The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-07-05
PUBLISHER
NUMBER 81.

ed forward until she stood in the for
hidden chamber. Then the darkness
and silence, and weird surroundings al
most appalled, her. Even the nibbling
of mouse in the worm-eaten wood
work, the rustling o. bat would have
been a relief-anything that told of an
other life than her. own. She glanced
suspiciousiy andin terror around, then
at the little blue fame of the candle;
that served to render the darkness the
more apparent; and for q time she had
no voiItion left-could only stand with
bated breath, and look from corner to
corner. Butthis suspense at last grew
too horrible to bear. She felt that she
must'more fast becoming chilled
and size soon sufficiently commanded
her feelings to move from point to
point.
The first glance convinced her that
everything remained as it had been at
the time of the sudden death of the
physician- that no, one had entered
since. A chair and table stood in the
center of the room, and upon the latter
lay an open book. She brushed away
the dust, read the heading of the chap
ter, "Poison!" aad her blood chilled in
her veins. Sick and faint, she turned
away. The thoughts suggested by
that single word would furnish food for
days of reflection; and found in such a
place, it was sufficient groundwork for
many startling romance.
But there appeared to be nothing
else to awaken curiosity, or suggest
horrible conclusions. Upon the walls
were a few dingy maps, come books
and vials upon shelf, lamp and ink
stand, in which the fluids had long
since turned to mold, case of rusted
instrnmeAts, and that was all. She
looked IL vain for some journal-some
scraps of paper that wonld give an in
sight.to the characterof the physician
and more especially his last works, but
could find none.
Observation-Disclosures disgusted-sho
was turning to descend again, when
her eyes caught sight of stains upon
the floor, stains that shone brightly
even through the thick carpet of dust;
and instantly all that she. had ever
heard of the peculiar and indellible
redness of hnmaD blood flashed through
her mind. Did she stand upon the spot
where foul murder had been commit
ted9 1t was too horrible for belief and
yet something impelled her look moro
closely.
Here was the mark of great drop;
there splash; here as If it had spirited
rapidly from full veins-there as if it
had oozed slowly ont, and spa.tered as
it fell; here as if an effort had been
made to efface it by washing-tl,ere as
clearly defined as at first Yes, ter
rible murder must have been dono
in silence and darkness! And the poor
victime Who could it have been but
the ghostly visitor of that night-the
man with blue eyes and long auburn
hair?
For an instant she stood paralyized.
then started to an upright position, but
again was arrested and held motionless
A strange shape that she had not seen
before caught her eyes-one that eau
ses sad thoughts, ii not shudder, at
all times. She made few steps for
ward toward the dim corner in which
it was, raised her candle, and saw there
"a coffin
Was 1T empty, or occupied by the
Wondering bones of the old man of her
dreamss For all she hoped in this
world-almost the one to comc-slle
would not have dared to attempt to
solve the doubt. But accident did it
tor her. Even as she turned to fee.
the fringe other shawl caught in one of
the screws, and the lid ratified 10 the
floor ut her feet. She looked-saw q
skeleton-drooped her candle-scream-
ed with horror, and fell in dead faint.
Days after, she recovered sufficiently
to learn from the lips of Frank Morris
that her wild shrieks had awakened
him-tlat lie had sought for the cause,
found and carried her to her room, and
summoned an old nurse who had been
long in the family, but that neither she
nor his wife, nor any Of the guests knew
what had happened, that they believed
she had been walking in her sleep.
Buta the first opportunity she went
out alone; saw that windows had been
cut in the side OF the secret chamber.
that is was as light and airy as any of
the others; she also learned that the
partition bad been torn away, new
floor put down, and was satisfied with
ont asking any questi0ns) that the long
unburied bones had found proper
resting-place.
Yet there was one thing that troubled
her, and she coald not be contentetl nm
til she visited the old woman who had
so long had charge Of the house. and
asked II she remembered the looks Of
the man who was said to have visited
the doctor and never been seen to de-
mart