The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-08-18

took on phase yet more singular. A
young woman, from miles away, posi-
lively identified the unknown DIS her
own sister, no, seen of many, had
been living 70 months in the village so
full of wonder ent. Marks and moles
fell in with the testimony, and placed
the fact beyond dispute. None dissen-
ted but portrait painter. A friend
was known to have lately driven her
out in the direction of her mothers
home, and her few days. absence had
been thus accounted for but the family
knew not where she was, until this
chance look recognized her in the
stranger. On his arrest the escort pro-
tested that he had left her safe on the
road little way from her mother
house but this only increased suspicion,
and amidst storm of popular indigna-
ton he was thrust into the murders
cell, as much to save him harmless as
the majesty of the law. Not many
years after, from that same cell, a mob
dragged out negro prisoner, held on
suspicion of lesser crime, and left him
dangling from a court yard tree in the
Sunday twilight.
DuI SOOli Cdlllt IL EItdl CdiIl
While the minister was preaching her
funeral sermon, a physician on his cir
cult met the missing girl abloom with
vitality, visiting some other friend
meanwhile, and all unconscious of her
sudden taking off.
" My God Miss, they were going to
bury you this afternoon, and mayhap
the man that killed you tomorrow ~
he exclaimed, and lifting her in his gig
rode race to the Town Hall, where she
confronted the dead and COMPOUNDED
the living. Her actual presence, in
flesh and blood unmeet to fill the others
CHASTITY cerements, was indisputable (;
and through the rent it made in that
tissue of errors glibly called circum-
stantial evidence, her friend passed out
to freedom.
Again the shadows settled down
thicker than ever, and rested, dark and
impenetrable, over the nameless grave.
Letters and pictures, sent every now
and then for years to the officials.
brought no clue either to the actors or
the victim of the tragedy and it came
to be mentioned only as the Mystery of
Danskammer.
Yet one there was who CHANGED, in
the court room, to see the dead girls
gentle face, and thought she knew it
but where so many had been mistaken,
it is not strange from timiditv and ig-
norance of duty she shrank from volun-
teering her unsupported opinion. Be-
sides, in her simplicity, she thought
more Of charging the crime upon its
author, than of linking him with it, by
establishing the identity of his victim.
The name whispered with a kiss, "Olly
Roman !" and when afterward, during
the rebellion, Patsy catered for a mill
tary hospital, her belief was turned into
assurance.
The cots stood side by side whereon
two captive soldiers lay, whose days
were numbered. Of one, who, wounded,
led his troop of horse till taken prison
er, his comrades told strange tales of fits
Of gloom and deeds of reckless daring.
How many night the ceaseless tread
Of his pacing feet had broken their re-
pose how sleep only came to cheat
him with dreams of agony, and how all
through the war he he had tried to fling
his life away, or in the noise of battle
drown the louder voices of some great
remorse.
The other was wasted, till his arm
looked as if it never could have borne q
musket; and his hollow eyes were ever
watching his companion while he raved,
with frightened stare. They seemed
to have been partners in some awful Sc
cret, whose terrible bond yet kept them
together here, and would hold them
hereafter.
Suddenly in his delirium the dragoon
would spring up and point down the
corridor, shrieking "There, Fay see
she is coming with the marks on her
throat just where the bullet tore through
mine. The Romarl the Roman .,
keep her OFF, till the sick man had
soothed him into quiet. After he died
no one could soothe the perturbed spir-
it of the survivor, nor long bear the
horrors of the scene. Removed out of
sight and hearing, whispers of his
strange rawlings reached Patsy, and to
satisfy her eyes and ears she carried
some broth to his bedside.
His mind was clear again.
Recognizing her, he told what the
reader already knows, and of Oily
short lived happiness abroad, and how
on their return the truth burst upon
her in his real wife's appearance and
taunts of infamy. "Then her true love
turned to hate" gasped the guilty,
wretched, dying Erie Pentz, "and she
threatened me with every penalty of
outraged justice, but was mad to -.
Ha there she comes again. The prints
on her neck are red as Goals of fire, and
my throat is burning too Q, forgive
forgive, forgive u and so his shivering
soul passed into the throng of spirits,
leaving the rest of the mystery to be re-
vealed in the light of eternity.
1t was enough for the faithful heart
that was yearning over the nameless
grave along the river; and now that
green mound is marked with marble
slab, placed there in the night by un.
known hands, with nothing engraved
upon it but rosebud, shivered from
the branch, with jagged stem, and
crushed out of all comeliness.