Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-04-15
CLEARFIELD PA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 1857

the light OF two sperm candles in heavy silver
candle-sticks, l was soon busily engaged at the
will.
will not trouble you with the details, nor,
In fact, do l remember them; but it is enough
to say that large amount of property, real
and personal, bonds, mortgages, etc., were
left, in the words of the will, to esmy good and
faithful house-kceper, Angeline-, as a token
of gratitude for her long faithful and meritor-
ious service" But the concluding words of
the will L shall never forget they were writ
ten from his mouth, and made me shudder as
l wrote them. There is something fearful,
dreadful-yes, devilish-in this deliberately
recording, in what purports to be your last
written wish, curse upon your own offspring.
And felt, as wrote it, an involuntary desire
to tear the paper into fragments, and to rush
from the room, but the thousand dollars were
like so many anchors, and staid and wrote /:
81 leave to my daughter Dora all the salts
faction she can obtain from my hearts curse.
When rags whip about her in her only home
the street, and dogs share with her the refuse
of the gutter, she may regret that she dsobey-
ed him who once loved her, but dying, cursed
her!'
There was something like chuckle In the
direction of old Angeline as the dying man
dictated these fearful words; but as looked
and saw the stern face as rigid as marble,
concluded 1 must have been mistaken.
could not, however, diyest myself of n certain
feeling that all wrong. A rich old man,
accompanied by an old house keeper, and dy-
ing in strange citT her anxiety to have the
will so strong; the curse on his daughter, and
the large fec, all conspred to make me feel
that was being instrumental in the accomp-
lshmeut of some villanious object. Again l
meditated the destruction of the paper, and a.
gain my fee and my wants conquered. The
will was finished, and read it over aloud, the
old man groaning, and the old woman looking
an occasional ascent; but when read the ter
rible curse, q new actor appeared on the
scene:
s'Oh tear it tear it Oh God you know
not what you do -
The plantivc tones Of the voice touched my
heart. even before my eyes beheld its owner /;
but when saw her, heavens and earth what
an angel she was The language is yet unds-
covered, Harry, that is competent to give you
\ description of that face; the eyes dancing
| with excitement yet liquid with tears; the
mouth proud as Juno's, yet compressed with
anguish. But why do l attempt description 2
| The most majestic, yet sweetest countenancc
l ever bcheld appealed to me, and not in vain !;
for while the old man, weak as he was, jumped
from the bed screaming ''Kill her kill her !"
] tore the will into fragments, and We both fell
to the floor, he dead, and stunned by a blow
from the heavy candle-sticl welded by the
old hag Angelinc.
When my consciousness returned, 1 found
myself in my own bed at my boarding house,
my host and hostess my sole attendants. My
mind was clear the moment looked about me,
and knew had been brought home, and was
now confined from the effects of that blow. l
resolved to keep my own counsel, and to as
certain what l could of the subsequent pro-
ceedings Of the night. Upon inquiry, found
that had been brought home by young gen
tlcman in n carriage, who had left funds for
the employment of physician, and had also
! LETT letter for me. opened the letter as soon
as was alouc, and found two fifty-dollar bank
notes, with these words:
ssYou did last night a deed worthy of more
gratitude than our present means enable us to
express. The property which so nearly be-
| longed TO the Infamous hag who struck you,
will soon be ours, and you shall then hear from
us. May the same kindness which prompted
| you to tear the paper, seal your lips hereaf-
! ter as to the painful scenes OF last evening.
Gratefully yours, Dora AND HER HUSBAND" ."
MY first act was to conceal the letter beneath
my pillow; my second to call my host and ten
! der him the amount of my board bill; to my
astonishmcnt he told me my companion paid
it when he left the letter. 1t seemed l raved
little about my inability to pay my host while
I was unconscious, and thus the husband of
Dora (for had no doubt it was he who brought
me home) had ascertained the fact and PAID
my BILL Added to this, my wound was not
severe enough to need any surgery more than
was offered by my kind landlady; so when l
recovered, (Which was soon) had only mo Of
fee rent to pay, and then resumed business
with the larger part OF the one hundred dollars
! in my treasury. l made cautious inquiries a.
bout the - House as to the subsequent move
ments of my mysterious clients, but could on
lv ascertain that the old couple arrived on that
Cventfui night, INC oiu mo" oiuoii"S " PiN"'"'i'
| room in which he could die {: that the young
couple came by another conveyance, and had
talon other rooms; that the old mans body
was Immediately boxed up and shipped for the
north under charge of his man-servant; that
the old woman left alone and that finally the
Young man paid tho whole bill, and left also
with his wife. To do my worthy host and KIND
lady full Justice, l must say that they never