The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-01-12
THE AVENGER.
A THRILLING TALE.
tContInued lrom last y eek }
BY THOMAS DE QUINCEY.

val other events had occurred, no less
terrific and mysterious. In this first
murder, though the motive was dark
and unintelligible, yet the agency was
not so; ordinary assaSsins apparently,
and with ordinary means, had assailed
a helpless and an unprepared family;
had separated them; attacked them
singly IN flight (fOr in this first case all
but one of the murdered persons ap-
peared to have been making for the
street door; an' in all this there was
no subject for wonder, except the orig
inal one as to the motive. But now
came a series of cases destined to fling
this earliest murder into the shade;
nobody could now be unprepared; and
vet the tragedies, hencefOrwards, which
passed before us, one by one, in sad,
ieisurely, or in terrific groups, seemed
to argue a lethargy like that of apo
plexy in the victims, one and all. The
very midnight of mysterious awe fell
upon all minds.
Three weeks had passed since the
murder at Mr.. Weishaupt's-three
weeks the most agitated that had been
known in this Sequestered city. We
felt ourselves solitary, and thrown upon
our resources; all combination with
other towns being unavailing from
their great distance. Our situation
was no ordinary one. Had there been
some mysterious robbers amongst us,
that chances of a visit, divided amongst
so many, would have been too small to
distress the most timid; whilst to
young and high-spirited people, with
courage to spare for ordinary trials,
such state of expectation would have
sent pulses of pleasurable anxiety
amongst the nerves. But murderers!
exterminating muTderers clothed in
mystery and utter darkness these
objects were too terrific for any family
to contemplate with fOrtitude. Had
these very murdereTs added to their
functions those of robbery, they would
have become less terrific; nine out of
every ten would have found themselves
discharged, as it were, from the roll of
those who were liable TO a visit; while
such as knew themselves liable would
have had warning of their danger in
the fact of being rich; and would, from
the very riches which constituted that
danger. have derived the means Of re-
pelling it. But as things Were, no man
could guess what 1t was that must
make him obnoxious to the murdererS.
Imagination exhausted itself in vain
gueS-es at the causes which could by
possibility have made the poor WeiS-
haupts objects of such hatred to any
man. True. they were bigOted in de-
gree which indicated feehleness of in
tellect; but THAT wounded no man III
particular, whilst to many 1t recon-
mended them. True, their charity was
narrow and exclusive, but to those Of
their own religious body 1t expanded
muniticently; and. being rich beyond
their wants, or any means of employ
ing wealth which their gloomy ascot
iciSm allowed, they had the power of
doing a great deal of good amongst the
INDECENT Papists Of the suburbs. As to
the old gentleman and his wife, their
infrmities confined them to the house.
Nobody remembered to have seen
them abroad for years. How, therefore,
or when, could they have made an en-
emy? And, with respect to the maiden
sisters of Mr.. Weishaupt, they were
simply weak-minded persons, now and
then too censOriOuS, but not placed in
a situation to incur serious anger
from any quarter, and too little heard
Of in society to occupy much of any
10 Iy's attention.
Conceive, then, that three weeks have
passed away, that the poor Weishaupts
have been laid in that narrow sanctu-
ary which no murderer's voice will
ever violate. Quiet has not returned to
US. but the first hutterings of panic
have subsided. People are beginning to
respire freely again; and such another
wOunds-when, hark. a church-bell
rings out a loud alarm;-the night is
starlight and frOsty-the iron notes are
heard, clear, solemn, agitated. What
could this mean? l hurried to a room
over the porter's lodge, and, opening
the window, cried out to man pass
ing hastily belOw-"What, in Gods
name, is the meaning of this?" 1t was
watchman belonging to our district.
l. I,n IyTa in nd no
replied in great agitation
1T is another murder, sir, at the old
town-cOuncillOr' Albernass; and this
time they have made a clear house
.'God preserve usl Has a curse been
pronounced upon this city? What can
be done? What are { e magistrates
going to dO?"
Il don't know. sir. l have orders to
run to the Black Friars, when another
meeting is gathering. Shall | say you
will attend, sir?"
"Yes-no-stop little. No matter
you may go on; I'll follow immedi'
ately."
went instantly to Maximilian's
room. He was lying asleep on sofa
at which | was not surprised, fol
there had been a severe stag-chase in
the morning. Even at this moment,
found myself arrested Dy TWO ODJecuS
and paused to survey them. One wa:
Macmillan himself. A person so mys
terious took pTecedency of other inter
ests even at time like this; and espe
cially by his features, which, composed
in profound sleep, as sometimes hap
mems. assumed new eXpTessiOn-whicl
arrested me chiefly by awaking som
confused remembrance of the same fea
lures seen under other circumstance
and in times long past; but where
This was what I could not recOllect
though once before a thought of tn
same sort had crossed my mind. Tn
eother object of my interest was min
iature. which Maximillan was holdin
in his hand. He had gone to sleep az
parently looking at this picture; al
the hand which held it had slippe
down upon the sofa, so that it was i
danger of falling. 1 released the mir
iatnre from his hand, and surveyed
atteutiYely; it represented a lady {
sunny Oriental complexion, and fei
lures the most noble that it is pOssibl
TO conceive. One might have imagine
such a lady, with her raven locks an
imperial eyes, to be the fayOrite sultan
of some Amurath or MahOmet. VIII
was she to Macmillan, or what HA
she been? For, by the tear which
had once seen him drop upon this mil
iature when he believed himself unO