The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-12-21
OUR STORY TELLER.
THE QUAGMIRE FIEND.

,
said the proprietor of the old tumble
down Weehawken Tavern, that the
gentleman you speak OF wandered into
the marsh and was sucked down TO his
death. Ny woman and me heard him
scream, and then we saw the lanterns
flashing about. But they got to him t.o
late. It's terrible place."
The old man shuddered as he said these
words to Dispatch reporter, who had
been asking about the shocking death Of
a wealthy citizen few weeks back.
The case was reported in full at the
time in the papers.
You see, he was out of his head, +"
the host went on, " and always had the
quagmire in his thoughts. His wife's
been in the church yard yonder these
years, but he seemed to think she was
out in the mash, being drawn dow by
the red sand and mud, and that he
should go to her Those that tried to
pole out to him with a fat-botromed
scow that night say as how he was cali
ing her name and kept on calling il till
his head. disappeared beneath the ooze
and the mud and the water. He'a not
the first, though"
"No?''
1T was an accident along of his dy-
ing that way, but | know of a murder
done by that quicksilver swamp"
A murderi
Just as much murder as if TIE man
who did it had hit the murdered man on
the head with an ax, shot him with a
gun, put knife in him, or poisoned his
apple-jack.. Maybe you'd like to hear
about it?"
THAT l would But first let's have
some of that apple without the poison
" 1t was a good while ago" he began,
when | was a big hulking lad about
there, and there used to be q road -hou e
about three-quarters of a mile above,
and right on the edge of the mash,
called The Black Bottle. It's gone lorg
ago, and there's carriage or some kind
of factory there new in its place. Tie
swamp, red and black and ugly, with
Shiny pools all over, was directly under
the windows of the tavern.
"Zeke Philpin kept the place, and
he Was just as dark and sullen and Shiny
as the swamp, and looked to me like the
black bottle that was painted on the
sign in front of the door. He never had
a good word for any one, and, although
he was rich, he was as close as a coffin
screwed down with patent screws.
"There used to be fights over cards
in The Black Bottle, and I've heard my
llother say that many man stopped
there who stayed over night for all
time. 1t was SO easy to knock booty
man on the head, or cut a sleeper's
throat, and then toss the body to the
quag. Lord! you'd never see it again
and if what I've heard tell is true
about geography, and us being opposite
other places, there's many q corpse
nurturing teaplants in China that drank
at The Black Bottles bar, and began it's
trip through the swamp outside the
windows.
ugly as old Zeke was, he fell in
love, and, as those sarpents always do,
with the prettiest girl in all this valley
Bessie Bramble. The Brambles still
live upon the side of the hill as you go
toward Newark. She was a sunbeam
sort of girl, with eyes like that bit of
sky yonder, and hair like the tassel of
that corn. There was a young doctor
who loved Bessie, too, and he had the
inside track of Zeke, poor as he was,
because Bessie loved him. There were
folks about that urged the pink and
white lamb to go to the wolf on account
of his money, but she stuck to young
pills and sawbones straight through, al
though he had nothing but his diploma
in two dollar frame.
"Zeke pressed his suit, and helped
Bessie's father with mortgage on his
farm, hoping to get at the girl by a flank
movement. 1t was ne good. The doc
tor asked her to name the day, and she
did. was at the wedding, and so was
my old woman there. who was one of
Bessies schoolmates. The wee chit of a
girl looked powerful pretty in herqwhite
dress, with the lace float ng about her,
and the yaller flowers in her hair.
"Strangest of all, old Zeke was there,
too, and mixed in with the people as if
he were taking it all in good heart, and
had seen how foolish it was to try and
graft rosebud on such an old thorn as
be was He was a rare old fox, that
Zeke; and when he asked to kiss the
bride, no one saw that it was Judas
kiss. To show that he was in earnest,
he had on a clean shirt "a little weak
ness he hadn't been guilty of before
since his wife died, thirteen years ago."
So, when the old rat crawled up to
the doctor, and, after shaking hands
with him just as an honest man would,
asked him to bring his little wife and
take supper at The Black Bottle the
next night, after the reception at the
Bramble homestead, the young man
never thought that Zeke Philpin meant
him harm. No bridegroom is able to see
such things. Their joy blinds them,
the same as man is dazzled by the sun
when he steps into it suddenly. Pve
heard of bridegroom giving a hack.
driver five dollars for driving three
blocks, and if that isn't insanity don't
know what is. So the doctor agreed,
as did Bessie, who was glad, poor thing,
to sec Zeke not cast down by her re-
fusing him.
Only you two mind said her an
Gent sweetheart, as he shuffled away
we want 1t nice and cozy.'
Only US two they answered, look.
ing back.
reckon as how it was good SUD.
per, for an old niger wencb that Zeke