Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-03-15

She looked ut me with unntterab'e pity
Poor boy. you bad better never have beer
born
did not attempt TO answer her. As soor
would have answered the ocean. had il
thrown me like weed on tie rocks.
Still | sat hy her sidc--stiil ] strove tc
move her easy chair to the most sheltered
corner-stll marked with growing anguish
the fading light Of her face. One evening aS
] was SO occupied. my iandlady burst into
the room. and uttered, Murder murder =
and sank into her chair. CRYING and sobbing
"Who is it ?' we both said.
"Mr. Montague Lewis has been found
murdered in his bed. No one went to his
room Till an hour ago. when his servant got
alarmed. opened his door. and found him
dead stabbed Oh dear! oh dear
WAS he quite dead p said Mrs. Brown.
in her calm. srrulchral voice
! Quite. Oh, what n family! and Mr..
! Clifford not here; nnd whatever became Of
/ his wife. should like TO know? There is
something wrong somewhere and with this
/ profound reflection our IA; and asthmetic in
| formant left us
| These rentlcmcn-thc murdered man and
his brothrr--bclcngod 10 an old family in
N. They were the Rcdgnunilcts of the
neighhorlnnd. handsome. aris.ocratic. look
ing men, they were reserved to an uncommon
degree; and stunning every one, were shun-
ned in their turn. Dreadful stories Of bad
passions of the race fingered about in the
neighhorhood. Hard cold men. with COM
pressed lips, they walked occasionally through
the streets. or were seen in the library, bow
ing distantly Oar acquaintance and frequent
" disappearing from the town for year or
SO, going no cuc knew whittier.
f'liT,,I . ,,-;e ,i,o ,.n,,nr,- l-,4i.r NO.
not at home when the murder took place. \
poor old housrkccpcr was alone in the housr
She said She had heard a noise in the night
had r,sen and looked over the stairs.
saw man." she said. going ont Of my
masters room: | called TO hi,a. and he an
s"crrd me in my masters voice. saying, 1t
Is !. Rcbpcca. do not fear: co to your room
again ] thought then il was smaller per
son than my master, but then ] knew lis
voice so well. and SO ! went to bed. Ia The
morning he did not come down but that Oft
en- happened, and he always told me not to
wake him. lie was such poor sleeper.
waited till night, and then--Oh that Mr.
Clifford would come /"
In few days Mr. Clifford came The
community was shaken with fear. All that
money and The law could do to ferret out the
murderer was tried Intellectually.
Mr.. Clifford Lewis. contrary to his wont.
went much to pnhlic places. stimulating Off
clals to do lteir duty. and showing capacity
ana zeal. lie WAS II strikiUgIy handsome
man. and had one of the most beautiful vol.
ces ! had ever heard lie impressed me so
lHucn lnat came nome determined TO de-
termined to describe him TO Mrs. Brown.
began describing him. She listened nj
silence with her long dark lashes resting or
her wan, pale checks.
was dwelling on the concentrated energy
OF bis manner. aud tie contrast in the soft,
mellow toH2s of his voice.
shoIld think such men would he irresis-
tlbIe to women | said strength in re-
pose"
ANA so tAeyore," said Mrs. Brown. but :
nave you ever thought what that manner in
dlcatcS? DO you know what becomes Of Tie .
poor victim who is grasped by tha, iron hand
IN velvet glove? | will tell you. She /,
shrlnks. she trcnhies, she crouchcs in submis- /.
SION; bnt she cscaPes-ard turning. she ,
stingS her tyraat, as playful, tortured. .
ycAed serpent tnrnS and stiags
How this womaD's voice thrilled ne
through! What terrible quality had it that .
made my blood freeze in my veins.
~TLcy sting! they sting !" she reiterated
Night came again. The tree told me u
horrible secret that night. 1t whispered
word that kept sleep from my eyes In the
dead Of night | heard foot on the stairs
heard Il door shut above my head These
sounds confirmed me worst imagininCs. The
tree beckoned me out into Tie stormy night
1t threw one arm widely up in the air, and
pointed to her window.
The demon heckoned me up. ] climbed
mp the Jagged trunk of the old tree, reached
Que of the long arm. like branches, and crept
along lis fail and swaying support. \ dun
gh1 shiHing IL the room showed me MQi try-
''a"-her pale hands bloody, her pelson dis
Iuised IN mems clothes and her eyes geam-
ng with supeihumau lus;re anL Erndish tri.
lmph.
Morning came, and with il crowds Of az 'ta-
led. pale men, aud women ShIi.kiug with ter
'or, ana nr"s of another murder.
Yes. Clifford Lewis, with his handsome.
'rucl face, lay murdered in his bed.
Ia another from the discovery | was arres-
ed as his murderer.
The proof was this~a mans track was
discovered .ui Z past the old tree. from H.,
IuuSe in which he lived to mine, aud near one
IF The tracks. and cliuging to the turu bark
li the Tree, was IRy handkerchief.
J ouiy asked one idAor of the crowd OF an
yry men who seized upon me as if were
Mid beast, aud that wus that | might write
note.
They asscnted; but when they saw ii was
TO the poor dying woman up stairs,
hey all said No"
"Thc man is mad said one, eve viii not
allow the poor invalid to be alarmed by his
wings"
But the gray-haired young physician offered
o take it for me.
wrote ia, her these words :" Be firm
he dead sycamore and alone know NE are
10Th incapable Of speaking"
] sat on the stone floor Of the prison. await.
ng the morning, ! knew that | loved mon.
ter. but | loved still. No thought of he.
rayiug her came TO my mind All Other
friends, good name-were
drowned in this all-conquering sea. | recalled
ny morbid sensations before ] saw her, |
compared that nights reflections with INV
'resent state Of feeling. Was ] not a mur. .
erer at heart? Was itnot Just that | should
'e punished for the sin | had conceiya6 bui
.ot committed {
Morning came, and with it my release -
drs Brown had confessed the crime. aud WAS {
lying. She wished to see me. She was Iv- ,
ng on sofa. and by her side grave ola
nan held her pulse in one hand, and his watch
n the other. She opened her ewes, and held
mt feeble hand TO me. {
Poor, generous fool, did you think I would
et you die 7" she said. "No; have killed