The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-01-21

Saturday Evening, January 81. 1871.
The MYSTERIOUS TEsTAMEAI'
wal, lawyer, hadn't you's better oegin
We's hayn. got time to wait US. Urn" VI
the form. and fiji it, an leave the nam'
blank. She can il that herself. =
A. the man spoke, shudder ran through
INC fa;r form aud she turned ON me gazt
hear, rendiug in its terror and despair, ans
nh,olntsly beseeching 10 solitude and AJAX
iety.
What strange affair was this? What car
this beautiful being have in connection with
the rough and illiterate character who es
corted me hither? What means this grea
dread she evinces of him? This silsn. sp
peal for aid and assistance? And this wo
man in happy, joyous health, why should
she now be compelled to make her will
Why this urgency that forced me forth ID
this storm of wind and rain
These were the questions that flashed un-
answered through my mind. | prepared
however, to transact my business, and as |
bent over her TO ask ''if the act was OF hel
own free wil!,' she gave me an agonizing
look of distress. and whis pered eagerly
"For the love God il you are Hsh'
save me from
She paused suddenly, and | csagh. the
malignant sndthreasenipg glanre OF Inc nap
Us he hurriedly interposed. :, 81
"Of course she does VINO snouio cue
send for you's without osy, lawyer, you
Just draw that up, snd no more psisVer' We
got the rhiao fer you g. ana a want you 10
tend 10 yourself so hurry mp. ..-
Of hac ho
uopsIy displayed brace of Colts reyolvers,
ard an enormous "bowie" placed ia q belt
under bis coat, which he now threw open.
proceeded nervously with the instrument
OF writing, and exactly how got through, |
have never been able satisfactorily to deter
mine. The distressed lsdy in the alcove,
and my own novel sensations OF admiration,
the inc xplieable surroundings of mys,er-
completely bewildered me. 3--e
l gave the lady the viii, and as I bade nsr
a6ieu, felt slip Of paper thrust into my
hand, aud received mingled look of de-
spair, confidence and hope. -
The man led me from the room, and as L
passed the marble lions in the vestibule, |
seized the occasion to empty the contents OF
my pocket inkstand upon the immovable
kuoEuieu Oh Tue GlPub. III OSo 400 "
trace of that, should be enabled to pro-
cure another interview with the fair I'M
known who had made such hn impression
upon me.
| mechanically entered the carriage, was
set down before my own door, and Realized
the fact that | was in my Office, grasping
TWO Fifty dollar bills IN my hand, conscious
OF being soaked through 10 the skin, com
To- odd Ind, 70 htv IN pyo
sat unit! broad daylight without chang
ing my position, bordering upon the unusu-
a. events Of the night. and the singular sur
. roundings. As rstrospected the different
circumstances, / bethought me of the note
which held tightly com pressed in my hand
and approaching the window, l made out
family traced with trembling hand, these
few lines:
Save me, or there will be murder done
search me out. an wealthy, aud can re-
pay well. l an forced by brother Mar
Here the note abruptly ceased, and had
evidently been abruptly crumpled together.
| was considerably agitsted By its contents
and after few hours necessary rest. songh!
advice and counsel of my foster brother
John Hall, il whose opinion | had always
seed great reliance.
releted my story, and together Eve de-
vised @ plan FOR most systematic search
for the house | had visited upon the previ
GUS evening.
We took a ,radious Of ten miles from my
Office, and dividing the enclosed space into
districts and divisions, searched togerher
most infinitely and diligently, through each
division, bvt in vain. A sight of no such
mansion rewarded our isbors, and after three
weeks OF patient research, | should have
come TO tie conclusion that ! had dreamed
cit not for the tangible proofs of the
two bank bills, and the blurred note, in th at
fair, delicate chirography.
One day, about eigh, months after the
provoking loss Of ell clue to my fair client OF
the stormy night, l was sitting in nay Office,
and ia my wont In hours of leisure, in
dulging in the lGxury of one of Barnard
best. | was attracted by the piercin 2
screams OF two or three boys,sn on rushing
into tie street, found poor little fellow
with his head badly cut, and the blood
streaming from the wound, whilst his com
rades gave vent TO their fears, in series o:
frighsfully shrih shrieks.
| carried the little sufferer into my office,
sDd soon succeeded in staunching the blood
Cd q com posing his companions sufficiently
to learn the cause OF the accident.
1t appeared tia. that they had daringly
scaled the surrounding walls of q dresry old
building directly opposite my othce' This
was an old English built house, purchased
some eighteen months previously by an
Eat Indian who for some unaccountable
reason, never occupied it, and studiously
kept his name from public gossip. Since
the purchase, he had vigorously closed the
premises from all intruders, but upon this
day, the children, determined to possess
some honey beans which grew near the house
and were tenptingly hanging within sight.
The lad boldly assembled the tree, and as
he was about 20 grasp a branch particularly
rich with the coveted heans, he suddenly lost
his balance. and fell to the ground, where
he lay at first senseless, and as they thought
dead.
The wounded boy, however, contended
that he did not slip, but that, =" it was the
ghost that made him fall, and said that up.
on turning his eyes upon the window oppo
site the limb upon which he stood, he saw
through the broken shutter-slas dead WON
CD in q bed, with long dagger sticking
from her breast, and this SO alarmed him
that be loosened his hold and fell to the
ground.
| attributed this vision to disordered
Imagination, and dismissed the boy to his
home. The little fellow passed mydoor daily
on his way to school, and quite an intima-
cy WAS formed between US, and found him
80 persistent and 20 straight in his story OF
seeing the dead woman, that l was at las,
persuaded to chamber over the wall and in
spect the premises for myself.
| found the mansion dark gloomy and for
bidding. Not single window in the vast
structure was open, and the marks of neg
iect and decay were rapidly becoming visible
As we passed around the house, seeking for
the broken stats, suddenly paused Be-
fore me, on the eastern side of the dwelling,
there appeared portico with supporting