Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-06-30
BRATTLEBORO VT, FRIDAY JUNE 30, 1876.


or of the strange voice. Then, turning
back again, they stared at one another, and
remained silent. Bertha, who was seated
in the room, arose, and, rushing towart
Frederick, cast herself into his arms.
The magistrate, who wore tight breeches
great shining buckles on his shoes, ant
his white hair tied with ribbon, spoke, in
measured tone:
"Take tho child away, and return 10 us
Frederick Won Nacht."
The two young people left the room
When Frederick returned, he gave, in an
swer 10 various questions, his name, and
age, and birthplace; these, with full de.
scription of his appearance, were carefully
noted down. The paper was then banded
to the priest, who read ii signed his name,
nodded his head, and handed 1t TO the doc
tor. The doctor read ii, signed his name
nodded his head, and handed II again tc
the magistrate. The magistrate then read
it TO the assembled company, who nodded
their heads with one accord.
Frederick arose to depart, when his name,
Frederick von Ndch rang shrilly through
the room. Pale with fright, every face was
turned toward the couch of the murdered
man, Hans Nicklemann aud there, in the
folds of the red and white curtains, sat the
parrot of the Dutch captain, stately and
wise looking.
That night, those who watched in the
quaint parlor of the old house were aroused
from their silence by the hurried entrance
of Nicholas the gardener. His face wore a
look of terror, as he related what he had
seen but brief moment before. Standing
at a window, he looked out upon the gar
den lying white in the moonlight, while
he thought upon his dear master, whose
dead body rested in the room above him.
Suddenly emerging from the dark shad-
ows surrounding The house, the figure of a
man, holding in his arms what appeared TO
be the lieless form OF woman, swiftly de-
scended the path leading TO the river, and
disappeared among the trees.
"As his cloak flew out on the breeze"
continued the old man, ~ knew it was no
creature of flesh and blood" Then, low
ering his quivering voice to a whisper, he
added, "'Twas one from the other land y
His hearers gazed at each other in conster-
nation. Finally, two who were bolder than
the rest, sprang 10 their feet, and excaim-
ing, as though with one breath, "Bertbsw
they rushed from the room. From cham Der
to chamber they sought the orphan girl,
calling aloud her name, but in vain. Next,
they hurried down the flower-decked ter
races OF the hill toward the stream. A boat
that had long had its place beneath clump
Of bushes was gone from its accustomed
mooring, aud as the two men ran back and
forth, loudly calling 10 Bertha, echo alone
made answer TO their cries. Three days af-
ter the murder, Hans Nicklemann was
buried with great awe and ceremony. The
simple and peaceful villagers could never
find the murderer, nor trace him in his
flight. Frederick Won Nacht was not seen
again aller giving his name to the magis-
trate; nor did the bright face of the guile
less Bertha ever look from the wide win
dows of the dreary mansion In any of the
days that followed.
\ succession of joys aud sorrows turned
aside the revengeful feelings of the honest
villagers into another channel. The grass
grew green on the grave Of the Dutch cap
tain, and the story was told to children,
and repeated to grandchildren, until it be-
came a well authenticated tradition. The
finger Of ruin WAS busy night and day,
dotiing down its record upon roof and
wall, whose only steadfIst friends seemed
to be the lichens and MOSES that clung 10
them unchanceably through sun and rain.
The road leading past the house was seldom
Travelled. Yet occasionally farmers journ-
eying in that direction recounted marvel
lous tales of the weird shapes they had
seen, as they hurried by in their old white
topped wagons. Fifty years had gone by
since the day of Hans Nick klomann's muir
der and the night OF Berthas disappear
ance. 1t was fifty years TO the day. A
youthful stranger TO that portion of the
country riding slowly on his way 10 the
town, turned into the deserted road leading
past the silent house. The gate stood open,
and in the path the stranger beheld the fig
ure OF woman lying across the way.
Fastening forward, he lifted her FROM the
hard stone. He came, alas, too late! Doath,
as friend or foe, had been before him.
Placing the shrivelled form reverentially
beneath a protecting hedge, he hurried
away TO the busy town five miles of, where
he told his errand.
a few, to give help. aud some who fol-
lowed from the curiosity of the ignorant,
gathered about the dead WON an in the gar-
den walk of the ghostly tenement. Pro-
posing to bury the strange woman in the
graveyard at the back of the church, they
at length reached the place where she lay.
In the pinched and wrinkled face only age
and sorrow had left their marks. Naught
in the cold blue eyes told of friendship, or
love, or beauty. The streaming white hair
was put away from the sad face, the coarse
clothes were smoothed into order, as she
was lifted into the rude coffin on the ground.
AS the thin hands were folded together a
narrow gold ring, hanging loosely on the
withered fore.fiuger of the left hand,
cleaned as it rolled away into the light.
"From Frederick 10 Bertha" read young
man, kneeling on one knee beside the
corpse. The ring dropped from his hand.
"Not in the church-yard," they said, with
a shudder. 1--WE will bury her here"
And then, in haste and silence, they laid
her beneath the long grass in the deepest
shadows Of The Haunted House.-Home
Journal.
--
TIE GREAT ExHIBITIoN at Philadelphia
nromiseS TO be a financial success as the