," he said, with a demoniac laugh, "for rats! ha ha! oh, yes-for-rats!"

Bogle heard this; he heard no more; he started

That evening about ten o'clock Bogle sat alone, or alone save his Artemesia, in No. 31. The baby had been put to bed, and silent and solemn in that dark apartment, for the lamp had been extinguished, sat listening that shuddering pair. A step was heard on the stairs, and closer drew the Bogles together,

listening to that step, as it sounded fearfully distinct from the beating of their own agitated hearts.

As it drew near, it was evident that two persons were approaching; for accompanying the first distinct tread was a light footfall like that of a young and tender female. "Poor thing!" said Artemesia, with a suppressed gasp. The heavy tread of General Brown could be heard distinctly in No. 32. The parties stopped at his door;—a knock, and they were silently admitted.

The voice of the General broke the silence"Oh, Fanny," he exclaimed, in bitter anguish, "how could you desert me! There was no articulate reply, but the Bogles heard from the unhappy female an expression of grief which almost broke their hearts.

Fanny," continued the General, you have been faithless to me-fickle and false as your sex invariably are! I loved you, Fanny-I love you still! -but my heart can no more be made the sport of falsehood! You must die! Take this!"

"Hold-wretch!" shouted Bogle. "Let me go, Artemesia," and throwing off his coat, the heroic little fellow threw open his own door, kicked down the door of thirty-two, and stood in the presence of the murderer and his victim-pistol in hand! At the same instant the bell of thirty-one was violently