The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-04
THE MISTER SOL TED.


| II thought you would have ruug your
bell before this time, madam | guess your
| fire is e'euamost OUT said ,Ierusha Sears,
otherwise known as Aunt Jerushy," burst
ing into the parlor at twilight, or what she
chose TO call early candle lightin'." "Ain't
ye cold, Miss Sweeney? There's nothin'
/ but few coal left"
The still figure sitting there in the angle
OF the fire place answered not, but that
! fact did not dauut Aunt JeruslIa.
Il should have been in before" she con-
! tinued, ''but | s'posed ye had company.
| Twas the minister, wasn't it? | had my
! hands i'll the bread when he Knocked or l
! should have gone To the door"
| Stu no answer.
| Il guess she's asleep" commented Aunt
Jerusha, audibly; ''au' if she is, I'd bet
! ter hold my tongue and not wake her. 1t
does old folks deal of good to sleep.
| just at that moment the fire blazed up
/ brightly, and Aunt Jerusha turned round
from hcI task of blowing it with her apron
, to look a. her beloved mistress. There was
something awful in the rigid stiffness of
| her position. Her head had fallen forward
upon her breast, one hand hung by her
sIde the other grasred the arm of the chair.
| Her features were shaded by the position
| in which she sat.
The fire was burning now, and as Aunt
Jerusha rose she put her hand upon the
rug to lift herself 10y its aid. 1t FLASHED
into pool vf something warm, we., sticky,
that was oozing Out upon the hearth.
II guess the minister set his umbrella
down here, she said, and then she glanced
at her hand. All the palm was covered by
a dark, awful smear, AND from her extended
fingers dripped the cIammy mass.
'.Oh '" shrieked Aunt Jerusha. Claw !!
Oh, gracious Miss Sweeney do believe
it's blood ~
CIo ,,.o,,, nv 20 ,or -, ,;s.rocs ,,d ol,tol,.d
her arm. She was alarmed, but her alarm
was vague.
.'Miss Sweeney Oh, my! Dear ma am !!
Oh, my poor mistress, can't you speak to
me? It's Aunt Jerusha, dear - and she
shook the still figure in her increasing ter
ror, and putting her hand beneath the
brow, raised up the dropping head.
And .hen she saw-oh, what an awful
sight A gbastly wound in the white
neck that half severed the head, horrible
stream still oozing down the widows dark
DRESS "A pallid face with wide open eyes,
cougealed IN that awful stare Of horror
that preceded her violent death. Mrs.
Sweeney sat in the same tranquil position
she always used, with a hand tightly clasp
ing the arm Of heI chair, and i'll the other
| that hung Iigidly at her SIDE a tuft of hair
still yr,SIod. 1t was coaIs Sc but brilliant
lock, of lefty blackness, long, straight, un-
pliant.
All this Aunt Jerusha took in, in one
quick, Mortified glance. And then her
shIiek summoned all the help upon the
premises.
Uncle solomon Goshare, the lame, de-
crepit old man who came once week,
..pottering about and doing chores" as
Aunt Jerusha said, was now sitting before
the kitchen fire, eating some bread and
meat and toaSting his old rheumatic legs !;
aud for once Aunt Jerusha was glad of his
presence lie came hubbling through the
passage, grumbling and eNclaiming. Uncle
Solomon thought women very troublesome
creatures, "-full of motions" and by no
means sound of mind
"What on aiith's the matterP quoth
he, stumbling into the parlor. ''What
We screechin' for, Aunt Jerusha? Is the
house aiire, or what ?'
"Murder is the matter, ye old fool, +" an
severed Aunt Je,usha. Run down to the
village, quick, aud call somebody, Can't
you see that Miss Sweeney is killed"
.sOh, Lord Did ye do it, Aunt Jeru-
shy? Marcy ye don / say she is Dead do
ye?'
Eyes, l do, and here ye stand askin'
questions when We ought to be half way to
the village, But, law, you wouldI never
get there. suppose | shall have to go
myself. But don't you go out oil The room
"Aunt Jerushy, Aunt Jerushy dar-
sent stay here alone nohow. WALL II you
will 60" shrinking from her wrathfui lace
and uplifted hand, ''give me light. The
| fire might 90 out and | never could stand
| it in the dark"
Light it yourself" answered the grim
woman, pushing one of the candles on the
| rauteI toward him. And in moment she
was out in the stormy night, running along
the miry road .hat led 10 the village, more
than half mile away.
Old solomon retreated to the corner
farthcst from that still awful presence,
which he watched during those minutes
which, stretched themselves, in his imagin-
alton, into years before Aunt Jerusha re-
turned with the doctor and train of al
frighied town people.
No earthly help was available to her
WIN till sat as in the quiet, lonely house
in the afternoon, but now quite dead.
PEOPLE swarmed into the house, crowding
into the room and jostlng in the passages,
wondering. whispering, ventilating strange
Il