Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-09-29

the body the head fell back. the long
hair swept to the floor. the face turned
toward me. Merciiul Heaven. it was
nv sister Nell,-Nell. whom | had left
safe at home, and she was here!-8edd
murdered! shrieked aloud in fren-
zied agony of terror, and the murderer
dashed the corpse Of his victim on the
foorand turned TO face me. Then the
instinct of self-preseryation, the aw-
full fear of death prevailed, and fed
for my life.
| heard swift feet in pursuit, curse,
breathed on the night-air behind mo.
and on | flew straight as the flies,
stopping for neither bush nor brier.
Thanks to my wild woods training.
there were not many who could out
run me in a fair race, and now my feet
were winged with terror. | heard my
pursuer's steps grow fainter and knew
| had distanced him, when suddenly |
tripped over a log, and fell forward.
| felt the ground sinking beneath me,
felt myself Observation-Disclosures
consciousness left me- felt no more.
When I awoke | was in my own
room, in my own bed, and-who was
that leaning over me?
Nell! Nell.' | cried. ~springing up
and clasping her in my arms, you are
not dead then-Dot dead, not lying in
that dreadful house murdered by that
wicked, wicked mani Oh, Nell. how
came You here, or is it your ghost in
stead of you?'
"Hushl Ju, don't talk so wildly. OF
course its me, why. shouldn't it be?
And how can be lying dead in theA
house when you're holding me&aN
here' I'm afraid you hurt your head in
falling, and are not yourself
But | tell you, Nell, somebody was
murdered in that old house last night.
saw her, cand | saw him,
too. He stopped to lift her, and |
saw her face and thought it was you.
! screamed and ran and he ran after me
to kill me too; | was running from him
when | fell and tainted. How did |
get home?!n
Uncle Jake found you lying at the
bottom of a gully. He put you on
Bouncer and brought you home, and
the old man begged me so not to make
any fuss, lest he should be punished
for assisting your escapade, that | pro-
missed him no should know
But they must know, Nel1ie, Tn
not dreaming nor crazy; | am wide a
wake and sensible, and | repeat most
solomnly that a foul murder was COM
mitted in that old house last night,
and viii Mason is the murderer"
''Will Mason Il murderer. Oh, Ju,
how wildly you talk"
at is the truth and you will find it
so, ! must tell pa right away
'Ju, you must not say such terrible
things! You thought | was killed but
you see | am alive aud well, If you
were mistaken in N thing, you are
mistaken in all. My poor little Ju, if
you say such wild things, people will
think you are crazy"
People may think what they please.
| am not crazy nor mistaken. How |
came to think it was you | can't say,
unless-but " mind that-wait and
see. Somebody was killed, that's GER
tain; I'm going straight to pa, and tell
him the whole truth"
So did; and though my father at
first thought his prediction was vcri-
fed, and my many cccentricities had
eliminated in insanity, he soon found
cause to change his opinion. An ex-
animation of the haunted house
henceforth doubly haunted-gavo UNI
mistakable evidence of a crime. The
floor soaked in blood, a bloody trail
leading to a dry well in the back yard,
a tress of black hair caught in the
well-curb all showed but too plainly the
dreadful deed that had been done.
When the body was drawn up, ii
proved to be, as | had expected, a
beautiful quadroon girl, a slave of
Squire Mason's, whose marvellous re-
semblanco to Nellie had often been the
theme of neighborhood gossip.
The circumstances of her death were
never clearly known, though many dark
surmises We're hazarded on the subject.
The only thing certain was that VIII
Mason was the murderer. As for him,
he escaped to Texas, then the asylum
for all sorts of criminals. He afterwards
joined the army and fell in the Mex
lean war.
That night made a permanent
change in me. rejoiccd that my es
capade had perhaps saved my sister
from becoming VIII Mason's wife; but
] was never again the wild harum.
scarum girl | had been. For months my
sleep was broken by horrible dreams,
and to this day my nerves have not en-
tirc,y recovered from the effects of my
midnight visit to the haunted house.
A. &. GARFIELD,
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