Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-06-10


brother John, and that, curiously
enough, whilst William is very good
tempered man, John is not little quar-
relsOme. For that reason the two broth
ers are not always on good terms; and
where you see one of them the other is
pretty sure not to be found. Indeed,
| like our young gentry of days gone by,
John is in the habit of roaming about the
country, stopping first at one house and
then at another, taking free quarters
with his brothers tenants, who are not
always well pleased to see him. John
was not at the party at Morris, and he
and his brother had quarreled violently
that very morning. have good reason
to know that, for it SO happened that
John had spent the evening with me.
| II left William standing at Morris
door, looking this way and that. and feel
| ing his heart growing weaker and weaker
| every second; everybody had gone ex-
cept young Meyrick, who lodged in the
town, and he stood on the steps lighting
up his pipe Il wish you would walk
home with me, Meyrick, said Jones'; it's
so lonely Meyrick laughed sarcastic
laugh. And who shall walk back home
with me?" he asked. well, you could
sleep on bench in the hall at our
house, said William. prefer my own
feather-bed," replied Meyrick. But, my
good fellow, do said William, entreating
~. Look here, are you hungry Yes,
indeed said Meyrick-for Morris had
not given them any supper, and Meyrick
had diped early. Then if you will come
home with me we will have capital sup
performed beef and red salmon, and plen
ty of good ale, with some whisky-punch
atterward-and you shall sleep on the
dining-room SOFA Well, that tempted
Meyrick.
The way to the Plas at night is not
pleasant. First of all comes the bridge,
with the water moaning and whispering
down below, and there, you know, it is
said that maid who had been wronged
threw herself into the river and was
drowned. After that you come to dark
| hillside, where the road winds through
thick wood, just the place for anybody
| to spring out upon you and murder you:
| and when you come out OF the wood you
pass between two high rocks where they
say that thieves and robbers were put to
death long while ago. And even then
you are a good ways from the Plas, that
stands in the middle of a grove of trees,
and looks wild and ghostly enough when
you get there.
1t was tempestuous night; the wind
howled savagely, making all kinds of
strange noises among the trees; dark as
| pitch, for the moon would not rise for
an hour or more. The two young men
crept quietly along, starting and CULVER
| ing at every noise A sheep jumped up
before them out ola ditch, and frightened
| them almost out of their senses. A
screech-o flew over the wood, moaning
and shrieking like child and then they
gave themselves up fer lost But moth
ing happened, after all, till they had
come to the place between the two crags,
when in an interval of calm they heard
distant sound from the direction of the
Plas. They stopped and listened intent
ly. The sound was approaching; it came
nearer and nearer. At last it proved to
be the sound of horses hoefs. Clop,
clop, c!op, clop. What can it be?' said
Meyrick, Selling William by the arm.
There can be no horse coming from the
Plas at this time of night William
gazed and listened moment longer, and
then began to run as fast as he could in
an opposite direction. Rum he cried
in hoarse whisper to his companion
run for your life; if it catches us here
we are lostr They just cleared the rocks
as the horses hoofs echoed hollowlv be-
hind them William jumped into the
hedge on one side ard Meylick on the
other. The horse went past like the
| wind,
"After awhile they crawled out. Did
you see it, whispered William. 1 saw
something white white, was it? Are
you sure.' Yes; a white horse Then
oil of nc hpp vrill no
death in the family within twenty-four
hours 4 wish hadn't come with you,'
said Meyrick Come on, said William,
now in quite a fever of excitement.
Dear, hope it will not be John; and
We parted such bad friendsn John fell
out with me to-day too" said Meyrick.
| and l threatened to break his head
Well, let us hope it may be grand
mother
GAS they approached the Plas the
storm increased. The trees were lash
ing each other fiercely with their leafess
branches, and showers of twigs were
hurled against their faces. The Plas was
| all in darkness, and looked so solemn
| and funeral that they were almost afraid
to enter. William went first; then he
| stopped and waited for Meyrck. They
! say, too he whispered, that at such
! time corpse is seen lying stretched
across a bier in the hall; suppose we
should see it, ooh, go in, said Meyrick;
let US know the worst at once
"The hall was all in darkness; but
| William found the matches on the table,
and was just going to strike light,
when Meyrick stumbled over something
in the hall. Hang it dog" he cried,
and dealt a desDerate kick at If IL was
| q heavy blow, and was followed by a
sound of crashing and breaking. and
! short, sharp cry. What have / done.'