The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-22
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able sum of money which had been paid to him
for some timber; it would be taken up to his
London banker early the mex morning, he said.
| as 1t was unsafe TO keep it in his desk
That night after retiring | grew strangely
restless. Try as l wonld, sleep refused To- give
heaylncss to my eyelids; my imagination was
| alert with GRIM uncanny conceits. The wind
rustled without like drear signs from space
| AMID lavish moon-smies, The stiffness over
| all things increased my wakefulness.
The moonlight filtered down through the
! wind-moved tree branches, and fell on my
| dark chamber floor in bright spots, fitting at
random across the fixed shadows of the Windows
! panes. The ticking of the great hall clock
| down stairs seemed loud enough TO awaken tho
whole house with its raspng clamor. When
| 1t struck the ringing OF its bell would DO the
! relgnlng sound for awhile, but as the reverbor-
atlng roar grew fainter the regular tick-taclS
would again tecome audible and frightful
| struggle would SCENT to cnsue between tho BELLS
dying echoes and the triumphant cries of tho
| seconds, until the former in my morbid imag-
! nation waXed into living things driven To-
death, utterng resonant cries for mercy, vain
| ly seeking refuge in the hooks and corners os
the building, or madly darting hithcr and
thither in the air to escape the sound hend
at was Just after three o'clock; l think Z
must have been asleep for only u few moments
when was made awake by the cracking of %
| door. Through mne slightly ala, saw q
! form glide out of Hampton and Wynn's room
and steal noiseleasly down the stairs. ] felt
very sleepy and dropped to sleep wondering
n.
it could mean.
"When L awokc, it was just at the break Or
| day; Banks was standing me in the gray
| light pale rs death and trembling in superlative
agitation. He essayed to speak, but tho words
met death on his quivering lips. lie pointed
| toward Pages room.
"'Ilenryp gasped, my mind turning in-
stantly to the fears which had besieged me
| during the night.
| "He nodded grooming in agony; dead MUIR
| dcred" he CIRCULATED, going TO The door.
| 81 hurried down The stairs; my poor friend
| lay on his bed stabbed to the heart. lis eyes
were broad open they seemed TO hold an mex
plicable look of agony. as il
the victim bad expired looking in
| the face of the destroyer Ills desk had been
forced oren, and the box containing the money
| was missing.
g! turned from tho horrible sight and found
Hampton at my side.
"'INoul murder he said, coolly drawing his
suspenders over his caatless shoulder. Must
be looked intoi robbed too by Joye, dirty
work.
'Wynn stood on tho threshold of the cham
Der door, and peercd around US at the bed rot
venturng TO enter the room. He had not
word TO say when we joined him soon after
| ward. My brain was tumultuously excited L
| strongly suspected one Of tie two to he the
| murderer, but could not tell which. Hamp-
toms wonderful GOODNESS nenplussed me.
while Wynns exc@sly9a@Tltetien tarned me
4
| hours later in rcga4d TO the parpetfator Of the
crime. l was not que toned very closely, and,
| consequently, said nothing OF my own sus-
| picions about the matter.
II autographed to London for detective Mr..
| Brown, shlewd looking man, came IN the
| afternoon. l had had little experience with
members Of his profession, and was, therefore.
| unprepared to have him receive MY disclosure
| with great indifference, for | felt that what
! had seen was an important clue to the
| mystery. lie seemed scarcely TO give me
| half an ear while was talking. When had
| concluded he smiled family and said:
| "'Ale you quite certain you were fully awake
| Mt the time? Might you not have dreamed
| that you saw some one leave the room? Re-
| member if you do testify such to be the case
| You imperil the life of one of those men.
| Have you never had dreams in which things
| seemed to be IS real as this?'
II could not answer his words set me to
| thinking, and with that, my recollection
seemed to be more vague than ever.
Toward night Mr.. Brown made an odd re-
| quest OF Hampton, Wynn and myself; he en-
| joined us to sit with the corpse the whole OK
| the night, and then lie walked off in the direc-
ton of the village saying that he would see US
the next morning.
owe took our places in the library, whittier
the coffin had been taken, just as the gloam-
ing shades were turning into nights blaeker
shadows, and weird, silent trio we were,
indeed. The black casket stood in the center
OF the room. lamp on table near the door
dimly lighted the room with llickering rays.
The faces Of my two companions were studies
in paior
against the wall, until they fell en- IIenry's
CHASTITY yisage, which could see, in part, over
the edge of the coffin through the open place
at the head. 1t was difficult to tell which was
the most death-liee Of the three
ours never passed more slowly. The clock
had just struck three when | felt a sudden
puff OF air; the light was extinguished, and
became conscious that something or someone
had eutgra1 with fita tarIruaac
see anything, but experienced sensation as
OF something blacker than the gloom noise
essly and swiftly gliding through the room.
''When my eyes became better injured to
the absence OF light, saw dark form stand-
ing motionless over the coffin. / was never
! supersttiOus, but / do not deny that | was
then stricken with horror. l felt Wynn quak-
ing violently and heard him gaspig in Wild
est terror.
Great Cod Hampton breathed aloud in
| accent that showed him unable 10 keep up
| his stoical calmness under the fearful ordeal
"The horrible silence was broken by voice
ineXpressibly unearthly; from the dead mans
mouth II seemed TO come slowly and mechan-
icaly as If by some dread means the cold lips
were made 10 move again 1t would seem to
hover IN the air darting and drilling from place
to place as If tho gloom itself were yoic 'ng
words which were being snatched and tossed
wildly 10 and fro by invisible impg.
"'Murder has been DONE ii 5aid. you will
seek the guilty one among men living. Did
you would go 70 the dead and say, Speak, man,
name your slayer and, forsooth, it would be
told you.
Upon this paid brow lie particles 80 min
ute that tho sharp eye Of science has never
discovered them In any case They have the
power to speak for the dead. Under proper
treatment they can be made to produce q
photograph Of the slayer as the victim saw
him with dying orbs, for they sprang from the
brain in the death struggle. Seel
"a faint phosphorescent glow began TO shine
around the figure, hand was extended to the
face OF the dead for an instant, and then held
over bright goblet. There was Kissing
sound, rs Of the violent eferyescenee Of alien
acids and tho room filled with q sitting
vapor The faint outline Of the form could be
seen holding something over the goblc6.
"a light like that made by dark lantern
was turned against an instrument looking like
q square piece Of frosted new silver. The
figure glided toward us, and quickly turning
over the instrument before Hampton's eyes,
said:
"Behold tho murdercr's face Let him confesA
ere the ficnds Of hell snatch him from the face
Of the globep
"My hair stood on end saw in the bright,
~