Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-01-18
seemed to prophesya speedy and happy

~ tAOfA~NSs :" -~RFJ
marriage.
At this point B made his appear
ance on the scene. He was at this time
a lawyer of fair standing and repute-
young, good-looking, and, for those days,
well versed in the arts and usages of
polite society. Retained as counsel by
the H family in a lawsuit, on its
termination in their favor he gradually
advanced from the position of legal adj
wiser to that of a trusty and intimate
friend; and in the heart of one at least
in the family he seems to have stood
higher still.
One morning M came down to
New York, went to the jewelers., and
bought handsome gold ring, which he
purposed presenting TO his mistress as
pledge of their approaching union.
But that union was destined never to
take place. On reaching her house he
found every thing in wild confusion
the young lady had eloped the night
previous with the traitor B., and no
one knew whittier. M returned to
his farm, moody and sullen, and from
that hour was an altered man. The ring
which the falsehood of Miss H had
defrauded of its original purpose he
wore always thereafter around his neck
and next his heart; and surely, if there
be poison in the evil passions and un-
hallowed emotions of the human soul,
we can almost believe them to have
hardened into the gold and crystallized
into the gems of that engagement-ring!
Meanwhile B and his wife found
little difficulty in obtaining the forgive
ness and favor of the H family and
at the decease of the old people they
inherited half the estate, the remainder
going to an only son, at that time absent
in Europe. M, however, kept en-
tirely aloof from them until the time of
his death; but shortly before that event
he sent to B letter protesting for
giveness and desire for reconciliation,
and inclosing the engagement-ring as a
pledge thereof. But, for whatever rea-
son made, this pledge seems to have
been insincere; for of the same date is
an extract from Ms journal con-
tanning these words:
"Being MOVIE sickle past hope of re-
coverie, doe herebye declare my on
dyinge Hatred toward B., himselfe
and his posteritie forever; and | pray
God that my Revenge be fulfilled to the
Uttermoste-yea, at the PERIL of mine
own Soule Amen
These words, dreadful in any case, but
doubly so as coming from dying man,
closed the collection A note, written
apparently by s., the compiler, add
ed that NJ had been buried in Trim
ity Churchyard, and that the tombstone
above him bore this inscription:
In memory of - NJ,
Who died February 6, III.
Requiescat in pace"
| laid down the manuscript, poured
out a glass of wine, and slipped and pom
dered. The omission OF all the ma es
puzzled me. What object could the
papers have been collected for, unless to
record a VOW of vengeance. and the
causes which led to and justified it ?
Yet, without the names, was it not void
of all significance True, the omission
had probably greatly increased the
chances OF the manuscripts being pre-
served through so many years but
preservation at the expense of identif-
cation seems objectless. On the other
hand, was it likely that M, al the
moment of dissolution, would have
prayed for vengeance on his enemy,
even at peril of his own soul, and have
caused the prayer to be written down,
| without any purpose whatever? De
cidedly not How he had intended or
expected his revenge to be accomplished
was beyond my prehension per-
| haps he deemed the ring a sort of tails
man, enabling his disembodied spirit to
haunt the wearer. | finished my glass
of port and set it down. A little wine
always makes me imaginative!
While debating whether to light q
fresh pipe or my bedroom candle, 8
loud ring at the door bell settled the
question for me. "Who the deuce car
be coming here at this time of night T
l grunted, rubbing my eyes and yawn
ing. A knock at the door heralded the
entrance of my friend Browne. | hae
not seen him for week or two, but h,
could not have changed more in as many
years. | was quite startled at his APP
pearance.
"Good Heavens, Browner' l ex
claimed. "Why, you look as if you'c
seen a ghost y
Browne started and looked at me 70
moment; then he dropped into IA
easy-chair from which | had incau
tiously risen to give him welcome,
, leaned his elbows on his knees and hi
head on his hands, gazed gloomiiy int
| the fire for few moments, and the
said, in low, awe-struck voice. yer
different from his usual brisk, livel
, tone:
And SO l have Simpson p
| was completely unnerved. Unit
this evening l had known Browne as
rising young barrister, clever, sensible
, and always in good spirits. The idea {
such a man as he coming in suddenl
5 and deliberately at that hour of tn
, night and solemnly asserting that h
r had seen a ghost, was enough to III
( nerve any body. l was at loss whs
to say, and therefore said the very las
: thing | meant to | asked him to hav
| a glass of winel
S Browne, without word, filled N
i. glass to the brim, drained it, filled
E again, and drained that, looking all th
4 while as if he were going to be hanged
: But began to look rather serious m,
i self then.
| +" Simpson, said Browne, abstractedl
q again gazing into the fire, /" L sham
S blame you for being incredulous.
should have been myself--if | hadn
1 I L