Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-12-10

A STORY OF A HAUNTED HOUSE.
By HoLME LEE.
YII.-cHRIsTMAs EVE.

Vu.-CHRISTMAS EVE.
| NY HERE was dead, breathless ST.
It0 lence within. They stood mo-
"a ment and listened. No sound ex-
R cept the draught of the fire and the
% bowling wind in the bishops gar
dens. They went in, Martha the first.
Nicholas lay PROSTATE across the hearth,
his face downwards, one arm outstretch-
ed. A dark, slender stream had trick
led down the slope of the floor, almost
to where their feet had been arrested by
the sight. Adie stood petrified with hor-
ror; Martha advanced, and stopped over
the old man. He was dead-murdered;
small hole in the left temple betrayed
how.
They heard steps below in the court;
Adie rushed trantically to the door, and
drawing back the bolts, called to two
men who were there to come up in haste.
The tale spread, and in few minutes,
as it seemed, Mrs. Parkes and Job were
there, and Mr.. st. Barbe, and many 9TH
ers, all talking, in awed whispers, which
rose at times to hoarse scream. Adie
watched helplessly, and listened and
turned her dusk, clouded, distraught
eyes from one face to another, as if
questioning whether it were dream or
reality. She did not dare to look ON
the dead, still countenance yet; and
when they carried the corpse into the
next room, she did not follow, but staid
by the fire, which was sparkling and
roaring in the keen, frosty air with a
living, hooking lustre. She picked up
glove from the floor, and twitched it
nervously and unconsciously in her fin
gers and gazed about the floor, and then
crept to the other room, and stood be-
hind Martha and Mrs. Parkes, tremb-
ling and fearful, but with dry, burning
eyes.
The idle marvel-mongers were dismiss
ed, and then the officers, who had ar
rived in the interval, took note of the
appearance of the first room. One of
them said "The old man must have
been shot by some one who took him at
advantage; there has been no struggle;
he has been murdered for the purposes
Of robbery"
They went into the closet. The cab
met was open, the drawers out, and their
contents scattered on the floor, and in
the adjoining room. They were a mis-
.cellaneous collection; women's clothes,
and few valueless trinkets, child's
things, and toys-the poor old miser's
treasures. There was nothing else left
probably had been nothing else toleave-
so the manslayer was disappointed of his
spoil. The people looked at the yellow
linen and furnished bits of jewelry with
curiosity; and Mrs. Parkes observed that
somebody must have done it who knew
the house well and Nicholas also-some-
body who believed the old story that
he kept money hid away in that closet.
For her part, she had long known it to
be all nonsense, but there seere folks who
credited it. Martha spoke not word,
but peered about for traces in her fur
tive, eager way; there was set rigidity
in her face, as if she had registered a
vow of vengence and were seeking the
way to its accomplishment. Her search
was abortive, however, and for the pres
ent she discontinued it to listen to what
Mrs. Parkes was saying about the muir
dered man.
"Who would have thought it of old
Nicholas Drew" she was asking. Who
would have thought he would have set
such store by lot of rags? They are
dropping with age,-look!" and she
lifted one of the garments from the floor
and held it up. "Whose can they have
been?"
ellis young wife's and his barin's,"
answered Job.
ellis wife's, Job? I never knew he
had been married." cried Mrs. Parkes
softly, but with vivid curiosity.
sit was before your time: but | re-
member her. A pretty, dark-haired, lit
tie lass she was, and very kind-spoken
to poor folks. They were well off then,
l dare say, but they were very young to
be married, every body said. Then
they had BARN, and l know both she
and it died in a fever; and after that
Nicholas was out of his mind ever so
long, and had to be taken care Of
When he came back to live in the court
he had let his beard grow, and so queer,
people were half afraid of him; and
then it was they began to set stories
afioat about his being a miser and a
wizard, and what not.
Adie heard this little explanation OF
poor GrlZzie S treasures, and with mel
ancholy reverence she gathered them to-
gether, and put them backinto the draw
ers. Whilst doing so a folded paper
slipped from between two handkerchiefs;
she opened it, and saw coiled round and
round thick tress of black hair with a
little auburn curl lying upon it. Then
her tears began to flow, gently at first,
but soon III wild passionate sobs and
writhing. The woman carried her away
to her own chamber, and shut themselves
up together, while one of the officers
and st. Barbe stayed in the outer room
Before morning broke, the girl was ra-
wing in delirium, calling on Laurence,
Laurencem
"Who is it she wants." asked Mrs
Parkes of Martha. "We had better
send for him maybe
"He is not in the town how, and
don't know where he is either. He
went away for his Christmas" was
the reply. st is Laurence Royston."
'See, poor thing; she has got one of
his gloves, and she's holding it against
her heart" said the other, with tears
'Poor Adie. o, it's an awful deed.
do hope, though it isn't Christian-like
perhaps,-I do hope whoever did it viii
be brought to justice. He was a very
good old man.
HE seas good" repeated Martha en-
phctically; ''and ! win never rest day OF
night until the man that did it is dead
never" she spoke in deep, eoncentra-
ted, ireful voice. which made the ealmer