Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-22

Iaw, he dol Vat else he do dere !?
Dat rascal dc dilfel will him vet git
liifen ! You git him in the jhail
putt
| sat amazed-aImost petrified with
amazement. Each word had pierced
me to the quick and left a sickening
sensation about my heart. Had |
deceived myself in that man? re-
membered his discontinue as tarried
with him few minutes on the street
the preceding night; how he remained
as if lost in deep meditation, when |
left him on the chanticleer's announc-
ing the first watch of the night; and
how, after walking few squares and
looking back, | saw, by the dim star
! light, his gloomy figure slowly pass
! ing down the street which led to the
cemetery As | watched the strange
! igure-strange in the weird noctur-
nal light-grow DINNER, I thought
Poor, melancholy man, wish that
God would send an angel to roll that
mysterious burden from your heart. :"
1t did not occur to me then that the
highway led to the burial ground.
Now it appeared as the most DANA
ging evidence in opposition to every
explanation which affection presented
in defense of my accused friend.
Friend ?-fend; human-wolf! Is it
possible ? Yes Is it probable?
The heart that asked the question did
not have the courage to reply. Lee
| grand was a mysterious character; |
saw him 20 toward the cemetery; the
woman before me saw him in it; what
could be more suspicious? Yet |
could not entertain the thought; there
was a combat within me over its ac-
captauce. Did she see him disturb o
grave? No Grasping this redeem
ing feature Of the case, regained
selfpossession and perceived, thet un-
less gave the woman some plausible
explanation, last nights occurrence
would be town talk before noon. So,
looking her in the face, I said as
kindly and pathetically as possible:
"Well. you know be is strange.
quiet man, who goes about in a mel
ancholg mood As you have seen
him carry this apparent load of men,
tai trouble you must have pitied him
just as | did. Perhaps over there in
that quiet Gods Acre rests one he
loved, and in the nighttime there
comes longing which is not satisfied
until he stands by the grave Of his
| frien d-that spot where heaven and
earth meet" Then | related how |
had waded through the snow on a
bitter cold day to cemetery, and tax
ing down my Milton | opened the
volume and showed her two pressed
pansies, which | had treasured since
that day. and on the opposite page
the entry:
From her couch beneath the snow.
Feb. 14th, 18-."
] told the woman that | could give
no rational explanation for my con-
duet. There was lopging-an in
clina tion-which | could not resist.
1t Sc emed as if an angel directed my
feet and led me to her grave. Per
haps it was similar with this strange
being. Anyhow" | concluded,
there ere strange things about each
of US, and it is the duty of Que to bear
with the other"
She seemed to understand all that
| had said to her, and true to her
sympathetic German nature, a tear
trickled down her cheek When en-
Joined silence 10 the matter she readi-
ly assented although she firmly believ-
ed the young man was suffering mental
alteration and should be placed uns
der surveillance. Having decided to
do little detective work in the case
myself | thanked her for her sugges-
tion and assured her that would put
it into execution
Before the old lady'5 rotund form
had rightly crossed the threshold the
printers in the adjoining room began
a fusilade Of sarcastic remarks upon
me-
"Well, the old woman's got 'em
down fine," said one.
"Sbe's the girl that can do it," re-
sponded another
Surely. that fellows friendship is
worth cultivating: he's either a luna
tic or body-snatcber," sneered a
third.
"No;n said the first, about to quote
ME, you mean Such noble fellow
with melancholy MEN, This traffic
in 'stilf5' is only an innocent diver
sion-an avocation, if you please"
Handling 'stjfs' is fine biz in
summer time. It's so nice and cool"
interposed somebody else.
They continued in this strain until
Victor, whose case stood nearest the
door leading to my Office, looked up,
eyed me piciously, and, with
roguish smile, SAID in q mock conf
Dental tone, Birds of feather flock
together"
In strange contrast with my mood
| playfully responded: "Give US
something new; that's a rusty old
saw
"Ah, but it cuts nevertheless" he
rejoined. "Say now, seriously, don't
you wish all old saws had their teeth
knocked out 2"
l joined in the laugh his good ma
tured sally produced Victor was
my favorite among the compositors.
He was honest, benev voleut, meek
in short, young man with an al
most faultless character. 10 fact,
there was too much of the recluse stu
dent liz him. and instead Of contract
ing and entering the best society Of
the place, which was anxious TO re-
ceive him, he employed his evenings
in the Office reading in my company.
Thus an attachment was soon formed.
NV admiration for him was more
than reciprocated by his affection for
me. He was capable of the very
strongest loYe, and the regard he
manifested for me was more like the
love of ardent woman than caImer
man. la truth, he was one Of those
boys who bear marks Of feminine
beauty sans the vanity by which it
is usually accompanied In physique
he was frail and delicate. AS to
uhr rcioOuom-. he bod q small face