Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-09-03

4 SISTERS VENGEANCE.

Ii was between the lights ona gloomy
December afternoon ! was the sole
occupant Of the smoking-room ot n
Literary and Artistic Club, which
faces the Thames. flung fresh coal
on the gloomy cmbers, and stirred
thcm till they sent upa blaze Of light
that drove the ghosts out of the shad-
owy corners, and then picked UP 4 pa
per haphazard from the table, to
dawdle over it till the waiter lighted
inc gas or some human being wander
cd in To keep me company. Ii was an
American paper some visitor 70 the
club had left it behind him, accidental
~ turned the pages listlessly, until
suddenly my attention was arrested by
paragraph headed Extraordinary
Crime Ii was the story of the rob
berry of body of Il lady from its grave.
The whole affair was shroudcd in mys-
terry. On the Nth 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 UNI
der the heading of "Cradle, Altar,
Tomb, the following "On Che l4th
inst, III this city. Drusilla, the beloved
wife of Blissctt Emerton, 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 Amcri-
can paper forthc crime. The husband
i interviewed at his hotel He is in
consolabe for tho loss of his beautiful
young wife mad with mingled rage
and horror at the dcsccration OF her
remains. He tells his story to the re-
porter. He had only been married Il
few months. They were travelling for
pleasure in America His poor wife
caught q cold fortnight since, return
ing from the thcater. He had medical
advice, bat the cold increased and in
Illumination Of the lungs set in and
soon all was over He buries his head
III 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 70
the present no clue to this mysterious
affair has been obtained I glanced Mt
tile date Of the paper, and flung ii down
in disgust. 1t was two years old. |
mad grown interested i'll the affair, and
here il was two years old already, and
probably forgotten. Where should
| find ont how il ended? The shad-
ows had grown darker and dark
II; the titful flare Of the lire
had died down into Il dull red glow,
and the riverside lamps were being lit.
! flung myself back into the easy chair
thrust my hands in my pockets, and
halfclosed my eyes Suddenly ! was
aware that | was not alone i'll the room.
From the darkest corner there rose 4
long black figure. II glided slowly to-
wards me. | had placed the paper
where had found IT, on the table. by
my side. 1t passed its hands over the
.tbles and pcercd down among the pa
pers. Presently it came To the table at
my elbow. In the gloom, as sat in the
deep armchair. believe | was almost
invisible. The figure came right up to
mc. and reaching out It's hand. passed
il over my table Presently il seized
some thing, and glided away with it to
the window. ON which the lamps with
out flung flicker Of light. Then ! saw
il was 4 man and in his hand Ne held
the American paper in which ! had
lust read tie account of Il mysterious
crime. He glanced at it and muttered
something that sounded like, How
careless Of me" then folded tho paper.
thrust ii into his breast pocket. and
walked out ofthe room. Hardly had
the door closed behind him Whom the
attendant came III with lights, Who i
that gentleman who has just gone OUT
said
Don't know his name sir. Amt
seen him here often,
remembered that Ill this club every
member had to sign his name ia 4
daily hook kept III the hall for that pnr-
pose ran down stairs, and looked at
THE open leaf 70 seeif that would afford
me any clue. Tie first name that
caught my eye WI. that # Blssett
Emerton.
~ wonder thc figure | bad seen il
tie darkness had been - anxious 70
find that paper. at once saw what
mad happened. lie had been III the
room reading faneying himself alone.
He had laid tho paper down thought.
lesslv and dropped off to sleep. had
not noticed him in the gloom, and he
was quite unaware of my presence.
One thing more did before left
L II II