Marshall County Democrat., 1856-11-20

with awe. L knew the sound well. Many
knight, just at midnight, when all the
world slept, it has swelled up from my own
bosom, deepening with lis dreadful echo,
the terrors that distracted me. | say
knew it well. / knew that he had been
lying awake ever since the first slight
noise, when he had turned in the bed
Ills fears had been ever since growing upon
him. He had been trying to fancy them
causeless, but could not lie had been
saying to himself: "It is nothing but the
wind in the chimney; it is only rat eros
sing the floor" or it is merely cricket
which has made single chirp." Yes, he
had been trying to comfort himself with
these suppositions; but he had found it all
in vain. ALL IN VAIN; because Death, in
approaching him, had stalked with his
black shadow before him. and enveloped
the victim. And i. was the mournful in
huence of the unperceived shadow that
caused him to feel; although he neither saw
nor heard; to FEEl the presence Of my head
mithin the room.
When 1 had waited long time, very
patiently, and without hearing him lie down.
| resolved to open little, very, very lit
tie creyice in the lantern. So opened it;
you cannot imagine how stealthily; until, at
length, single dim ray. ike the thread of
spider, shot out from the c,evice and fell
upon the vulture eve.
1t was open, wide open, and grew fu-
rious as l gazed upon it. | saw it with
perfect distinctness, all dull blue, with
hedious veil over it that chilled the very
marrow in my bones. But l could see
nothing else of the old mans face or per-
son. for had directed the ray, as if by in
stinct, precisely upon the damned spot.
And now. have not told you that what
you mistake for madness is but over acute
ness of the sense? Now, say, there came
to my ears low, dull, quick sound, such
as watch makes when enyeloped in cotton.
l knew that sound well too. 1t increased
my fury, as the beating of drum stimu
la;es the soldier into courage.
But even yet refrained and kept still.
l hardly breathed. held the lantern mo-
tionless. l tried how steadily l could
maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime
the hellish tattoo of the heart increased 1t
grew quicker and quicker, and louder and
louder every instant. The old mans ter
ror MIST have been extremcd! Il grew
louder, say louder every moment do you
mark me well? have told you that am
nervous, SO / am. And LOW at the dead
hour Of night, amid the dreadful silence Of
that old house, SO strange noise as this
excited me to uncomfortable terror. Yet,
for some minutes longer l refrained and
stood still. But the beating grew louder.
| thought the heart must burst And now
a new anxiety seized me; the sound would
D. heard by a nelghbor! The old mans
hour had como! With loud veil. 1 threw
open the lantern and leaped into the room.
lie shrieked once, once only. In an in
slant dragged him to the floor, and pulled
the heavy bed over him. / then smiled
gaily to find the deed so far done But
many minutes the heart beat on with
muiiled sound. This, however, did not
vex me, it would not be heard through the
wall: At length it ceased. The old man
was dead. Iremoved the bed and examin-
ed the corpse. Yes, he was stone dead. /
placed my hand upon his heart and held it
there many minutes. There was no pulsa-
ton. lie was stone dead. His eye would
trouble mo no more.
Ifyou still think me mad, you will think
SO no longer, when describe the wise pre-
cautions took for the concealment Of the
body. The night waned, and | worked
hastily, but in silence. First of all dis
membered the corpse. l cut off the head
and arms and legs. | then took up three
planks from the flooring of the chamber.
and deposited all between the Writings. |
then replaced the boards SO cleaverly, SO
cunningly, that no human eye; not even his.
could have detected anything wrong.
There was nothing to wash out. no stain of
any kind; no blood spot whatever. had
been too weary for that. A tub had caught
all; hal hal
When had made an end of these lsbors
il was four o'clock, still dark as midnight.
AS the bell sounded the hour, there cam.
knock at the street door. went down
to open it with light hesrt; for what had
/ l now to fear? There entered three me,
who introduced themselves, with perfec,
suavity, as officers Of the police. A shrek
had been heard by "a neighbor during the
night: suspicious Of foul play had been
aroused; information had been lodged st
the police Office, and they. the o!fcers]
had been danufal ta saarab tba ->ro...:.or