Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-01-24

Governors proclamation had been is
sued many weeks after Lois had begun
preparing her trosseau. Lois shud-
dered when she learned the shocking
coincidence. Unwilling to wound Will
lam, but unable to conceal her agita-
tion, she suggested that they postpone
the ceremony. and bring it nearer
Christmas. With playful inexorable-
ness, he demanded a reason. She re-
minded him of Eunice's death, and of
Walters suicide. Not lacking sensi-
bility, and just superstitious enough to
oppose postponements, William still
persisted in keeping the day; and, thus
arguing, they approached "Garth's
Orchard" A wayside patient de-
manded his attention; the old house,
keeper, bustling around the vine-cov-
cred gate, attracted Lois. She was a
furrowed, leather-faced old woman,
whom rheumatism had reduced to hob
bling; her left hand was withered, and
hung helpless at her side. Her sparse
white hair was neatly curled back un-
der clean double bordered cap. She
saluted Lois respectfully. Her voice
was husky, and her articulation indis-
tinct.
az beg your pardon, miss. You will
forgive an old woman like me for say
ing word to you"
"Indeed, have nothing to forgive.
thank you for speaking to me SO
kindly"
"And you will do me a favorP"
Gladly"
"Then come in a moment, and sit in
the porch. | have something to give
you something for you to wear on your
wedding day"
Lois crimsoned. But the old house
keeper took her by the hand and led
her, in sort of trance, up the walk
between the barren rose bushes, and
gave her chair in the porch whose
trellis was half concealed by whitening
vines.
In moment the old housekeeper re-
turned, bearing a pair of embroidered
satin slippers.
"These, miss, are for your wedding
day."
80, thank you, thank you very
much," said Lois, as she took them in
her trembling hands. Her head swan.
Her eyes refused to look. The design
was pansies. They were the slippers
she had wrought with her own hands
for Eunice-the slippers that had in
closed the feet of Eunice in her coffinl
A foul cry of agony was followed by a
deep stupor. The old housekeeper
could make no explanation except that
the slippers had been given her by old
CATER Garth on Thanksgiving night,
seven years before-she knew nothing
about where he got them.
Lois could not be persuaded to rest
until, accompanied by William, they
visited the graveyard, opened Eunice's $
grave, found the body still and perfect,
and all the robing on; the slippers alone
were gone. Perhaps Walter had taken
them off before the coffin had been
closed, intending to keep them as souv-
enirs.
William insisted on Lois abiding by
her promise. They were wed on
Thanksgiving Day; but the satin slip
pers were not worn by her; William
had replaced them in Eunice's coffinl
A faithful and tender husband, he soon
diverted Lois from the charnel mystery
but he had his own misgivings. 1t was
only after his settlement in Garth S
Orchard that he learned of his brother
CATERS frequent visits at Ann Arbor,
which must have been made in secrecy
and disguise; it was only after his
fathers death that he had discovered
that the orchard had not paid his col
lege expenses. On more than one oc-
casion he had been startled in the dis
secting-room by fancied resemblances
of the cadavers under his knife to per-
sons he had known; but such illusions
were common and ceased to be surpris-
ing. How did the empty coffin happen
to be in the wagon, in falling from
which his brother CATER was killed.
Where did his father and CATER get
their large assortment of jewelryP Cold
sweat covered his body and chilled his
brain when he thought that perhaps his
father and CATER were disrobing Elnice
to steal and sell the body when Walter
suddenly appeared before them; that
they shot Walter as the only means OF
keeping their secret, and, in the hur-
ried reinterment of the body, forgot to
put the satin slippers again on the feet
of the dead, and carried them home as
the safest way Of eluding suspicion. II
William believed that his surmise con-
tanned some measure of probability, he
had too much good sense 10 make his
wife miserable by imparting his horri-
BILE fears to her. Doctors take these
things more practically than other men.
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