The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-12-14
TAE DEAVA VEsV.

bus may tuere uot Oe some LIE remalnln q
May it not be in my power to rob III
grave. 1t is a dangerous undertaking
and if | am found here l shall most Ger
tainly be accused Of the crime. Bloc,
upon my clothes and hands and / have no
touched the corpse Ah. / ses how i
came. The bushes are stained with it
The body was dragged to this lonely spot
Lonely Who would ever think ofcominl
here unless he had foul purpose, save, i
might be a geOlOgist like myself, whom
the simple people in this part of the coun
try would call mad. Yes, it would go hard
with ne. especially as l am stranger, ,and
though poorly clad,a becomes my present
occupation, have considerable sum ol
mOney..upon my person"
He drew back few steps from the
corpse upon which be had come SO sud-
denly aud unexpected, and looked
around. Without noticing bis path, he
had jOurncyed to the bottom of deep
raviuc before bis progress was arrested.
High bills rose upon either side, covered
with a heavy growth of trees and tangled
undcrbrush. A little stream found its
way with great difficulty through the
rocks at the bottom, and its waters were
never gilded by single ray of sunlight.
Even in the brightest day it was gloomy
twilight there; and more dismal place
would have been difficult to ind-the very
spot for dark deeds, for murderer's hid
ing! And there before him, stopping the
path, lay blood-stained human body, as
if to finish the picture and give CORY evil
dence Of its evil character.
His FIRST thoughts were to move on.
What had he to do with the crime Of an-
other? Why should he mix himself with
that in which he had not the most remote
business? His clear head and logical mind
forcsaw all the difficulties that would arise
should he be discovered and charged with
TIC commission Of the deed, and the fearful
net work Of circumstautial evidence that
would surround him, yet he was man OF
most determined firmness, as well as bav-
ing tender heart, aud not for the sake
Of escaping trouble, or even danger, would
he suffer chance to relieve suffering, or
save life, to pass unembraced. So he drew
nearer, and bending away the bushes.
looked sc5utiuizingly upon the victim of
some Sends cupidity or revenge.
The corpse was that of young girl who
must have been under twenty years, and
the face was one Of more than common
beauty. The oval Of the cheeks was per-
feet, the nose straight, the mouth small,
and the lips, now parted byngony, were full
and arclied. The eyes, wide open and
CLASSY, were blue as the depths the ocean,
and curtained by long lashes. "a shade dark
or than her glossy brown hair. The figure
wastall and delicately proportioned, the
feet small and exquisitely arched, the
hands white and slender, denoting good
birth and freedom from manual labor.
Theclothing, now torn and stained, was of
fine material, and the discoloration efthe
neck. ears. fingers and wrists-thc piece
torn from the bosom Of the dress, and the
pockets turned outward-told that
robbery as we'll as murder had been CON-
mitted.
At once deeply interested, the stranger
kuelt down and brushed back the tangled
trcsses, gazed sadly upon the sweet pa'lld
face, and examined both pulses and heart
for symptoms of life, hoping against hope
that spark of life might at least remain.
But his intellectual and unusually sunny
face clouded, and he shook his head in
doubt. The marks upon the base of the
skull. caused apparently by heavy blows
from a sharp stone, seemed sufficient to
have produced death alone but in addi-
tim to them. blood was slowly oozing from,
and cOngealing upon several wounds, in
one of which knife was sticking. His
profession had taught him skill as well as
coolness. and with extreme tenderness and
delcacy he made still closer examination
and began preparations to staunch the
blood and dress the wounds.
With this knife" he said, giving ut
tcrance to his thoughts at he drew out the
weapon, Il could even thus kill all my
enemies, make myself rich, and l."
The sentence was never flushed. Before
:, so,ld he A dozen men, who had beer
watching aud creeping near. sprang ou
of the bushes, and piuiOned bin beyOnc
i, ,orsr of resistance. Taken beside til,