St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-09-20
VOLUME 31-NUMBER 1873

had worked upon me IL yertur, hack
and i determined 10 20 dovn INTO the
village and, if possible, TO catcf 4 glimpse
of Lucy.
j was quite safe from recognition l,y
any of my old comrades, for .yaS 10 III
outward appearance a worn and agcl
man, and my hair WAS quite gray. add
ed 10 this The hard work at the forge had
heni me down, and | knew well Aow
changed | MAS.
l sirode down the hill, and in q fcS
moments WAS pacing the familiar street
l. seemed in no wax altered since had
seen IL lasl the little cottages and shops
looked The same as ever. 4 boal here
and there WAS laid up ia the street Tor
purposes Of repair, just a. Of old and |
even thought that | recognized in the
uncertain lieiIt one OF two well-knOwn
faces
Al last | reached the door OF the little
inn, and could see ho>piiablc Eelts SHIN
me behind the red curtains OF the parlur.
where | knew the Village worthies would
Ice congregatcd according 10 their usual
custom | had prepared my>clt Tor the
moment. and knew | should require all
the self-conlrol and courage could com
mand 10 enier but for some time loit-
cred near the door and dared not 90 IN.
could soe the lisht-houSe plainly from
where | wa,. and II seemed as ii t;is-
borne were watching from II, and the
memory OF the last came hack upon me
with ienfold horror.
At lasi got calmer and Went IN. ~
| anticipated, several old villagers were
m the lnarlor and although, a strana-
er, favored with some curious -lanc,--. l
took nay seat ma corner mcaosuiz,a
Odd Jacob Benton. The sexton Of Hun
cliff, was Speaking az | entered, AMI
seemed 10 be narraiing some Story 10 two
sailors who were sitting opposite 10 him
on the long seitee. A. l Al down lac
had luSl concluded. and then There was
much general gossip about the afiair> If
their neighbors and il brought hack nv
5oyhood and the happy old times, TO
hear how one WAS dead and another mar
riod. and OF all the changes tiIai lad
taken place IN the quio village since /
left IL five weary years AGO.
listened 10 The conversation. lut
neycr heard them mention the name of
Lucy Wilson. and | wondered whether
She Was sill II home. AMI now beneath
The same root rs myself | tanciei that.
even il SIZE failed 10 recognize me. she
would sill Ice conscious OF my Presence,
a. OF some evil influence
] had sal sume time listening 10 the
conversation when = siran.er came IN. a
middle .aged man. apparently a CONNER
cad Traveller. and seating himself near Old
Iacch Benton. Al once heran a Ser.cS ot
questions about lIunciiff. The sexton
was only too glad 10 haze fresh li>i,il-
Il, and plunged INTO iunmtrallr stories
ana legends concerning the place and
neiahhorhooi.
4 feeling Of siranee CURIOSITY came
over me n TO whether the terrible tai.
IA which Lad been - conspicuous and
unhappy AN actor, would bs among ia
cubs >tori,s. ieli tllat he wa> sare 10
tell i and Lad not long to wait. S,aok-
ins slowly, and with az air OF great I'M
portance. Al la>t the sexton sud:
a many strange things hare happened
about here, sir, you zee hut the queer
81 oi all MAS the murlcr AZ rou light
house. that you see from The slrcci-our
lighthouse. :s | nay call IL.
There l. no need 10 rcpcat hiS tai, IS
he told II with emphasis, dwelling ul.on
many imagiIa,Ty and horrible details.
And with the per1iralion standing IN
great drops upon my forehead. 1 heard
old Jacob. on Whose knees had PLAYED
when a child, tell how the body uas
picked up ami how lad robbed the
lighthouse. listened IN Il sort of stu-
port WAS Ike fercr dream; when |
was startled hv hearing the ~cxion say n
the end OF his story:
And the murlereT'> body. sir. WAS
picked mp about two miles from Lore.
tour months afterwards, and buried ii
the foot Of the old diff
Indeed said the stranger aud
suppose The bcdy was identified 2
MIN. no, sir, ssil Jacob. not ex-
actlv. You sce, there wasa't much OF
his head. II MAS 20 haii,rel: Lui they
said il was his body, and few OF us csre
10 go that WAY At nights now. for they
Say lie walks They had evidently taken
the disti-ured body OF some poor drown
III sailor for mine. and had concluded
that | had never reachei The land
alive
Ii was getting late when, with the
rest Of the party assembled IN the iun, |
went out had not seen Lucy and |
could not bear the thought of sleeping In
Wilson's house, 80 bciook my self 10 =
sailors's lodging house that | found sill
existed near the .bearh, and obtained a
bed there. determined 10 hang about
The place nexi day, to catch a rdnp,, of
her face ii possible, l had oai among
my old friends the previous evening, and
been REGARDED Is an entire stranger and
felt quite safe, and thought thai the
only consequences Of seeing Lucy would
be The additional MISERY il would entail
upon myself
The whole Of the following morning L
wandered about the viIlase and the
nights above ii, and as II was growing
du-k i determined again 10 - iuto
Wilson's inn 10 ask for some refnc>h-
ment.
| went in and ordered Something, and
was sitting in one Of the little lariors
that Opened off the passage, when some
body entered the room. Ii was ddsk,
and | could not see the persons face, buI
= strange tremOr came over me saw
1t was a WOMAN - she struck a match
and lighted a candle that stood on tie
table
Al IL, sl. gaa,l -, .lu