Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-03-17
from the London Referee.l
( A SISTERS VENGEANCE.

1t was between the lights on a gloomy
December afternoon. l was the sole oc-
cupant of the smoking-room of "Lit-
.erary 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
and then picked up paper hap hazard
from the table, to dawdle over it till the
waiter lighted the gas or some human
being wandered in to keep me company.
1t was an American paper. Some visitor
dentally. turned the pages istlessly
until suddenly my attention was arrested
by paragraph headed Extraordinary
Crime" 1t was the story of the rob-
berry of body of lady from its grave.
The whole affair was shrouded in mys-
terry. On the 14th of the month there
died in an American city the beautiful
wife of an Englishman travelling for
pleasure. In the same paper which con-
tanned this paragraph I found under the
heading of ''Cradle, Altar, Tomb, % the
following: ''On the 14th inst, in this
city, Drusilla, the beloved wife of Bis
sett 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 cot
fin carried away. No motive is srlg-
gested in this American paper for the
crime. The husband is interviewed at
his hotel. He is inconsolable for the
loss of his beautiful young wife-mad
with mingled rage and horror at the des-
ecration of her remains. He tells his
story to the reporter. He had only been
married few months. They were trav-
cling for pleasure in America. His poor
wife caught cold fortnight since, re-
turning from the theatre. He had med
ical advice, but the cold increased
Rnd inflammation of the lungs
set in, and soon all was over He bJlries
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:
cup to the present no clue to this mys-
terious affair has been obtained" /
glanced at the date of the paper and flung
It down in disgust 1t was two years
old. [ had grown interested in the
affair, and here it was two years old
already and probably forgotten Where
should [ fluid out how it ended? The
shadows had grown darker and darker
the ftful flare Of the fire had died down
into dull red glow, and the riverside
lamps were being lit. / lung myself
back into the easy char, thrust my hands
into my pockets, and half closed my eyes
Suddenly | was aware that [ was not
alone in the room. From the darkest
corner there rose a long black figure. 1
gided slowly toward me. [ had placed
Che paper where [ had found it, on the
table, by my side. The figure seemed
to be looking for something. 1t passed
it's hands over the tables and peered dow
among the papers. Presently it came te
the table at my elbow. In the gloom, al
L sat in the deep armchair, / believed
was almost invisible The figure cam,
right up to me, and, reaching out it,
hand, passed it over my table. Present
ly it seized something, and glided away
with it to the window, on which The
lamps without flung a flicker of light
Then I saw that it was man, and thai
in his hand he held the American paper
in which [ had just read the account O.
a mysterious crime. He glanced at it
and muttered something that sounded
like, Chow careless of me!' then folded
the paper, thrust it into his breas
pocket, and walked out of the room
Hardly had the door closed behind him
when the attendant came In with lights
"Who is that gentleman who has just
gone out % [ said.