New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-26


forms surrounding them. Trcachery now seemed
added to the other perils Of the place. and when at
la't began slowly retracing my steps, struck my
stick on each piece OF ground ere yentured my
.As / TUNED back by the way had come the
first breath of air that had been ielt for hour of
more blew across my face ii was but slight puh.
but it WAS sufficient to create little STIR among
the bcugis, and TO send dismal wailing sough
through the wood. Faint as il was IL nevertheless
gave an additional melancholy to the place and in
creased the fascination with which 1T had beset
me. i again stood still. now To listen. Inc wind
by degrees increased. rising ana ialng, ana Great
ing with every breath more and more sound IL
seemed now as ii the weird forms OF the trees
endowed with Voices and were moaning and
Whispering sadly to each other. One particular
wall especially caught my ear and the longer l
listened the more definite it became 1t might
easily have been mistaken for the voice OF human
being in direst misery. Presently, wrought up as
my imagination was began to fancy could al
most hear the very words II uttered Wait for
moe Wait tor NEE" it seemed to say. now
family now quite audibly; and at length so actual
so real did the uttei Gnce become, that turned
back toward the spot whence IT appeared to pro
coed. This was not far from where had been
brought TO q stand-still but | advanced the
voice grew fainter, and when | had got few
yards the wind died away, and II ceased
altogether. 80.
Evening was coming apaoe by this time, and
/ again began Tetracing my steps No sooner dld
do so. howeycr, than the walling whisper RECON-
me-ew a long drawn-Out waling whisper: once
more turned back, drawn on by sort OF super
to the belief that was beng entreated 10 return.
Such an imploring. heart-breaklng appeal, 50 ia,
expressby pitiiul and touching. bad never heard
before. But il stopped again AS neafed the par
ticular spot whence it seemed to arise Aiter lis
tening over and over again. anu gong 10 ana ITO
nearly dozen times always WIN the same result
n conviction stole over that tho elect was
merely due 70 echo and that the reYefberatlon
was only audible in one especial spot. Ii was but
nay morbid fancy, SAID winch inde me attdlOiite
il TO any other cause. aud was recovering
something like healthy tcnc oil mind, wheh Is
was taking last long look into deep recess OF
the WOOD, | beheld sight which hail paralyZed
me md instantly brought back with renewed 10lce
that sense OF the weird ana supernatural when
was just shaking off. londer, there Withln
narrow cleft in the rocks moss grown, and covered
with the eternal undcrgrON In, there was spectacle
abont which there could he no doubt; no tree
positively. il human skeleton, janmeh tlghtly
like one of The trees, i'll tcaChcrOus insure, such
as that into which Lad just lately slipped
Very indiStnct are my rccoilectIohS oI Whal Qld
or what my feelings wcIe daring the next few min
utes. have a hay memory OF remaining lr1esolute
for time, and then OF huIrylng away, Gazed. and
then OF returning, and plungng INTO the tblcktt le-
pardleSs of the thoIny bramblcS and the uneven.
slippery, cIeVce-boset boulders, Tor / remember l
was standing presently close TO these human re-
mains, only little above them, at the mouth as III
we've of the cleft. / was examining them lntentiY,
pecrlng at them between the ferns ana grass,
Which hanging in thic, clusters and pendant
wreaths drew from either side of the deep assure IN
which the skeleton was iuImured, upright, and with
an arm Outstretchcd, and caught by the elbow tsht
dered looked into the eyeiesS sockets Win thtIr
grim yet pitful expression. AZ the two rows % CHS
tening teeth, at the blearhed bones WIZ here ana
there shreds of rotten clothing stu adhrrlng 10
them Tall dank weeds and bIushwoOd Ind the
form nearly up to the waist. but, as the heritage
was down by its roots, someW hat thinner l. WIN
a tremor running through my whole body, dragged
this little aside with my stick which stuck on
substance that fesOunded like metal
Il know not With what object, u was not
curiosity, eertany not cupidity. but knelt down.
and thrusting nv arm elbow deep into HE wei ana
messy gIass. followed the sticks poht win my
bands ana aiteI little gloping got hold OF watch
and clIan-hardly recognizable as sucl, Truly. Out
still obviously nothing else.
