New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-26
THE WHISPER IN THE WOOD.
/ S45.


po,o,d Morris and his Young wife are sitting in
the snug parlor of an inn at the lttie town OF
Oakhampton the confines OF Darimoor Inc
is autumn; and the time eveh,hs dnrnP
ings of the remote hosiery IN giving sSl1so VI
CHEEKY comfort. He-yOung, broad -siouide1en
strong OF limb ana finn OF countcnahcc, blue-eyeu
and lro wn-haircd-is poring over map She
rather younger pale-faccd hut pretty, dark-nafed
and with eyes to match ana WIN ae.c9so SJ.
the pages Of book Presently he speaks nail 10
himself: ,.o,- -. ,,,o+ ,1ooo. = mn
misses wei as a background for a story. L have
She. somewhat alphabetically, inquiries: =,
Some expedition yoU are contemplating
Yes across the moor: ] cannot quite make ont
how far il is. but trace the way and II must DC
within easy walk, SIX or seven mus nni rs
thought of going tomorrow II you VII not re
very Inuch bored. dear httlc woman, by beng left
alone for a few hours -,
ION no. | shall manage 10 amuse myself; ne
sides if is necessary You should what you want
II was to get some local color, as you call It, that
we cane down TO these wlds. and there Is no reason
because out on onr honeymoon that you
Yen ave the most sensible little wife believe,
Sophy that man was ever blessed VIII, ne Sa4Si
looking up at her with adrlirlng aHecllon, anu
was never So happy III my lie!
A knock at the Ioom-dOOr precodes the entrance OF
the landlord with two OF three letters .
The Lunnon post, zur just IN ne says III hiS
strong Deyonshre dialect
All, of course; you DO not get your London
Letters here until very late responds Ronald, tax
inc the nissiyeS. | suppose when the railway Is
open to Plymouth 1t will make some difference 10
II sborid gay tud be likely tu Not zee it'll
be O. much use tn in this place: We liant much
dom with Lunnon. though make no doubi HUI
be "a IaTe chance for gentlemen Ike you that so
jumping the country > and after few more words
the man civilly retIes.
Suddcnly Ronald uttoTs an exclamation Of sur
prise staT;ling his wife from the placidity with
which she Is regarding hm Whilst ne IS Ioo%ihg oVer
his letters.
died suddenly the day before yesterday Bless my
heart / AM very grevel. How strange that il
should have happened just now so soon eter all his
"What-pot your uncle p exclaims the wife.
Yes. indeed il is; here is the letter announcing
the fact IRON Baston. his lawyer / shall have to
90 to town. This is what he says. SophV:
il Is with the deepest regret | nave to inform
you OF the sudden death OF your uncle IN Ma.theW
therefore he necessary tor you as his sole executor
and legatee. to come 10 town and produce ms Will.
that We nav take ont letters Of administration;
prove the will at Doctors Commons, You under,
stand aud 50 establish your right: etc This would
have been requisite i'll any case but IT Is the moro
imperative since through Nj. Morris eccentric
views. he insisted Oh intruSting his Will to your
keeping ,.o, col, 70, SONNY think. al about
that saws the reader, breaking of. Strange Old
boy You know how good and Kind he has been to
me- and w, but for him, we could not have mar
RED Tor years ana ySd M ,ad h IoT KY IN ' nav
favor, leaving me nearly ,crythne. Bur dld not
tell you OF his funny fancy about the d"cun'cnt
He drew it himself on a sheet OF n0tc-pdptr, ana
brought il with him the day on which he met me at
Baston'~ office the day before we were marriedl
Well. then. when tie lawyer pr0nonnced the VIII
10 be thoroughly legal. ana SAID rhat 1t only re-
Qaircd signing and witness ne he signed IT thCn
amt there IN the presence OF RaSiOn ana one OF MS
clerks ana when they had duly sicnel I, each
being in the presence OF the other cue aN the egal
formula GOES he took the paper, and handing 1t to
me said here .nny ray Soy as TVS sbon6
keen pose. SION OF it," Then, with some good
ored i0lr ~ the lawyer expense, he insisted that
/ sbond Put the Will IN my pocket. BaSton NAV
keep COPY of it," added my uncle, If II is OF any
interest 10 him. but you must keep he original, anu
mind you 10 not lose IT, that's all"
Welt S0phY ] did put n IN my pocket. ana nav
irg no BANKERS or strong hOX in which to deposit IT,
brought II away witt and here II is still at this
moment. a little fiat tin case, with copy OF or
marriage certificate, and one OF two more valu,
:bes. here in my brCast-pocket,' and Ronald
Morris strikes the breast OF his rough shooting.
coat "a, he speaks the safest place III the world II
one has not banker. But upon my word, it is
really very sad ne proceeds after pause; never
thought should be called Oh TO produce It so soon
Why, il is not might AGO since he gave III 10
me poor old fellow! and as the excitement OF the
explanation he has given subsidies, his blue eyes
moisten HIS quiet little wife Uses, and putting
her arms round his neck kisses and pats his cheek
with u sweet and tender, il silent consolation
Soon he is talking voubv again, discussing
family affairs, and laying plans for the future.
This pnts us beyond the reach OF slXpenny
anxieties' he says but l shall not give up my
pen. | could not bear to live an idle lie. and
morrow. l must have look at that queer place
before | leave these parts IL we star Ior Town
the first thing the day after Tomorrow 1T VIII be
quite soon enough and we can get to Exeter IN
time TO catch the night mail the same evening.
You will not mind travelling by night. Sophy. am
sure since II will give ne tomorrow out on this
wild and strangely fascinating mOorlaDd.
Tomorrow came, aud Ronald Morris started on
the expedition he had III his mind HIS little wife,
not from lack of interest in hls purpose or his do
ings but from CHARACTERISTIC lnexactitude as to
details. failed already to understand teven if she
ever asked the question: the precise spot LIE as
So Ronald started, and, he stroled away up
and on to the bleak and solitary moor, she stood
for a moment two at the gate on the road; OIL
which he turned, watching him In a little while
lie looked back, ncld up his stick as sa ute, ana
she in reply waved her little hand alter her easy.
gentle fashion hrice this action was repeated on
both sides then she saw his figure small and clear
against the sky line on the steep MI rloec' ana
then he acknowledgement from her eyes
forever.
Lost on the moor The days and weeks OF help
less desperate, and at last hopeless search by the
whole country side which followed threw no light
zpon the mystery. Lost Oh the moor! that was
Che verdic-that was all that could he said. ana III
was no unc ommon phrase in that wild and treach-
erous region. Scores OF men bad 50 vanished, and
been never heard Of since. Natives even, accus-
toned TO the dangers of bog crag, and tell OF over
whelming binding mist of overtaklng mgntiaIl, OF
the sudden deep, cbscuTing snow. and OF tho lost
track natives alive 10 all these peI1ls have been
lost on the moor any trace OF them even found.
What wonder then that q LondOner entirely unused
20, and nnknOw;ng OF. the treachcTY lurking 10
such a wild should now and again share the same
fate. The thing indeed was too common to create
much more than the nine days astOnishinent Ana.
since no clew could be obtained as to the direction
The unfortunate man had taken, the searching
parties that volunteered soon lost heart their eA-
plofngs were too vague at best 10 give them en-
enlargement: and. finally the kindly impulse
which stirred the seekers died ont and the AFFAIR
was giyeA up rs hopeless.
1855
sophy Morris, still young and pretty: and as