Litchfield enquirer., 1860-06-07
LITCHFIELD, CONN, THURSDAY, JUNE r, 1seO

cocks, and storied roofs of houses, are re lieved against an angle of the sky. At the extremity is shed; beneath it wood pile upon which is ladder, and scattered around are seen ropes, bundles of straw, rabbit hut, and hen coops, past service.
 How did these heterogeneous details come into my head? cannot tell. l had no re- membrance of any such place, and yet every stroke of the pencil seemed by it's very truth fitness an exact copy. Nothing was want ing.
 But on tue right corner of the sketch re mained bare. did not know what to put there; but was disquieted, agitated, as looked upon it. Suddenly saw foot: but it was in Q reverse position, and detached from the ground. Spite of its improbability I followed the inspiration, and sketched it. without stopping to account for my fancy. Then the leg appeared, and portion of the dress. Al length the whole fl gure-an old woman, haggard, wan, dishevelled, thrown down on the edge of well, struggling against strong hand, which grasped her throat
 It was murder that I was sketchng The crayon fell from my hands. The old woman-her face contracted by terror, her form bent over the margin of the well, both hands grasping the arm of the murderer, ter. riied me. 1 dared not look at her. But the maR-the murderer-to whom the arm belonged? could not sec him. It was impossible for me to finish my sketch.
 The sweat drops stood npon my brow. "I am fatigued," he said " But little remains to be done. will complete it tomorrow; and, terrified by the vision, I laid down again upon the bed, and in five minutes slept profoundly.
 l The next day, as was abont to resume my work, knock resound.d at the door.
 Come in," l called out; and man somewhat advanced in years, tall, thin, and dressed in black. appeared upon the thres- hold. The whole physiognomy of the man his closely approximating eyes, his aquiline nose, his lofty, broad and bony brow-had something severe and imposing. He salutcd me gravely:
 M. Christian veuius, the artist" he said.
 That is my name, sir"
 He bowed again, adding: The Baron Frederic Van Spreckdal" The appariton in my poor garret of this rich amateur, Judge of the Criminal Court, impressed me strongly. threw a glance upon my worm eaten furniture, tattered dra- perics and dirty floor, and fslt humiliated; but Van Sprcckdal appeared to pay no at tention to these details.
 Master Venius." he resumed, T have But at that moment his eyes were arrest cd by the unfinished sketch, and he stopped.
 "Arc you the author of this mysterious sketch?" he asked, after moments pause.
 "Yes, sir"
 What is the price of it?"
 "I do not sell my sketches. It is a design for picture"
 "Ah!" said he, and lifting the paper with his long, yellow fingers, he took an 'eye-glass from his waistcoat pocket, and began to study it attentively. The silence was SO great that heard distinctly the primitive buzzing of fly caught in spiders web.
 "And what will be the dimensions of the picture, Master Venius~ he said at length, without looking at me.
 "Thrce feet by four"
 "And the price?"
 "Ffty ducats."
 Van Spreckdal laid the sketch down up on the table, and drawing from his pocket long purse of green silk, began to slip the rings along. Fifty ducats," he said, and counting them out; There they are"
 He rose, suluted me, and departed, while I sat stupefd, listening to the clink of his ivory-headcd cane upon the staircase.
 When had recovered from my stupefac- ton, sat down to finish my sketch. A few strokes of the pencil and it would be finish cd But these few strokes were out of my power. The inspiration was oyer The mysterious murderer would not disengage himself from the convulsions of my brain. l tried again and again. I forced myself to draw; but the results were as discordant as figure of Raphael in Dutch inn of Teniers.
 At this moment, Rapp, according to his praiseworthy custom opened the door with out knocking. His eyes fell upon the pile of ducats, and he shrieked:
 "Ah, ah! I have caught you, Monsieur painter! You pretended you had no mon- cyl" and he extended his crooked fingers with that nervous trembling which the sight of gold always produces in miser.
 The remembrance of all the insults had suffered from him exasperated me. With 8 single bound. I seized him, and, thrusting him over the threshold, fattened his nose with the door. The old usurer sLrieked:
 My money! thief! robbcr! my moneyp till every lodger in the house ran out, asking, "What is the matter?" I opened the door quickly, and with single stroke of the foot sent Master Rapp rolling down the staircase
 ''That is the natter" said; and closing the door, doubly locked it, while the shouts of laughter from the neighbors saiuted the old miser on his progress down stairs. TAls adventure had inspirited me, and resumed my work with some prospect of success; but an unaccustomed noise soon in- terrupted my labors. It was the click of arms, and the tramp of men ascending the staircase. A cold chill ran over me. Can I have broken that rascal's neck, and are they coming to seize me? There was knock at my door, and rough voice said:
 "In the name of the law, open?" <, s..
 thought of escaping by the windSw over the roofs; but vertigo seized me ata mere glance at the dizzy height. Again the sum- mons came.
 "Open, or we will break down the door!" t,rnod +ba kov and saw the Chief f,f