Then 1 pursued my search sun iaIther. 10Y 1
toresaw that il now might lead TO he identification
OF this unhappy human being WHO hau been buried
alive. Heaven knows how long ago! by late
which ] myself lad only AN hour Ieiole so mar
rowly escaped. Thenceforth. although my feelings
were greatly perturbel, and a host 0i emotions
surged through my breast my wits quickened:
these were stern facts that was dealing with. and
| acted accordingly. The second i.ne thrust LAY
arm in among the heritage just beneath The skeie-
ton. which WAS rcveTentlY careful not to disturb
| drew forth two more hard. amt AT hrst,
less diStingaishable articles than The watch-leSS
distinguish liable because twilight had set III. and,
added 10 the density OF the wool, rendered u m
possible for me to any thing very plainly. ielt
mat | must instantly hasten back To the Inn ana
give information Ol my discovery. =,
In the obscurty of the fast fading light. the
weird gloom of the wood was greatly increased.
large owl suddenly Capped away rom near bouGh
with dolcful boot, willis the wind. growing
stronger every minute, turned what had formerly
sounded like means ana signs INTO shrlckS ana
grpans. / dared not however, give way to any
more fanciful imaglnings. bcset me rs they might;
ana as they were even already doing. ! wanted AL
my senses to ret clear of this chaInel HOUSE OF
place. Yet. having done 80, and come back again
an the rnad TO The jnu which ! knew. these Same
irnarnn these ndcfnahe sensations which had
overriddeu my cOmInOnsensr during the whole
afternoon returned anu, vii. you believe ltF ran
on this letter Of lonalds 10 his mother winch he
wrote the nest morning. so ptrsstcniiy have they
stayed by me, that ! have not yet had the courage
TO examine closely the articles | found. No.
thourh moro than twelve hours have passed since
then somehow | cannot touch them. They seem
as 4 they might influence my whole future, might
change The very current OF my life: II IS ridiculous,
but IneA phcable.'
Was il inexpicaGle to Sophy Morris Hardly,
for did not her mind instantly y back over those
twenty years TO thai ever memorable time, ana
could she not III those lndeiinable lnagImngs
i'll hcI sons mind possible solution OF the my SteIy
surrounding her husbands late Might II not be
that the marvellous and unseen WORKING OF human
destiny had guided the son at last 10 the fathers
unknown grayeg That the strange SENSATIONS, the
awe, the gladncss the irresistible automatic I'M
pulse 10 lInger IN the wood, which he described
the readiness with which he interpreted lIe WaiI-
ing OF tiie wind into direct, aIticuate, ana WINS
pei ed appeal to wait to wait tall the discovery
was made-were tracoabe to The link existing be-
tween that vigorous young life and those lnOuIder-
ing remains, and without which. when they too
were endowed with life and Vl9or, her young
Ronald would never have had his being Her hope
was strong that all this might prove so. ana IL was
realized. In the end doubt remained, for among
the relics her boy had recovered was The small nat
metal tObacco-b box containing the will of Matthew
Morris soled, sOdden, besmlrched III places we'll
nigh illegbe, yet still preserved intact and suscep-
tibie of being sworn 10 as the genuine document Dy
the two witnesses, the lawyer and his clerk. who
signed it, and who yet lived to see night and justice
done. 49, .
directed the SONS steps, and, as he thought, by
merest accdent-to Wistman's Wood, that UNI
canny whist old place the wonder OF the won
deIs of tie Dartmoor wilds and whittier the father
had gone across the moor never to return, Oh that
fatal day twenty years before al the Year found