The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-01-04

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on its warbling lips-consequently the
gurgling sound that broke the silence
of midnight could not proceed from that.
Whatever caused it the gurgling sound
soon ceased, and was succeeded by the
prolonged howl OF dog in the distance
that peculiar howl by which the super.
stitious know that some one is dying in
the village.
The next morning Seth was on his way
| to the cottage, as usual, when he encoun.
tered lawyer Thorne, who was just strik.
ing out for his morning walk.
al think we are going to have fine
day." said he to Seth.
at may be-" replied the latter; "but
1t will be a wintry one, if that red sky is
any sign"
The lawyer bad an eye like lynx,
but for the life of him he could not dis
cover the slightest tinge of red in the
heavens.
By the way" said he, as you have
finished all but page or two of your
last job, it will take you but a moment
or two to do it now."
Seth was at first disinclined to comply;
but he finally went in and sat down with
pen in hand, waiting for the ink, which
the lawyer brought from his desk in the
adjoining room.
Before commencing, Seth drew his
hand across his eyes, as if to brush away
something which blurred his sight; and
he had scarcely written the first word
before he started up and angrily ex-
claimed: 81 din't ask you for red ink !"
The ink was as black as the ace of
spades; and this being Seth's second OPP
tical delusion that morning, the lawyer
advised him to defer the copying for a
short time. Seth thereupon departed
for the doctors cottage, and shortly af.
terward came rushing back to announce
that he had found a hatchet imbedded in
his skull.
In consequence of his suspicious con-
duct at lawyer Stones, Seth was
promptly arrested, and was speedily
brought to trial.
Directly after the murder, it trans.
pired that the prize for the treatise was
offered by gentleman who knew of the
peculiar situation in which Edward
Stone and Ella Thorne were placed, and
in Offering that prize he accomplished
the double purpose of advancing the in
terests of science, and of rendering pc
cuniary assistance in delicate way.
Next to Ella herself, no one was so hor-
rified by the murder as this person; for,
as it was followed by robbery, he re-
preached himself for being the indirect
cause Of the tragedy. So, in order to
make all the amends in his power, he
devoted all his energies to the prosecu-
ton of the suspected man. Being an en-
thusiast in regard to the theory upon
which poor Stone had written, he deter
mined to reduce it into practice as a
means of conviction. He employed one
of the most skillful photographers in
New York City to photograph the eye of
the murdered man, and thus obtain the
portrait of the murderer.
On the day of the trial the photograph
SO taken was brought into court in a
sealed envelope; and after the prelimin-
ary proof had been submitted, the photo
graph was duly exhibited to the jury.
The foreman was a weather-beaten old
trapper, who would have looked wild
cat in the eye with perfect composure
but he no sooner saw the photograph
than he covered his face with his horny
hands and uttered cry of horror that
will echo in the ears of those that heard
1t until it is shut out by the coin lid.
1t was the photograph of Ella Thorne
Every one saw from the wild excite
ment that it would be useless to prose
cute the matter further, and the prisoner
was straight discharged from custody
but of course no one was so devoid Oi
reason as to suspect Ella Thorne of any
completely in the crime. Years passed,
and the people of that village began to
lose faith in the proverb that "murder
will out" when Ella, who bad devoted
herself to deeds of charity since that
awful period, was summoned to the bed
side of Seth, who had been wounded in
drunken brawl. On her arrival, the
drunken wretch spoke as follows, al
though some of the words gushed out
with a mothful Of blood:
"There is not creeping thing on
Gods earth that doesn't see the day il
wished for wings; but nobody had the
charity to suppose that / ever wanted tC
be any better than was. Ever since
first saw you turned my back on Goo
to worship the original of this portrait
He fumbled under the bed.clothes fol
moment, and she recOiled in horror al
he produced her own miniature that sht
had given to Edward Stone, and which
was now smeared with his blood. Hav
ing exhibited this, Seth proceeded with
his recital:
"Mine was a nature that could stant
any number of kicks, when single kline
word would have been too much for me
But didn't get it-so let that pass. Ed
ward Stone was superior to me in every
thing but in love for you; and when hi
came between us like snake, i resolved
to send him to the only place where
could meet him on equal terms. Tha
place was the grave. A dying bed Is ne
place for hypocrisy, and admit that th'
money was one incentive to the murder
but when / saw him gszing at thi
miniature Just as l struck him down,
drove the hatchet in an inch or TIVE
deeper as I thought of his love for you
l secreted that portrait with the money
and want no other man TO wear 1t mex
to his heart, as often did at night whel
no curious eyes were about; so you ar
welcome to it. and all the more 80 be
cause it has the blood of Edward Ston
upon it. / feel no remorse for what
did, although everything has looked re-
to me ever since his blood spurted u
into my eyes, and even those blac
clouds on yonder CRIMSON sky look lik
vultures on a field of blood !"
As he pointed upward he fell bac
dead but the mystery connected wit
the photograph was solved for the fac
photographed from the dead mans ey
was the one it had viewed in Ellen
: miniature an instant before it had close
for ever.
A CORRESPONDENT of the ChurCtma