Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-05-20
Fatal Excitement.
A Tale of the Temple.
lGnoLuded.l


/ / cannot well recall what followed
I only knoW>that I tried every mean
of restoring her to life, but, alas
without success. OF one thing
was firmly convinced-she had no
died from suffocation. / had one,
seen the body of a man who wa,
killed by the falling in of a pit.
recollected his swollen and purple
face, and his lax warm limbs. ,Sh
was pale, rigid, cold. The tumult o
her own emotions must have killet
her The moment the door was closed
upon her. By some means l kept
my secret from the knowledge o.
Watson, and everybody else. AL
that night l was trying to recover
her. The en- | formed the project Of
shutting her upIin the closet, lock-
ing up the chambers, and going
abroad 70 + twenty years. But that
idea was rejected as quickly as
form led; "a p it would be hardly posi-
ble that the presence Of a dead body
in he hoI Use should not be discov-
cred before th at time. Next l
thou ght o setting fire to the place,
burning all my books and papers,
making a funeral pile Of them, and
running myself to preserve the dread
ful secret. But that thought, too,
was dismissed. 1t might cause loss
of life and property to many inno-
cent people, and would be but a
bungling proceeding after all; for, if
the fire were discovered carly, police
men, firemen, mob, all Would break
in, find her body there, aRd all would
be l0st-for it was more Ito save her
reputations*han my life that l was
striving and plotting.
In the meantime | was a prey to
the most dreadful anxiety. | was
sure that by that timeI she must
have been missed and bought for.
Perhaps she had been seen to enter
my chambers. Every step that I
heard l fear red might bd that of a
policeman. In the morning a stran-
ger allied on business. This was,
Of CO urse, nothing extraordinary;
but when he was gone felt that he
was a detective officer, cbme there
as a Spy. | thrust a few clothes in
to a carpet-Bag, intending to escape
to France. l caught up a box of
matches, to set the place on fire. I
a razor, and looked eagerly
on its keen edge as the surest and
swiftqst way to end my misery. But
all I'll lese would leave her to the jests
Of the world, and my own suferings
we're nothing in comparison. At
this distance of time l can look back
and coolly upon that
dreadful day, and ] can s@lemnly de-
clare that l would rath4rlhave been
hanged for numbering her than have
allowed a breath to- sally her fair
came!
l had just laid dow n the razor
when a hurried step crossed the an
.e-room. 1t was her husband!
"Now,'' % l thought, E'hll is lost!
She was seen to enter here, and he /
IS come to claim her"
'NIy dear - he began, in a
nervdls, unsettled way, you re-
member the business | came about
Yesterday"
Perfectly
'And do you remember the words
used as l was going? | mean, in
answer to what you said about my
not being-able to touch this money
ill after my wife's death?Y t
..Yes, l recollect them distinctly
eNIy wife has dis appeared since
yesterday morning. he continued,
even paler than before; ''and
f anything serious should have hap
,ened, you know, a hd you should
enea at those expressip pms, they might
e laid hold Of, and 1 don't know
vhat would be the consequence. /
night be suspected Of having MUIR
Iered her"
Poor fellow! If ! had not known
he truth, | should have suspected
N vself. from his excessive terror I
nd anxiety. He wiped the perspl-
alton from his face, and sank into a
hair. The sight Of a person more
than myself reassur ed me. I
was calmer than l had been since
be preceding morning ;
"Where did she go? How was {
be dressed?'' l inquired, anxious to .