Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-16

shore opposite the point on which wa,
Dempton's house. He admitted that ht
did not like being there In the dark; and
according to his own account, must have
been stumbling along at great rate among
the roots and bushes on the bank, when
all at once, he could not help crying out,
90, Lord what's dat2 for sure's you lib,
seed a light cross de ribber, right 'bove dc
place whar Miss Dempton must a come
down de night she got drowned" He was
afraid to move at first, aud started ut the
light, expecting-he did not know what
There was no stir, however, and he soon
saw that il was higher up and further back
than the top of the bank, and came from
the house itself. His childish alarm changed
10 child's curiosity, and he stood for some
minutes watching the shadow of the per-
son who was holding the candle. At last
it seemed to be set down on the floor, and
the person who had it-apparently Demp-
ton hmself-crossed the window, and
opened what Nep was certain was door,
for he saw its dark substance come before
the light. and noticed also the edge Of its
shadow drawn up and down the window.
Dempton presently came back, closing the
door behind him, and bringing his own
shadow full against the window as be
stopped to take the candle up. All this
must have been noted by Nep with a sim
pie pleasure at the idea of seeing so much
Of what Dempton was doing when be
thought himself unobserved. "I SEE TO
myself-guess Mas'r Dempton would a
blowed dat light out if he fought see 'um."
Nep then thought no more about ii, but
made his way TO the skiff, and crossed the
| stream.
"Did you never speak of itP" asked At
kins.
"Oh yes, mss'r-told de old woman when
got home, and some oh de boys de mex
day but dar wasn't muffin in it and I soon
forgot all about it, Till I came by'ar dis
mornin'."
"Well, what scared you so to-day when
you came in here7" 1t was not strange,
for such obtuseness occasionally happens
to us at critical moments. But not one of
his hearers seemed TO catch as yet the point
of his story, of which the negro himself
had only dim idea.
"Dunno, mas'r; made me feel mighty
queer to come by'ar whar 1 seed Mas'r
Dempton all by hissef II kind a cum
back to me, and 1 'membered de candle on
the floor, and de shadow of de door and
when didn't see no door tall, seemed as
If de debbil must been at work."
81 don't see that this nig's story goes for
much," said Spicer there's a closet in the
next room with a door to it-I suppose it's
there where Dempton was"
$50 there is" replied Atkins ~ noticed
1t when Dempton showed his wife's clothes
hanging there. Now 1 think Of it," con-
tinued Atkins, half 10 himself as il study
ing out the point, II noticed, too, in what
a clumsy way the door was hung, 50 that il
opened right back against the window, and
shut it up. Spiceri that door would have
shut in all the light of the candle and not
let Nep see half of it,"
The three men stared at each other for
moment in silence.
GOOD heavens y exclaimed the planter,
who had hitherto said nothing; "do you
suppose he could have hid the body THERE"
pointing 10 where The door, by the negro's
account should have been, "and then wall
ed it up1"
Spicer was leaning with his bands be-
hind him against the very spot, and shot
from it with a convulsive spring. Atkins
raised bis hands and eyes to heaven. Con-
viction came like a flash with the words
just spoken. Nep disappeared, with how
much or how little of noise no one of them
noticed till a loud cry rose out of doors,
and, as those who saw him said, the negro
went tearing down the path like crazy
creature, crying, "Dey's foun' de bodyI
dey's foun' de bodyr' and then suddenly
the poor fellow fell down in fit.
The excitement created was fearful.
presently mingled with deep oaths. A
rush from all sides was made for the house.
The three men in the fatal room above had
scarce time TO recover from their first
shock, when their silence was broken by
the tramping and struggling of the excited
throng. So unseemly a thing could not
have happened but for the fact that the
nervous tension TO which they had all been
subjected had become nearly uubearable,
and nature itself demanded some physical
outlet. Atkins now gave proof of that
sturdiness of spirit of which indications
have already appeared. He met the first
who reached the upper floor, looking al
most like madmen, with an uplifted hand,
and a manner so collected and solemn that
its calming effect was instantly felt.
"For Gods sake' he cried in a strong,
earnest tone, "keep cool! Don't act in this
wild way. It's all too soon. Nothing's
found out yet. Let us behave like men
who have a most solemn duty to per-
FORM"
They were crowding him more and more
into the doorway from The larger into the
smaller room, those behind still pressing up
in the fierce excitement of the moment.
He raised his voice to its full pitch, with
the authority such exigence gives.
"FrieDds neighbors listen TO me. Some
OF you back there, stop that rush and help
me TO keep order. What are you aflerH
There's nothing here that we've seen yet
but an empty room. II there's anything
to be found, we've got TO find it. Let's go
about it as orderly men should. Keep quiz
ct, aud Pll tell you all that has happened"
Such words, so spoken, had full effect.
Indeed their passion had spent itself in its
own outburst. Order was soon obtained,
aud then in few clear words Atkins ex-
planned what the clue was which the negro
had so unexpectedly put into their hands.
By this time the front room, which was
equal in size TO the two smaller ones at the
back that opened into it, was literally
packed full-an idea of something proving
powerful enough TO keep them from pass
ing through the door at which Atkins
stood, except little way under the great
pressure from behind. No one stepped in
of his own accord. To their credit it must |