Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-08-15

He was a miscrably poor ill-iavorcd person, who
had drilled his way into our company by means
OF sharp tongue. One night told him ilatly
enough | did not like such mournful talk, and
was quite tined OF that theme. Why, one would
really suppose you killed the man 20 irsclfi" he
retortcd 1t seemed as if an arrow had dared
through my brain for a moment. and | could
hardly keep upon my legs but laughed it off
as well as codld. lie stayed, however, to the
very last and when we two were alone. he drew
a small strap, such fasiens trousers az the foot
from an inner pncket, and asked me whether it
was mine for found il, said he, inside your
house, bctwixt the back of the door and the wall.
No, it is not replied, but rather hesitatingy,
for saw he had some purpose in the question.
thought so,' he went on, for it is the fellow
to that found upon John Spigst, the man who
was murdered fifty yards from here in the Swaf
ham road
- could not speak at first. nor do anything
beyond making deprecating and pitu motions
with NV hands but afterwards | nude shift to
tell this Deckham the whole truth Likely
enough, Master Carlton, he said, quite coolly ;
atwcen friends, however. such things look bet
ter than before Judge and jury III put pad
lock on this here tongue safe enough, if you il
tit it, as I'm sure like n sensible man you will,
with golden key felt the halter already
round my neck-this friend jerking it loosely or
tightly as he would but there seemed then to
he no help for it, paid five pounds that eve
ming miserable dot that was--as a retaining
fee to william for working my total ruin. NJ ny
and many a time did nv children and myself 20
without the bare,t nece,snres that the man mi Iht
have the means TO indulge in debauchcry aud OK
travagancc. ] sold tlc shop, ard removed with
my moth rlrss bailns t. another part of the
town but llcnboiough itself my tyrlnt would
not permit me to leave. Loss ofcus'on, los, of
hralth and almost loss Of reason llOwcd. Of
which YOU now know the cause Ihls incubus
hestrole me dav and night. and wore my very
lie out. Often and often have ! been n mur-
deTer AT heart bee iusc of that mocking hend ,
once, indeed, he confessed TO me, that vague
suspicion had one induced lin 10 try me in
the mater, and that the strap was an ingenious
tombstone of his own. Cunning n ! vas then,
| had been overIcachcd, and ANXIOUS 10 eildcc
the very breach OF SANDER had given gratti-
i'ous proof of guilt. Here, in ,hs wo-khouse,
ificndless. penuilcss am safe from his persecu
tions but | trcmblc for my children, lest he u,e
them also as hi. tools" slrove to comfort him.
and to represent the folly OF having submitted to
such a treatment at first; but ! was speaking -
ears that could not listen. The witeIcss. child
less man, was diving fast, an awful lesson 10 the
crafty and untruthlh What little lrayrn OF
dsho ics:y hai leavcned all this lump! How
the path of life had been dukcned to it forever
ly the mcrcst shadow While almost doubicd
whether he was alive or dead, he sprang up
once again into a sitting posture. and pressed
the paper. which he had concealed so carefully
into my hand. \ sudden dread of awakening
suspicion, even after death, had neryed dissolv-
ing nature for that effort and hardly did the
gray head touch the pillow before his worn heart
ceased to beat Near twenty years, as long as
most burn on in fruiiless hope, it had throbbed
in groundess fear