The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-24

ed, when his name was mentioned. Ills
horror and regret were more for the poor
wife than for the relapsed sinner, for her
case was pitiable indeed.
Her brother. Jack Everton, came over
from Hexley having heard stories of all
this, determined to beat Tom, for bis i'll
treatment of his sister. within an inch of
his life. Luckily, perhaps, for all concern
ed Tom happened to be away on one OF
his long excursions, and poor Nell be-
sought her brother, in extremity of terror,
not to interpose between them. So he
took his leave and went home muttering
and sulky.
Now it happened few months later
that Nelly Chuff fell sick. She has been
ailng, as heart broken people do, for a
good while. But now the end had come.
There was coroncr's inquest when she
died, for the doctor had doubts as to
whether a blow had not, at least, fastened
| her death. Nothing certain, however,
came of the inquiry Tom Chuif had left
| his home more than two days before his
wifc's death. He was absent upon his law
| less business still when the coroner had
held his quest.
Jack Everton came over from HeXley to
attend the dismal obsequies of his sister
! He was more incenSed than ever with the
wicked husband, who, one way or other,
/ had FASTENED Nelly's death. The inquest
had closed early in the day. The husband
had not appeared.
An occasional ompanion-perhaps l
ought to say accomplce-of Chutis hap
/ pened to turn up. lie had left him on the
borders of Westmorcland, and said he
would probably be home next day. But
Everton affected not to believe it. Per
haps il was to Tom ChufE he suggested, a
secret satisfaction to crown the history of
his bad married life with the scandal of his
absence from the funeral of his neglected
and abused wife.
Everton had taken on himself the direc-
ton of the melancholy preparations. lie
had ordered a grave to be opened for his
sister beside her mothers. in Shackleton
churchyard at the other side of the moor.
For the purpose, as have said, of marking
the callous neglect of her husband, he de-
termined that the funeral should take place
that night His brother Dick had accom-
panied him, and they and his sister, with
Mary and the children, and a couple Of
the neighbors, formed the humble cortege.
Jack Everton said he would wait be-
hind. on the chance of Tom ChuffIs com
ing in time, that he might tell him what
uIpltCuCNt, tuO lllHi CloSS tilt
moor with him to the funeral. His real
object, | think, was to infict upon the vii
lain the drubbing he had so long wished
to give him. Any how, he was resolved,
by crossing the moor, to reach the church
yard in time to anticipate the arrival of the
funeral, and have few words with the
vicar, clerk, and sexton, all old friends of
his, for the parish of Shackleton was the
place Of his birth and early recollections.
But Tom Chuff did not appear at his
house that night. In surly mood, and with
out a shilling in his pocket, he was making
his way homeward. His bottle OF gin, his
last investment, half emptied, was with its
neck protruding as usual on such returns,
in his coat pocket.
His way home lay across the Moor of
Cat>tean, and the point at which he best
knew the passage was from the churchv&!si
that forms its boundary, and strobe across
the graves, and over many Il fiat, halt-buried
tombstone, toward the side OF the church
yard next Catstean Moor.
The old church of Shacklcton and its
tower rose, close at his right, like black
shadow against the sky. 1t was mconless
night, but clear BY this time he had
reached the low boundary wall, at the other
side, that Overlooks the wide eXpanse Of
Catstean Moor He stood by one of the
huge old beech trees, and leaned his back
to its smooth trunk Had he ever seen the
sky look so black, and the stars Shine out
and blink so wildly There was Il death
like silence over the scene, like the hush
that prccedes thunder in sultry weather.
The exDanse before him was lost in utter
blackness. A strange quaking unnerved
his heart. Ii was the sky and scenery OF
his vision, The same horror and misgiv-
ing! The same invincible fear of ven
turing from the spot where he stood. lie
would have prayed if he dared. His
sinking heart demanded a restorative of
some sort, and he grasped the bottle in his
coat pocket. Turningto his left, as he did
SO, he saw the piled up mould of an open
grave, that gaped with its head close to the
base of the great tree against which he was
leaning
He stood aghast. His dream was re-
turning and slowly enveloping him.
Everything he saw was weaving itself into
the texture of his vision. The chill Of
horror stole over him.
4 faint whistle came shrill and clear
over tlse moor, and he saw a figure APP
! preaching al swinging trot, with zig
gag course, hopping now here and now
there, as men do over surface where one
has need to choose his steps. Through the
| jungle of reeds and bulrushes in the fore
ground this figure advanced; and with
the same unaccountable impulse that had
cocrced him in his Dream he answered the
whistle of the advancing figure.
On that signal it directed It's course
straight toward him. 1t mounted the low
wall and standing there, looked into the
graveyard.
WHO med answers challenged the
new conner from his post of observation
Me" answered Tom.
"Who are you?" repeated the man upon
the wall
tom Chuff; and who's this grave cut
! fOr?' He answered in a savage tone, To
cover the secret shuddcr of his panic.
'I'll tell you that, We villain y answered
the stranger, descending from the wall:
Il a looked for you far and near, and
waited long, and now you're found at
last"
Not knowing what to make of the fig
IRE that advanced upon him, Tom Chufl
rocoiled stumbled, and fell backward into
the open grave lie caught at the sides rs
he fell, but without retarding his fall.
An hour after, when lights came with
the coffin, the corpse of Tom Chuff was
found at the bottom of the grave He had
fallen direct upon his head, and his neck
was broken. His death must have been
simultaneous with his fall Thus far his
dream was accomplished.
1t was his brother-in-law who had
crossed the moor and approached the
churchyard OF Shackleton, exactly in the
line which the image of his father had
seemed to take in his strange vision. For
tunately for Jack Everton, the sexton and
clerk of Shackleton church were, unseen by
him, crossing the churchyard toward tho
grave of Nelly Chuf, just as Tom the
, poachcr stumbled and fell. Suspicion o.
} direct violence would otherwise have in
evitably attached to the cxasperatet
brother. AS it was, the catastrophe was
followed by no legal consequences.
f The good vicar kept his word, and 'h'