The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-07-05
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1871. {

i
Edith and her husband, the former wa,
too tinid, and the latter would forbit
anything that might in the least tent
to give the place bad name;-or terrif,
his wife and their guests.
3 So if done at all it must be don,
alone and secretly; and being brave
hearted girl, she resolved to do wla
most OF her age and sex would have
shrunk Mortified from. And even She
did not reflect upon it without a tremor
The words of the old woman about
"all kinds of bones" suggested nm.
pleasant association for the late owner
having been physician, the "bones'
he would be most apt to gather would
be those that had once been covered
with flesh like her own-the skeletons
contained similarly beating heart,
and the skulls SHOULD she chance to
find any, an equally active brain.
Yet she was not to be deferred by idle
fancies, and her curiosity was too
much aroused to rest unsatisfed.
Day by day she made observations,
until she had become perfectly familiar
with all the occupied portions of the
house-seen what every closet con-
tained-satisiied herself that there was
no nook that could possibly hide n
mystery. Then she turned her atten
ton to the long unused garnet. But
there was nothing there save such
customary lumber, and broken, dis
carded furniture as is always to be
found gathered in an antiquated man
sion and she was about to give up in
despair when it struck her that the
room, though large, was unequal in
size-not as much so as the base upon
which it rested-that it lacked several
feet, one way, Of the proportions of the
house; and after pacing to and fro, she
at once decided that a portion had
been partitioned off across one entire
end-that there must be another end,
and that, if anywhere, the secrets of
the dead physician must be hidden in
that quarter.
She examined the walls as we'll as
she was able by the dim, uncertain
light that penetrated through the little
cobwebed, dirty windows; and though
not expert enough to decide that il
was of much later erection than the
building, itself, and built by a hand
unused to such labor, yet she soon be-
came convinced that the bricks had
been solidIy placed, and that there was
no opening of any kind, and that it
would require more skill and strength
than she could command to effect one.
But there must be some way to get
within from another direction-some
hidden passage that communicated
with the interior of the house; and she
set herself to finding out. A rapid in
vestigation satisfied her that there was
none from without. Not even q win
dow was to be seen. If the man, who
had years before passed to Judgment,
had been guilty, his foul deeds had
been planned and put into execution
in profound silence and darkness, or
by some other light than that of the
sun. -
To find, then, how the secret cham
Der, laboratory, or whatever it had
been used for, was to be reached, was
Tue task she had before her, and soon
found it to be no easy one. Room
after room, and closet after closet was
examined, without success. She could
not obtain the slightest possible clue.
The dead physician had guarded his
secret well ; and she was almost in
iespaiI unless she could cut a passage
through the almost solid masonry, and
hat would require such implements as
she could scarcely hope to either OBJ
5ain or use without discovery.
She sat long, and thought of the
natter after all the rest of the house
lold was locked in slumber. Sat
'obed in her snowy night-dress, with
Ter hair, of glorious length and black.
less, streaming over the white neck
md sloulders-the stockingless feet
tealing out from beneath the hem and
lneasily tapping the hoor--with her
heeks flushed, her eyes flashing, and
Ter bosom beating unanimously.
She was determined not to be bafled
hus when upon the very threshold of
uccess-would triumph over all diff
ulties-but how 2 1t was a question
he could not answer; and feverish
With anxiety and with a burning brain,
he extinguished her lamp, and sought
he rest she did not find.
For hours the soft lids failed to cur
ain the eyes-for hours she wooed the
alling of the poppy-leaves in vain.
'ut at length she slept, if the contin-
ance of distracting thought can be
allied slumber. The labors and ex-
itement of the day are certain to pro-
uce an effect upon such minds; and
he body had scarcely passed through
ha fvoc,r yortoJc &c