Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-06-10

No, indeed, he won't have this hldeOus
thing removed, because it was his
uncle's dying wish that it should be
kept here. / can't blame him either,
dear fellow. .O'd Mr.. Van Schenck,
with all his eccentricities, was very
kind to him, and in his will left him
his whole fortune, but the wretches
who murdered him took everything,
stocks, bonds, and all-it was one OF
his peculiarities to keep his property in
a portable form-and the will was
doubtless among them. The law gave
Harry the house"
"Tell me all about it, Kate inter
rupted Elsie. "You know | only had
the bare facts while was abroad, none
of the particulars, and the three days
spent at home before coming down to
you"
"Were filed with descriptions oI
travel, displaying your fnery, etc. Yes,
1 know. There isn't really very much to
| tell; but, to begin at the beginning,
I'll inform you how my bette noire came
to be the bane of my life. 1t seems that
thirty years ago old Mr.. Van Schenck-
then rich bachelor of fifty-fell des-
perately in love with beautiful girl,
whose father he had befriended. She
engaged herself to him, and he began to
remodel the house to suit her taste
fancy the taste that would destroy a
lovely carved oak mantelpiece to make
way for that monster erLwhen an old
lover appeared On the scene; and she,
probably fearing that her father would
force her to keep her promise, ran away
with him. 1t was terrible blow to
Mr.. Van Schenck, an excessively proud
/ IIo of1 oI +E,a,
| they were, dismissed all his servants
except one old woman, and, in spite of
the entreaties of all his friends and rela-
tives, persisted in living alone up to the
day of his murder. This was the room
he always occupied. The bed stood in
that corner, facing the mantelpiece.
The mnrderers entered by one of tie
western windows, and had doubtless
been hiding in the wood, watching their
opportunity. His eccentricities were
well known in the neighborhood, and
he was reputed to be immensely rich.
Only a week before Harry had been
here, represented the danger, and beg
ged him to have at least trusty man.
servant on the place. He obstantly re-
fused, and the next news we had was
summons to his death-bed. My hus-
band reached here few minutes before
dusk, and found his uncle still alive. but
unable to speak-the principal wound
was deep cash in the throat. The old
mln seemed terribly anxious to tell him
something, and made motion of writ
ing on the coverlet, but his strength was
failing, the room growing dark, and
Harry could not understand. At last,
struggling to a sitting position in bed,
he pointed to the mantelpiece, gasped
Kept, kept then the blood gushed
from the wound in his throat, and he
sank back on the pillows-dead."
:" Horriblei horrible!n cried Elsie.
Poor old man. how he must have
loved the girl, to think, even on his
death bed, of preserving the one thing
she had given him time to prepare in
bis home for her sake! Doesn't it lend
the ugly old mantelpiece touch of
romanceP No wonder Harry won't
a low it to be removed! / should feel
as if it were sacrilege."
don't want it removed either" re-
piled Kate, slowly. "But with sud-
den animation" how should like to
cover it up, every inch of it,"
Elsie looked at her inquiringly.
I'm half ashamed to tell you," con
tinued Kate, lowering her voice, but
| believe shall actually grow afraid of
that thing unless l can fEd some way
to change il, OF course it sounds silly
enough to say SO now, sitting here in
this broad, bright sunlight; but it's
quite another matter when the dusk
comes stealing in, casting shadows in
every corner, and the wind howls and
shrieks around the old house. A week
ago | sat yonder at one of the windows,
watching for Harry, who was a little
later than usual. 1t had been gray,
raw, chilly day, like forerunner of
November, with one of those dreary,
moaning winds signing through the
trees that always do make me dismal,
and | was troubled, too, about Harry's
business | can trust you, Elsie, know
of old, SO | will tell you the whole story
He is on the brink of ruin. Hard times
have sorely crippled the old firm into
which he was admitted when he married
me, and Mr.. Van Schenck was to have
advanced 100000 the week he died to
carry them through to the first of j anu
ary. Harry has always reproached him
self for his carelessness in discussing
the arrangements while walking with
lis uncle in the wood behind the house.
He thinks the murderers NAV have
to obtain the money, for he was to have
delivered it to him the day after the
murder, and not trace Of that or any
other property could be found. With
this amount the firm would have been
safe; now, it is very uncertain whether
they can hold out. That's the reason,
Elsie dear, why we are obliged to STAY
here this winter instead of going to
New York. We must either live on the
place or sell it-for since the murder no.
body will rent it-and the old mansion
has been in the family ever since Long
Island was settled, SO of course Harry
won't part with it until the last cent is
gone.
"But to return to the reason why |
am more than ever anxious to alter the
old mantelpiece-don't laugh at me,
Elsie! just week ago ] sat here,
thinking of Harry's troubled face when
he left me in the morning, wondering
why he was SO late, and listening to the
wind moaning drearily outside, when
suddenly fancied / heard loud, pierre
ing shrek; the windows ratified yio-
lently, the whole house seemed to shake,
and | heard, yes, / really did hear, the
ringing, climbing sound of coins. The
noise appeared to come from the man
telpiece. glanced toward it, and oh |!
Elsie, every one of those horrible
streaks and spots, instead of being dull
yellow, was the brightest crimson; they
looked Ike fresh h1ood straa NINA fro,,,