Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-02-06

side by side But the cloud came
and it was in the pleasant June
time, when all the earth was needless
of it and was very bright and gay.
1t seems that old Gray had gone,
as was his custom, to the mill quite
late one night. He went after Mercy
had gone to bed, and she knew moth
ing oft; but when she arose early in
the morning to get the scanty break
fast ready she found that her father
was not in the house. But this did
not much alarm her, for it had often
happened before. Miller Gray and
his gold were such good friends that
they often stayed close together all
through the night. So, when Mercy
had eaten her own breakfast, she put
her fathers meal in small basket
and went over to the mill to give it
to him as she had often done before.
She did not lock. the house door
when she left 1T, for the mill was
only over the way and she expected
to stay only a few minutes.
As she came up to the mill, how
ever, Mercy saw that something
must be amiss The windwheels
were motionless, and her fathers
three employees were standing idly
at the door. 1t was still the early
morning, but old Gray had always
made his employees go to work an
hour before any other men in the
village. He had always kept the
key himself, and was generally there
before they were in the morning and
unlocked the door for them. But
on that morr ing, they told Mercy,
they had knocked and pounded and
kicked on the door of the mill in
vain. So, supposing that he was
still in the house, they had waited
until he should appear.
Such an occurrence had never been
before. Nature had, / dare say,
wound up Miller Gray when he was
born just the same as my husband
he was the seXon-wound up the old
clock in the church tower, and his
life had gone on with the same regu-
larity as that clock did. He had
everything all laid out, and did it
with such precision that he was
more like dry old monk in a mon
astery than any one of whom / ever
knew. So when poor Mercy heard
that the mill was not yet open, and
that her father had not been seen,
she was just as frightene. and dis
mayed as she could be.
"He must certainly be inside, +" she
said, after minute S thought. at
never happened before, but 1t might
possibly be that he is asleep, or,
perhaps"-and she spoke in an I'M
certain way-"perhaps he is in that
vault, if there is such a place, and
something has happened to him
there"
care you pretty sure, Miss Mercy
that he is not in the house? Did
you look carefully around before you
left ?" asked one of the workmen.
~ am certain he was not there"
she said, decisively. "He must be
here, for he has often, as you know,
come here in the nighttime before
l think you had better knock once
more; and then, if there be no an.
swer, / am sure it would be right to
break in the door,
And so, when they had knocked
again in vain, they threw their three
burly forms against the door, and
kicked at it with their heavy boots,
until it fell inwards with a crack
and a crash Instantly there seemed
a rush Of foul air to 60 past them,
as if it was eager to leave the place
where it had been lodged, and it
carried an odor with it that made
Mercy turn pale, feel faint and trem-
BILE. 1t was the smell of blood.
ooh, Heavenl" she exclaimed,