River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-11-22

vouchsafed the information that his
mother had married twice, her second
husband being old Jacob Gruber. "He
died of apoplexy this morning, gentle
men," he continued, land that's why
she's so upset. Mind the frying-pan,
can't you. mother? Bat just don't no.
tice her. but eat your suppers, and I'll
show you TO a bedroom whenever
you've a notion TO go 10 it. And you'll
not mind things being bit dull, as the
old man died so suddenly only a few
hours ago?"
We assured him that we would not;
the idea Of the presence Of a corpse
beneath the roof that sheltered us be-
ing any thing but agreeable or enliven-
ing, whilst the presence of that silent
woman, see-sawing herself 10 and
fro with mOnotOnOus action, and
her eyes fixed on vacancy,
was enough in itself to de-
press our spirits. The meal when
served was more appetizing than might
have been expected. and we both did
it full justice. Before we had quite
finished a door at the end OF the room
was pushed open, and half-drunken,
heavy-looking young fellow staggered
into the room. He was a thick-set,
misunderstanding man Of about twenty
FIVE. with broad Teutonic countenance
which seemed as though it were meant
by Nature 10 be CHEEKY and kindly
looking. but had been changed by the
inner force of character into roughness
and brutality. He glared at us with u
sort of stupid ferocity mixed with
amazement.
Now, what the deuce" he was
beginning, roughly, when his brother
seized his arm, and, saying something
to him in German in an undertone,
half dragged, half pushed him out Of
the room. There was the noise of a
sharp alteration outside for few
minutes, and then the man called Lud-
wig came back and offered TO show us
to our room. We accepted his offer, and
he led the way to an upper story,
around which ran wide porch, sup
ported on rough-hewn pillars. On this
porch the windows and door Of each
room opened. There was no corridor,
and the only access to this upper floor
was by fight of stairs. leading from
the kitchen we had just left. Our
guide unlocked the door Of one of the
rooms, and set down the candle on the
little table.
DO either of you gentlemen speak
GermanP" he asked.
Not one word Of it," answered DR.
Melfort, much to my surprise, for his
mother had been a German lady. and
he spoke the language like native.
''All rightr' said Schultz. with a
perceptible- air of relief. Only. you
see, the old woman speaks German
better than she does English-and l
thought-so, if you want any thing
Well, I'll say goodnight and a good
sleep to you"
He took his departure, and as soon
as his numbering footsteps had died
away in the distance. the doctor I'M
fastened the door and stepped out on
the porch. liam going to reconnoiter
a little, " he said, in whisper. Come
with me, if you like"
followed at a short distance, and
saw him suddenly pause. with stiAed
exclamation, before a window. the
shutter Of which had been apparently
forced back by the wind during the
storm. Then. without speaking, b.
beckoned to me to come to him, which
did, and pausing before the open
easement, l looked, as he had done,
into the room beyond.
Never, to my dying day, shall for
get the horror of what | saw.
Upon a low bed, at the further side
OF the little chamber, lay the corpse of
an aged man, unwashed, unshOrn and
unstraightened for the grave. His
clothes were the rough, soiled gar
ments of his everyday life and toll.
He lay on his back, his limbs con-
torted. as though the parting soul had
left its tenement amid pain and strug-
Cling. But the most fearful element
of that dread spectacle lay in the fact
that above the half-open mouth how
cred a cloud OF pale, luminous vapor,
that streamed continuously upwards,
and broke and quivered and foated
away with the slight disturbance OF air
caused by our presence at the window.
| was about to utter an exclamation of
horror when Dr. Melfort laid his hand
upon my lips.
"Silencer he whispered in my ear.
Our very lives depend upon our maxi
ing no sound, on our giving no warn
ing of the discovery we have made.
We are in the house OF MURDER
That strange light
''Is a symptom that the dead man
has been poisoned with phosFaorus-a
drug common in crime, because so
easily obtained from ordinary matches.
Back to our room! We must get away
from here as quickly as possible"
We stole back TO our allotted cham
Der. The storm was rising again.
One of the sudden gusts Of wind had
blown out our candle, and we looked
in each others faces by the pale gloams
of the lightning.
After 4 brief pause, to make certain
that all was quiet il the house. we
clambered down one of the rough
hewn pillars of the porch, ana. making
our way TO the shed, we unfastened the
horse and waited till a long roll of
thunder came to cover the noise of the
wheels Then we started, turning our
horses head. not toward Claynor. but
in the direction of New Nineveh,
trusting to the animals instinct TO find
his way home through the woods. As
we plunged into the forest, a shout in
the distance, followed by liAe-shot.
was audible.
They have found out that we are
gone" muttered the doctor between
his teeth. Now, Paul, for drive for
lifer'
He whipped up the horse as he
TpOke. and we dashed along at break
leck speed. The road lay down hill.
and IL we were pursued. we We're soon
out o: reach of the pursuers. We saw
and heard nothing further of the broth
ers. In tact, the tempest, which had
broken forth again in redoubled fury.
was enough to check the progress of
any one who had striven to follow US.
II & A. -