Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-01-09
The Maverick Mystery.

II was the twenty-fouIth ofDeoember,
eight o'clo ok il the evening. Mr.. and
Mrs. Maverick were in the sitting room.
Mr.. Maverick was reading, or, rather he
affected to do so; in order to express his
dissatisfaction with the b arangue which
his wife had been engaged in delivering.
Mrs. Maverick was an admirable woman,
but she had a gentle podsistency which,
at times. seemed monot onous to the sub
iects of it-among which subjects her
husband was naturally the most fire.
quent. This couple lived in an ancient
house on the outskirts of a venerable
town in one of our oil Jest States. They
got the house cheap, because it bore a
bad name that is, a former owner had
| hanged himself, und er circumstances of
| peculiar horror, to the hook intended
| for the gas fixture in the ceiling of the
| front bedroom. The legend asserted
| that his spirit still pervaded the premis-
es. Up to the pre- sent time, however
nothing wholly inc xplicable had &C.
CURED. Strange Soul IDS had been heard;
but such as rats. 10 ose blinds, warped
doors and meaning rauchts might have
sufficed to account f. r. Mrs Maverick
had been less impr essed by these phe-
nonena than her usband, who was OF
a nervous and excitable organization,
with powerful il nagination. He had
atterly lapsed int' somewhat abnor-
nal state, giving rise to anxiety in the
breast of his spouse; and she was con
stantly urging upo n him the expediency
OF taking medical advice. But Mr.. Nav
erick, unfortunately. hal conceived a
mortal antipathy against anything in
the shape of a doctor-an antipathy
which may have had its source in the
fact that his wife's uncle was a member
of that profession, and had. many years
be fore, administered an emetic to Mr..
Ma yerick by mistake for a sleeping
potion. From that time, at any rate,
Nave rick had declared bloody ven
geance against whatsoever representa-
live of the faculty should darken his
doors. 1t will readily be conceived,
therefore, that Mrs. Nav erick, who was
really concerned about his condition,
was at her wits end how to proceed.
Mr.. Maverick, in fit of nervocs ex-
asperation, slammed the book he bad
been reading down on the table. "Maria,
let us have no more of this!w he ex-
claim ed. "Once for all, will moi see
phys clan! and if you bring one into the
hous I'll murder himp
These fearful Won DIS had hardly left
his 10 outh when there was a sound of o
heavy fall in the room overhead. The
globes of the chandelier jingled and the
window panes ratified. Mr.. Maverick
sprang to his feet.
"Gre at Heavens! what was that?" he
cried out.
Mrs. Maverick had not moved from
her chair; but she looked up at him in a
distressed way. "Oh, my poor DEAR" she
murmured, "what is the matter 2"
"That Disc Upsi airs! Like heavy
body hurled 20 The floor end there's no
one in the house but ourselves and The
cook-and she's down in the village.
"a noise, my desT?" faltered Mrs
Maverick. WAS there a noise Where !?
Where?"
Her husband slowly turned, and
stared at her. The startled expression
in his widely-opene d eyes deepened into
amazement. and finally darkened into
something like terror.
"You didn't hear it, Maria?" he said
below his breath. Are you mad. or am
L? Why. the whole house trembled I"
"Are you sure you are not mistaken,
John? I'm sure it was only nervous
ness" said his wife. anxously. "Oh, if
you would only consult physician p
physician be --p began Mr..
Maverick, excitedl-; but he stopped
short. al have itv he went on, in
changed tone. "The noise was in the
front bedroom. where The old fellow
hanged himself. And when the rope
broke, he fell %
Surely, John, you don't place faith in
AL that gossip" protested Mrs. MAYER
lex. You're not quite yourself, dear,
that's air.
Mr.. Maverick made no verbal reply.
He buttoned up his coat resolutely.
stepped over to the old writing-table in
the corner of the room, and took from
one of its drawers a silver plated Colts
revolver. Having satisfied himself that
it was loaded, he Lit a candle, and started
for the door.
Mrs. Maverick, now seriously dis
turbed, tried to calm him in vain. At
length, with a sigh for his obstinacy,
she arose and followed him.
There is no one here, said Mr.. MAYER
lex, after an exhaustive search of the
front bedroom. But there is that old
hook he hanged himself from and he
fell right here"
do come down stairs again, John. l
was sure you would find nothing. Think
how offap -