The daily gazette., 1881-11-28
SECRET MURDER
BY A DETECTIVE.

ink uio Wue' hituouBu Cohf'Ctcd, L nave
always been doubtful If his sentence
were just. He came here a stranger,
silent and repellant IN his maDner, max
ing no acquaintance and stunning So
ciely. He was foreigner, too, speak ing
our language but lmperfectly, and rely
ing solely for sympathy and confidence
on the beautiful woman whose waruf,
sunny loveliness seemed chilled by the
cold, rigid manners Of her husband. She
was very young, too; and those who
knew them best, from seeing them most,
declared that her glad utterances were
often frosep-her childish laughter
stilled-by a gloomy look or stern COM
mand. He seemed man at war with
mirth, and brooked no joy in his alien
ated sympathies. She feared him, too !;
for those who saw how the young
creature gladened when the sunlight
flung It's beauty around her when the
flowers bloomed In her way, or nature
answered back her smiles saw, too, her
furtive glances TO see II he noted the
transient JOY she felt, and saw her sad
den at the frown she met.
One night the people in the house at
which they staid heard her scream In
terror, but the mans gloomy nature bad
made them fear to enter his room unless
invited, and several minutes elapsed be-
fore they summoned courage 10 ascer-
tain tie cause of her alarm. When, at
last servant opened the door,the young
wife lay dead upon the floor, stabbed to
the heart. The man was gone. The
window fronting the street was open-a
leap of nearly twenty feet to the BAN
suette-but through this, it was certain,
the man escaped. The knife that still
pierced her heart was Spaaish dagger,
aud usually lay upon the mantle-its
sheath was thrown upon the floor. 1t
looked as If 1t had been snatchsd up In
sudden passion to do deed Of blood.
1t was late at night, and the woman
had been aroused from sleep. Her long
gown was stained red with blood, and
clung to the beautiful frame like a
winding sheet. But the face looked
ashen ia the gas light with fear. There
was horror In the stony outlines, and
the parted lips seemed open for a cry OF
despair. l shuddered as looked at the
spectacle. So young, so love,y, SO full OF
witchlng graces, one could hardly think
being 80 beautiful could die. Only the
day before had seen her, with eyes
flashing likb the sunlight,a form of beau
ty, and laughter rlppllng like the song
OF waters on her lips, looking, indeed
'slike a thing of beauty and joy forever"
And now she lay dead. ! noted well
each mark essential in The search | had
to make, and then, sick at heart, turned
from the place to look for her muir
derer.
AT the threshold met her husband.
laid my hand on his shoulder:
"You are my prisoner !"
"Sir p he Indignantly exclaimed, chow
dare you?"
The tears were yet IN my eyes; tht
horror of his deed still before my vision
| could scarcely retain my patiehce, bn
! did.
81 arrest you, sir, for the murder o
your wifel"
His cry was like that OF some wile
animal, as he sprung by me up thu
stairs and disappeared in his room.-
The people stood grouped around the
dead body, tender hands washing of
the blood-stalns. These he flung asid'
and knelt, with a cry, at her side
cry like that despair might wiring from
courage when hope had fed and lif
was at its ebb--a cry like that 80
SEINE strong swimmer in his agony,
or such as virtue gives when honor
fed. Sobbing, crying, calling he
name in accents plteous and tender
he at last sunk back, fainting, and w
carried him away.
II seemed SO certain that he kille
her that none could believe him limo
cent, yet his manner showed no gull,
1t may have been insanity, or anothe
may have done the deed but jur
said he did it. As the years 60 b,
the mystery may be cleared but m
heart acquits him now Of the lawles
deed done years ago. 1t robbed hi
of the only sunlight his manhoo
knew-it took from his path the onl
flower that gave to him it's incense an
perfume. But he never denied IT.
only looked at you, when he W;
spoken to in an aimless, wanderin
way, as if the shock that had deprive
him of the only being that he love
had destroyed his reason.
Long years have passed since the
but the memory of that horror linge
in my mind, an episode 80 sad ar
wretched that shudder at the tboug
of it.