The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-02
A SISTERS VENGEANCE.

IT was between the lights on gloomy
December afternoon. was the sole
occupant of the smoking-room of q
Literary and Artistic Club which
faces the Thames. I flung fresh coal
on the gloomy embers, and stirred them
till they sent up blaze OF light that
drove the ghosts out of the shadowy
corners, and then picked up a paper
haphazard from the table, to dawdle
over it till the waiter lighted the gas or
some human being wandered in to keep
me company. It was an American pa
per. Some visitor to the club had left
it behind him, accidentally I turned
the pages listlessly, until suddenly my
attention was arrested by paragraph
headed Extraordinary Crime" It
was the story of the robbery of body
of lady from its grave. The whole
affair was shrouded in mystery. On the
18th of the month there died in an
American city the beautiful wife of an
Englishman travelling for pleasure. In
the same paper which contained this
paragraph found under the heading of
"Cradle, Altar, Tomb" the following:
ION the 18th inst, in this city, Drusil-
la, the beloved wife of Blissett Emer-
ton, of London, England, aged twenty
four" In due course the poor lady was
buried, and during the night the church.
yard was entered and the coffin carried
away. No motive is suggested in this
American paper for the crime. The
husband is interviewed at his hotel. He
is inconsolable for the loss of his beau
tiful young wife-mad with mingled
rage and horror at the dissertation of
her remains. He tells his story to the
reporter. He had only been married
afew months. They were travelling for
pleasure in America. His poor wife
caught cold fortnight since. return
ing from the theater. He had
medical advice. but the cold in
creased and Inflammation of the
lungs set in, and soon all was over. He
buries his head in his hands and weeps,
and the reporter leaves him alone with
his sacred sorrow. The account in the
paper was reading by the freight
concludes thus: "Up to the present no
clue to this mysterious affair has been
obtained" 1 glanced at the date of the
paper, and flung it down in disgust. It
was two years old. had grown inter-
ested in the affair, and here it was two
years old already, and probably forgot
ten. Where should I find out how it
endedP The shadows had grown darker
and darker; the fitful flare of the fire
had died down into dull red glow, and
the riverside lamps were being Lit. I
flung myself back into the easy-chair.
thrust my hands in my pockets, and
half closed my eyes. Suddenly I was
aware that was not alone in the room.
From the darkest corner there rose
long black figure. 1t glided slowly
towards me. had placed the paper
where had found it, on the table, by
my side. The figure seemed to be look
ing for something. 1t passed its hands
over the tables and peered down among
the papers. Presently it came to the
table at my elbow. In the gloom, as l
sat in the deep armchair. l believe I
was almost invisible. The figure CAME
right up to me, and, reaching out its
hand, passed it over my table. Pres
emily it seized something. and glided
away with it to the window, on which
the lamps without flung q flicker of
light. Then I saw that it was man,
and that in his hand he held the Amer
lean paper in which had just read the
account of mysterious crime. He
glanced at it, and muttered something
Chat sounded like, How careless OF
mer' then folded the paper, thrust it
into his breast pocket, and walked out
of the room. Hardly had the door
closed behind him when the attendant