The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-02-17

accomplishment land he was very wise
bird), used to initiate distant voices with
surprising effect. Down in the long gar
den adjoining ours, DR.. Gryant's voice
would often be heard calling to his boy
who did the gardening and errands be-
sides. What he said it was difficult to
distinguish owing to the distance, but the
semblance of the voice was accurately rem
dered by the parrot, thus: "And, John,
gabble, gabble, gabble, gable. And, John,
gabble, gabble And, John, gabble, gab-
ble, gabble. Yessir" The second day
after the funeral this bird was in the kitch-
en-, and heard Dr. Gryant shouting to
his lad about water rat that the boy was
hunting. The parrot remembered 1T in
the evening, and when the lamp was lit
began to call with shrill screech, "You've
killed him, John? Yes-sir." A singular
bird Bob" is. See him at supper-time,
when let him out of his cage. He comes
and perches on my shoulder, waiting till
the spirit decanters are brought out. He
then helps himselfto large knob Ofsugar
from the sugar basin, and walks in state
y way to the brandy bottle. There he
filings down his sugar, and remains calling,
in most insinuating manner, "Pretty
Polly" until some one dips the sugar in
neat brandy. With his grog in his lett
claw, Bob" returns to my shoulder, and
sits there imbibing it until he first shuts
one eye in extreme satisfaction from time
to time as the spirituous juice gets up in
his head, and at last, with both eyes wink
ing, he becomes ready for bed.
He had gone thus far through his eve-
ming performance on the third night after
the funeral. when, as l had determined
not to send him out in the kitchen to Sleep
| looked for some convenient nail on
which 10 hang his cage in the dining roOm
The only thing l could find was brass
knob against a cupboard, about six feet
from the ground. Bob did not like the
situation, since, the knob being nearly flush
with the wall, his cage was canted on one
side; but left him there for want of a
better place, and went to bed about II
O'clock
Doctor Gryant had already gone to bed.
l now know the fearfully anxious time the
last tenidays had been to him. The very
absence OF suspicion hitherto had only
lasted long enough to excite each night
dread lest the coming day should reveal
the whole truth vivid and plain to all.
Judge, then, what Doctor Gryant felt
when that night he heard my .tather's sum
mons again, my father being dead and un-
der 'groundl "One-two-three-
the bell tolled out, harsher and more hor-
rid than he had yet heard it. "POmb-
pomb" 1t went on, never hurrying or stay
ing its measured beat. "Toll, toll, TOLL"
and the dreadful thing rang on as if it
would never stop until he answered it.
How could he help recollecting my fathers
words: Whenever you hear the bell
ring in that way remember 1t as l. and 1
soant yOu :" lie threw on his things and
went down to the door, white and trem-
bling, and his knees quaking under him.
AS he passed along the passage the bell
stopped. He unboted and unbarred the
door, and looked out into the night. The
moon shining on the pavement, and the
wind blowing coOlly on his damp fore
head, houses asleep, streets deserted, not
soul abroad, nor light from door nor
window, and Mr.. Morley's front door
closed. Nothing else. Awfuller to him
than any vision of another world were
the silence and the stiffness and the sight
of the quiet stars, when his very heart
cried aloud in fear within him. Almost
Einting he got back to bed, and tossed
there till morning
The next night it was the same, with
this exception, that, frightened beyond
endurance, and really longing for the
sight of fellow creature, Doctor Gryant
raped at my door. Not being gone to
bed, l answered him myself His face,
always white, looked ashen and deadly in
the moonlight.
For Heavens sake, Mr. Morley, tell
me-did you ring my surgery bell?"
"No," said l. "But what on earth pos
sesses you? You look like death ITSELF"
-" | fanced heard the bell ring, Mr..
Morley, and that it rang like he rang it for
me the night he died. mean your father;
but am nervous tonight, and it may
have been my fancy after ALL"
Fancy" | repeated, that is absurd.
There could be no fancy about hearing
such a bell as that. Either you did hear
it or you did not, for it is a bell that aciN
acakethe dead"
Inadvertently and lightly spoke these
words, but their effect on Dr. Gryant was
terrible. L thought he would have fallen,
and SO asked hint come into the dining
room to take something.
He looked at me with long, vacant
stare, and then, with shudder of horror,
stammered quickly beneath his breath,
" No, l cannot" and staggered out into
the street, and shut himself up in his
own house. The mans manner impress
ed me so much as that of cowardly
criminal who did not dare to face some
thing he had done, that, when l returned
to the hedining room, | began to suspect him
of being one.
l was sitting in the same room, and
near about the very spot, where my father
Il 81 Il 11af lot l.N,,r
give the coincidence for what it is worth,
because, in my opinion, the surroundings
had much to do with driving my mind ir-
resistibly in one direction. Subjectively
believed myself to have been under the
influence ofmy fathers spirit, through the
operation of this coincidence of time and
place, taken in connection with what hac
| fallen from DR.. Gryant, but of any Objec-
tive or supernatural presence l was un
conscious. | was merely aware of a direct
influence on my mind while L sat thinking
over DR.. Gryant's singular and marked
agitation. When, for instance, reflected
that this agitation might be the result o
| simple nervous disorder on his part, anC
| my thoughts showed signs of wandering
to the diagnosis and treatment of sucl
alterations, the influence would strongly
| OH my lnlhu Vic ldCt Ill'tb DOCIo
Gryant had himself connected his terro
about the bell with my father, while b,
his marked dread of entering the hous
he had shown reason for fear which he as
sociated with this house. In spite Of my
self, whenever my thoughts took an.
direction favorable to DIR. Gryant, the.
were blocked by some startling sus
picion or hint of motive which | had be
fore overlooked. know that | was thu
influenced in some manner from Outsid
my own mind, until became unwillingl
forced to the conclusion that DR.. Gryan
had done some great wrong against m
father Having reached this conclusion
the end seemed less unreasonable to IN
than the steps by which arrived at it.
must have unconsciOusly dropped o
to sleep in my chair, for awoke cold an
chilly, the fire gone out and rly limb
J numb and stiff | knew that | ha
dreamed, and that the dream had bee