Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-02-24

- alIe1uy sald, by an accident as b,
- rlble as it was unforeseen. Jor
Il was with him in his Office, and th
r r had risen to come up here, VIII
,e g Atwlck, extinguishing his lamp, al
" turning suddenly, stepped out of t
y window instead of the door, al
8 lell upon the rocks below. He W
a dead man when Jones got dow
y to him.
"My God, how horrible /"
l Twas at the scene of the catastr
I, phe in few moments. And ther
! laid out already with the grim TO
malIties Of death, l gazed upon tE
| dead body of my friend Atwick-
|; whom had beheld but a few hou,
before in the perfection of health
a mangled, bloody corpse, lying sti
on the pavement, with a crowd G
people, like ghostly statues in th
twilight, gathered around it. Som
VI t4e men mad already oonstructei
litter. l was requested, as l knev
Mrs Atwick, perhaps better thai
any one in the village, to hasten OF
before and break the hideous truth
TO her as gently as 1 could.
shrank hack appalled,. Demurrine
and fearful, 1 should positively have
declined this painful duty OF friend.
ship, but Tor the temporary absence
OF our rector and the necessity OF
speedy action in some one. The
statement OF a great writer that there
IS something not altogether unpleas-
ant to US In the mistortunes of our
dearest trends, is a rank libel upon
even medium human nature l
SHOULD not have been more distress
ed if Mary Atwick, the woman to
whom l was going on such an er-
rand, had ben my own sister. And
yet my acquaintance with her was
very Slight. She was anything bnt
a popdiar woman; she mad mingled
but little with tue people OF tue vii
lage and had thus remained without
Trends, while Atwick himself had
been a uulversIl favorite. l had
visited his house on more social
terms tuan any one else, believe,
aud though l had never found her
varying from cold and naughty re-
serve, had every reason to believe
that Atwlck was devotedly attached
to her aud his children. Il, howey-
er, had known it to be olherwlse-
II they had be-n to eAcn other OBJ |
jects OF indifference, or sometimes
even Of aversion, should | not still |
have hesItatel to break the quiet Of
a household with tldings OF such a
death to one of its members? Yet, l
Was 50 stricken with dumb sort OF
ama2emeut, that l had realized no.
thiDg OF NY position, and had not
thought OF what l was to cay, even
when l found my hand upon the
gate OF the yard-enclosuie. All at
once, however, a sense OF what l
had come to do struck terror to my
soul, and the same shudder | had
experienced in my Office thrilled me
rom head to foot. There were no
lights about the house as went up
,he gravel walk. But l though
Iome one had come on the tame er-
and, as l Saw the figure of man
soing up the steps before me. l
)aused all instant on the threshold
If the portico, waiting for the figure,
With its back towards me, to lit the
lnocker to strike for admission,
when the door flew open with a
ound, and the person entering re-
'ealed to me, my God-the blood
tanned failures of Fenton Atwick
Iimself
"How, how" 1 cried, "have you
covered sufficiently to get here be-
ore me, and slone2"
1t moved toward the door of an
nner room, beckoning to me with its
affiliated, bloody hand. And a !
oiCe that l should have known,
'ithout the words, belonged to no. !
hing mortal, sad slowly; II am .
ere in the spirit before you, Jerry ; :
~ body follows on apace. Over it !
have no further control; but "that .
lou doest, do quickly" or poor Ma \
rs heart will be broken" .
l Was still looking when the fgure !
anished, as l knew it would, and l
as again alone in the moonlight.
Wondering, amazed, everything but :
ightened, l paused a moment in =
umbfounded bewildsrment. There :,
as no stronger emotion in heart or 1
indithan bitter, bitter sorrow Tor . .
lie woman upstairs, as I stepped !
sck and gave long, loud rap upon \
lie door. A servant came to light .
70 lamp in the hall, and admitted =
e. Mrs. Atwick came ia a moment. = :,
er lace was whittier than the gown 8,
lie wore as she looked at me. {, 6
"E was at my window upstairs :
hen l saw you come in at the gate, y
lth Dr.. Atwick beside you. Tell n n
g 'wh,re he has gone" h
I tried to speak to her, but could a
u. My lips were still sealed when, Q,
at once, che went down on. her q
lees crying out that he was dead. d
lie asked no confirmation from me OF D
e horrible truth that had come up
her. 1 never saw any creature go t.
as she did in my life, and I hope 81
Gods mercy that l never may. t,
hen I spoke to her at last, she IL
lied out at me "to begone and q,
i've her alone, for I had murdered Fl
m I think her mind had entire il
lost its balance. I knocked at o
door Of the next house and bade P
e woman go to her, for I could do tc
thing. They had taken her up h,
'ir', when the heavy tramp of the sc
M with the litter was heard with Ia
t. a,
0Ha ba, sbown M svmrton. of :,