The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1872-12-18

u
less on the day Of the wedding.
Indeed everything seemed to pros
per with the man who had sold
| himself unto Satan.
After the ceremony the invited
guests attended the bridal couple
to their home where q sumptuous
feast had been prepared: after en-
! Toying which they took their de-
| parturc with many wishes for long
life and happiness to the newly
welded pair.
Maurice now led his bride to
! their room but hardly had they
! entered it, when a strange noise
as of some one tramping up the
! covered stairway attracted their
attention. The door opened, and
q figure clothed in rags stood be-
| fore them. The face was livld,
and the large eyes seemed start
ing from their sockets but taSten-
cd with a steady gaze upon Mau-
! rice. 1t extended its right arm,
and from its outStretched finger,
blood dripped to the floor. Not a
word did it speak but Maurice
recognized those eyes as the same
which had glared in upon him,
through the parted curtains, and
which be had ascribcd TO fancy.
Now he felt sure he was confront
ed with spirit Of the other world,
and with sickening, unutterabIe
horror, he fell heavily to the floor,
his life stream gushing from his
mouth. The servants hearing the
noise, rushed upstairs, but the fig
ure had disappeared, leaving bloody
foot-traces all the way on the
stairs. Before assistance could be
obtained, Maurice had gone before
his Judge and his wife was q glib
bering, moaning maniac.
Every one was shocked, and at
the same time filled with horror
and curiosity, on hearing Of this
fearful tragedy; for, lis Maurice
died from the bursting Of q blood
vessel, and showing no evidence
of any violence having been done
to him, it was impossible to ac-
count for the bloody footprints,
and drops of blood near the door
leading to the garden. At first 1t
was thought that Maurice had
met with some accident in the
garden and had gone up the COW
cred stairway TO reach his room
more quickly; but there were no
marks Of blood in the wide hall
way, and besides the traces were
made with naked feet, and Mau-
rice had not removed his boots.
Something terrible must have hap
pened to upset the reason Of the
poor wife, SO the wise men argued
shaking their heads superstitious-
| ly. No one could be induced to
remove the stains, and women
crossed themselves, and whispered
to their children, that they were
"the devils footprints"
You look pale. Drink this glass
of wine. You need not fear; it is
not poisoned. Is this story true :?
Yes. too true. How did l know
all about it? You shall hear; but
| first let me show you "the devils
footprints" Come upstairs. Now
look Here where he paused,
the floor is very much stained.
See! l place myself in this posi-
ton, extend my arm, and you OBJ
serve those drops must have fallen
from an outstrctchcd finger. If
YOU examine you will fnd each
stair stained, but more so towards
the top. Now come down and
look at the well. Here tits. The
bricks are removed you see, and
the place is open. Do | think the
spirit Of the murdered man ap.
pearcd to Maurice? Listen ! Some
years after this affair, | was called
upon as physician to attend the
poor woman | have told you Of.
found her case incurable, but did
not cease my visits to her. They
had removed her to a town about
nine miles from the scene Of her
sufferings, hoping that a conplete
change Of scene might be bene-
fciai. There was a queer dumb
idiot in the place, called Silly Billy.
He was harmless, and allowed to
do pretty much as be pleased.
Sometimes he would seem half
conscious of his condition and
then he would fly from the habi-
tations of men and be gone for
days, and sometimes weeks; re-
turning ragged ana nall starved
l used to pity the poor creature
and allow him to hold my horse;
at which he would evincc every
sign Of delight. One warm day |
found my patient at the window
and | stood few moments by hel
side. Billy caught sight Of us
uttered Il strange noise, extended
his right arm, looked hxedly at
us, and then turned suddenly and
fled away. l called to some one to
look after my horse, and then
turning to my patient was sur
priSed to find her shuddering from
head to foot. From that day she
failed very fast. When the houl