The Morning herald., 1877-06-11
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Was il a Suicide? !?
BY wYMAN.

siding III iAtt1o 80 "'vS u -
,;,loee wrote me to spend the summer va
cation. at his cool, snug house. l gladl..
and at once accepted. The only thin
If interest to me in the village, alway ex'
ceptiny my cousin May, was large, di
1anidated old stone mansion, standing on I
r;se of ground at the remote end of thu
village: uninhabited when first saw it
and thus had been for years, ] was told
Liule boys, who by daylight, dared hardly
,o throw stones through the molderine
and classless windows, never passed the
gloomy she'll after dark, unless from neces.
.;tv and then with much bravado of loud
vhistling and Aervously swift steps.
But one day change was observed the
broken windows were found boarded up or
filled with rags; light smoke was seen to
issue from one Of the huge chimneys, and
some unusually audacious adventures,
peering through a rear window on the
ground floor, saw two old and haggish-
looking women, whose faces showed them
to be sisters, sitting at their scanty meal.
From this time forward, very little was
seen or known Of the mysterious occupants
Of the old house. Strange rumors got
aaoat that these two miserly, and, to all
appearance, wretchedly poor old women,
were heirs of the former proprietor.
Well, things ran on in the same easy
going, hum-drum style for two or three
months, at the end of which time l began
thinking of my return to college, and i'm
mensely dreading to say good-by to my
cousin May.
Early one September evening, few
days previous to that Of my proposed de-
parture, the whole village was shocked by
the report that one Of the old ladies had
hanged herself, and with all boys eager.
nes, hurried to the deadly spot.
The bod was found hanging to rafter,
and so low was it that the knees Of the
corpse rested upon the floor. There we're
several bruises and scratches on the face
and body, but none Of determinate ma
ture. In fine, the jury pronounced it
case of self.killing, and if any had misgiv>
ing as to the correctness Of the verdict.
they kept them studiously to themselves.
The body was taken down, l assisting,
and decently laid out. The funeral was
appointed for the next day. Two or three
of the village women remained through
the day, and until dark. When about to
quit the house. it was found that nobody |
had been engaged Ito sit up with the |
corpse" (iu the ghastly parlance of the
common people, ceremony as punctili.
ously observed in those days as it was
foolish and superstitious.
At last, finding no one else likely to
undertake it, l volunteered to act as
watcher and so, about nine o'clock of the
evening, selecting book from rny uncle's
library to help me through sleepless
night, took my way to thehouse of death.
The old sister met me at the door, and
admitted me without word. A single
candle was burning on a low deal table
the corpse, knew, was lying in its state
chamber directly over my head. 1t had
been prepared with ice and saltpeter, thus
obvialing the necessity of visiting it
during the night.
Presently the old woman withdrew to a
little bedroom adjoining the apartment in
which l was sitting, and in a few minutes
knew by her heavy breathing she was
asleep.
Ipicked up my book and opened it; it
was volume of Edgar Poe's wonderful
tales. A strange choice, you may say, and
80 it might have been for some, but | was
never timid. First I read "The Black
Cat;" but just before reaching its close
very slight creeping noise brought me to
my proper self in an instant. 1t seemed
10 be in the chamber overhead, and ! soon
argued myself into the belief that it was
'nly the wind through broken pane Of
glass swaying the window curtain. Coming
o this conclusion, felt easier; rose,
walked to the window and looked out. At
his moment, with much whirring and
yteezing, a venerable old clock in some
Instant room tolled out the hour of mid
light.
lnvoluntarily turning half round I en-.
the cleaning eyes Of the old
'edame, looking out from the partly
'pened bedroom door with an expression
# horror. She Immediately withdrew
without saying word. and l again sought
o forget myself in my book.
:! read page after page, and finally
nishing my story leaned back in my chair
nd ruminated on the strange events in the
lie of the fabulous Pym By-and.bye 4
clock found myself nodding, and only
nth an effort was enabled to collect my
fancies. Atlast l Islept-I know
must have slept, but how long I have no $
leana of knowing. Did I dream, or was
real ? ] sprang to my feet with nervous
error my candle was Pickering and sput-
ering in the tube of the candlestick !;
srrible shrek was dying away in the
choing rooms--or was it only the wind