The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-01-09


lighter heart than he had often had since
the fatal marriage day.
But when he hal fallen asleep, he be-
gan to dream strange, troubled dreams.
He was at the battle of San Jacinto, and
the Mexican's lips were at his ear.
"I cursed the gun" He heard again:
May it prove curse to your
Other guns were firing all about
them; he heard the noise, he smelt the
smoke. Suddenly he awoke-the noise
of the report of firearms was actually in
his ears and he detected the odor of
gunpowder.
He saw his wife ong n. 4l,,es in the
middle of the room.
"What has happened ?" he cried.
"I do not know" sobbed the poor
woman.
al heard noise--I am frightened |"
Then they rushed together to the gar
ret, whence came a sound of groans.
Meanwhile l had heard the boys go
past my room and up the garret stairs,
probably in search of fishing tackle. /
called them back.
"Be careful, boys" cautioned them,
"about the lumber closet. There is an
old gun in it that may be loaded. Don't
go near it.
GAN right" said Charlie, "Come
ON Will"
They went up stairs.
"Fishing is all very WELL, said the
elder, but I'd like shooting better.
What pity father won't let us have
guns"
He crossed the garret and opened the
door of the lumber closet.
Eyes there the old thing is. [ don't
believe its loaded. What if it is ? Reck-
ON I know how to manage a gun 70
"Let's take it on the sly" said his
brother. "Let it out of the window,
and I'll carry it to the woods. There is
the powder-hask and bullet-pouch, too.
We can get some caps at the store, Char
lie"
GA good idea, said Charlie, advanc-
ing toward the closet from which his
brother came, trailing the gun after him.
Neither of them guessed it was the
weapon that had caused their sisters
death "Let's have it, Will, said he,
and took it. Suddenly there was q flash,
a report, and horrible scream from the
little fellow, who fell forward on his
face at the feet of the elder His pros.
trate form was what his wretched par
ents saw as we three rushed into the old
garret.
The other boy stood, utterly unable TO
move, clutching the weapon that had
caused all this.
"May God have mercy on us, it is
the cursed rifle again T. cried the father.
Then the boy found words
"I swear ] did not load it ~ he said.
4" / swear I did not touch the trigger u
And still his brother lay dead at his
feet.
On the night before, l had seen a
sight that might have prophesied this
tragedy. Would heaven had told of it
The kitchen clock was striking eleven.
In country house like that people GO
early to bed. The family had been asleep
an hour. was reading, but paused to
listen to the striking of the eloud-mouthed
clock. AS it ceased, fancied I heard
a football upon the stairs. opened the
door: Slowly the noise came nearer.
1t had the sound that can come only
from bare foot. The next second ]
saw my host, Rathbone, approaching me.
You'll catch cold, old fellow" said 1.
=" Put on your coat. " ....
TO my surprise he answered not at all,
but came slowly on.
Then saw, for the first time, som,
nambulist.
For a moment hesitated whether tc
awake him. He was easily mortified
and my catching him in such a plight
would prove disagreeable to us BOTH
SO I simply followed him.
He went on past my door, and up the
stairs. At the garret entrance he stop
ped second, then lifted the latch and
entered. I was close behind.
Without the least hesitation he ad
vanced to the lumber closet. / did mol
know the old rifle was there, and again
I followed. The moonlight, streaming
in through the chinks in the caves and
one broken window, made the dreary
place quite light.
He turned the wooden button of the
closet door, and drew out a powder horn
Then he brought out a bag of shot
And then-the fatal gun.
At once remembered it. Who, in
deed, that had ever seen it could forge
the heavily chased mountings of silver
the grotesquely carved butt, the enor
nous barrel? With the recollection
there flashed upon me such horror as
had never felt.
Still, l was powerless to move.
tried to cry out. My tongue refused
At last found utterance. But in th'
brief moment had thought of the con
sequences that must follow my awakint
him. Here, evidently, was the precious
secret kept SO long-the clue to hi
daughters death. No doubt the gun
had been loaded before the fatal brida
day, in the same manner, and by tn,
same man, in the same condition of som
nambulism, as ! saw it was being loadet
now. The father was unconscious tina
| ha wag really tha murderer OF his dann