Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-06-27

to find it. But it was not to Ike found. We
searched every stray scrap.
1T must have fallen into: the 1lreplace,"
s:ld 'sec-there arc its charred re-
"Ycs, asc,'' said Bailey, looking at me,
pityingy. ''But never mind to.nig,lt,
rcstcd''
This inturiatetl me. Il E~-/"i
':.You arc trilling y. 1 calculated ''You
don't bclicye mo. But Lam ncithef drunk
nor crazy. have spoken tho truth, ind
you or some one else must 60 with me
immediately to Muggins' Forks
Bailey poohhd, and eMnAypeal to per-
suade me out Of this idea, whcreat I left
him without ceremony. I, '''''H
Imatlc my way into the street and walk
ed swiftly to tho police headquarters.
l was we'll atquaint. d there, j and, with.
out being Obliged to enter into minute ex-
plantations, was furnished with an escort of
two officers. ,.. o..
"Bcen fuss at the Forks, did you say?''
remarked one Of them, after we had go
well ON our way. -
..Yes-in fact there las been !. murder
strong"
No I might mot have been believed il
had 1t ia rather assingular affair, take it
all through: But # we search the cellar
ways on P1nche's alley, It's my opinion
that we'll find the dead body of Ward
Sutfin."
Both men uttered startled cxc,amations
at this, and demanded to know my reasons
for thus speaking.
i T than s1oto;1of1 ~ %1,os,n %1,n
that have already been related, at which
they uttered sund'y expressions of surprise
aod inctctlulity.
But We hurried on faster than ever, and
IN duo course of time reached that quarter
Of the ci'y known as Muggins' Forks. It
ives in ttate of comparative quietudc,
being dark and silent, lights glimmering
only occasionally here and there out of low
Soon we turned ON Pinche's alley, mar
row, dirty, dark lane, from various quarters
of which arose stcnches almost unbeara-
BILE. We walked slowly and cautiously
along. guided by the light Of cne of the
policemen's lanterns, which cast about q
ghOstly glimmer,~ seeming to make visible
the foulness of the air and the corruption
which left not untaintcd one inch of space.
With hcsitating steps and dread anticipa-
ton we pursued our horrible search
Down into damp places and nests OF filth
and we pecred, Withdrawing from each as
soon as we had scanned it thoroughly.
We found It.
It lay partially doubled up, but the head
and face were visible. l locked first at
the forehead, and there was bright red
wound, corresponding precisely with the
one had see On-What?
We carefully gathered it up and straight :
cncd it out, aud composed the limbs in
less painful posture. There were two
hands that worked with loving, though
trembling touch.
1t was iaken to the hospital in order to
ascertain beyond peradventure whether or
not life was extinct. The physician said
he must have been dead an hour.
Thought, when returned to the Office,
that Bailey looked upon NE with an tx
preston akin to awe. But was in a
mood far from triumphant. I had loved
Ward dearly, aud was bowed down with
grief at his untimely and terrible death.
l spare all sickening details Of the cx-
element that followed, of the talk about
my part in the tragedy, of the truitltss
search for the murtlerers.
Afterward Bailey made me give him a
more explicit account of the strange man.
ner in which l received my information of
the tragic event.
And, a. minutely described each cir
cumstance, he alternately opened his eyes
wide, scowled, laughed and looked wise
What else could he do?''
I do not attempt to give any explana-
ton of what have related. The facts
or my memory Of them-nave been laid
before the reader. But, as l shinK them
over, questions obtrude themselves upon
each other.
Was dreaming? If so, is there meth
Od in dreamer And can a stimulated
BRAIN receive an impression from dream
SO vivid and delible as to be indistinguish-
able from . memory of an actual fact ?
If so. what is memory but delusion, and to
what extent can we trust our recollections
Of the past? But why pursue the subject2