Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-20
THE VAMPIRE LIFE.

l.
A hand was laid upon my shoulder as
stood upon the platform of the little coun-
try depot, waiting for the train. l turned
and found myself face to face with Mark
Graham. Something in his countenance
startled me.
@Why, Mark, old fellow, how are your"
said, shaking hands with him. Il didn't
expect to see you here. What's happened
to you since / saw you last? You look as
II you had seen ghost"
"Do ]" he said, with CHASTITY kind of
smile, and / fancied that his voice had
changed as much as his looks. He was
usually one Of the jolliest fellows to be
found anywhere.
@Yes, you do" answed "What's tho
trouble? The train isn't due for half an
hour yet. Let's go somewhere and sit
down, and you can tell me all about 1t;
that is if there's anything to tell"
We went across, the track to where some
stunted pines grew, and found seat
under them quite free from intrusion.
$50 you think look as if I had seen a
ghost, eh2" said Marx. well, haven't,
but feel about the same as if had. You
know was at Melrose when that terrible
affair happened, | suppose"
Just come from the North woods, and
haven't had letter or seen paper for
month"
"Then you didn't know that Alice Leith
was dead?n
/ turned shocked and startled face upon
my friend.
THAT doesn't seem possible, Mark.
left her two months ago the picture of per-
feet health When did she dies"
about two weeks ago. She died very
suddenly. For the last two weeks-ever
since the night after her death, in fact
we have been hunting for her body"
MY God, Mark, what do you mean" l
cried, startled by his words and look.
"Was-was she drowned?"
"No, she died at home, but'-and here
my friends voice was low, as if he hardly
liked to speak the strange truth aloud
"her body was stolen the night after her
death and we have been searching for it
ever since, and have found not single
trace of it,"
| think my face must have told Mark
how Mortified | was, for he gave a nervous
little laugh and said:
ITS your turn to look as if you had seen
ghost. But | suppose you'd like to hear
the particulars of this most mysterious af-
fair, and / will give them briefly. Miss
Leith was taken suddenly i'll, and died on
the second day. Several of us were visit
ing at Melrose, and her illness was so brief
that none of US had gone away when it
ended in death. Being there at the time it
happened, we of course were expected to
stay until after the funeral. On the night
after she died there were four of US watch
ing with the dead as they say in the
country. Her body was in the library,
and we occupied small parlor opening
off it. Once in half an hour we went in to
wet the cloth that covered her face, and
see that everything was as it should be-
1t was a very wild and stormy night, and
the rain fell in torrents. The wind blew
so that nothing could he heard save the
dash of the rain against the house, and the
hours, as we sat there next to the room in
which lay the always awful mystery of
death, seemed as long as days ought to-
AS the clock was striking midnight, we
went in for the last time to wet the face
cloths. When we crossed the threshold
or the room at half past IL, it was empty
From that time to this no trace has been
found of the body of Alice Leith."
could not speak, my friends story hor-
rified me So | half believed that he was
"We reused the household and began a
fruitless search. In the soft earth under
one of the library windows we found
what seemed to be track, but the rain
had almost washed it out, and it gave us
no clue. If there had been other tracks on
the paths, or in the highway. either of
man, horse, or vehicle, the heavy rain had
entirely obliterated them. The window
was open, and we could be sure of but one
thing, and that was that the body had
been taken through it, Where, or by
whom, we knew then, and know
now, no more than you do.
We searched the grounds. We
reused the neighbors, and all the re-
mainder of that terrible night we wan
derer hither and thither, seeking a clew
but finding none. No one had heard any
thing like the sound of passing wheels. In
the storm they could have come and gone.
and made no sound above that of the wind
and rain. When morning came began the
search again. Her father summoned aid
from the city and the matter was put in
the hands of expert men who are skillful in
unraveling mysteries. But, as have said,
not single clew has been found 1t is
the most mysterious and horrible affair |
ever had anything to do with. What mo-
tive one could have in stealing the body.
who could have stolen it, and where it was
taken te-theSe are the questions that have
perplexed us, and they seem unanswer-
able by any information we can hope to
obtain. The excitement has been intense.
have been wandering about, hoping to
find some thread that would lead to a So
luton of the mystery, and trying to shake
off by a change of scene the nightmare
horror of the affair. But it clngs to me,
and haunts me. l don't wonder that you
thought | looked as if | had seen
ghost. seem to live in world full of
them"
at is one of the most awfully mysterious
occurrences have ever heard Of" said,
as thought over what he had told me. 1T
hardly seems possible that such a thing
could happen here, and among people who
occupy the position the Leiths do"
The whistle of the coming train sounded
sharply down the track, and we rose and
went back to the depot
"Where are you going now?" asked.
u don't know he answered, II would
60 back to work if could shake off the in
cubus that is on me, but | can't do that. 1
hope to get over this haunted feeling by
and by. You can't understand how it has
affected every one of us who were there at
the time. We seem to be searching for
something in another world than the one