Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-08-03

ms MASTER
It was oven more INITIATED than it APP
peared at first sight the double webbing. of
which the seat was composed, having iccn
partly hacked with a pen knife. pariv torn
apart, nor had the 1ltling of this strange re-
positOry been 50 complete as to leave any
doubt as to the purpose to which it had been
turned.
As | turned away from it, sickened at a
discovery which showed me only too plainly,
the connection between my own narrative
To- the unhappy being before me and the fate
which had overtaken him. the woman MIN
chin broke into tears and lamentations
IF had only left it where ~ was If |
had let things take their chance, If | had
only seen the end Of ii ~
1t was not without considerable difficulty
we got my poor friend home. and the verdict
pronounced upon him by the medical men,
whom we lost no time i'll calling in. was not
more favorable than ] anticipated. His
reason had sustained what they had httl"
doubt would prove to be fatal shock, and
the sudden violent arrangement of the uer-
vous system threatened his life The genuine
pity and distress of the old servants SpGk4
well for them and for their master, and while
he lay. a@ he did lie for many days hetwcou
life and death, there sprang up between lhem
and myself g certain mutual esiect and con-
Ilencc
1t was from Lisa heard as much as there
was to tell ia the way of explanation Of what
| had myself seen, and of the catastrophe
which had lefallen Van Deckermann.
| According to her, he had been confronted,
as had been the previous night bV the APP
partition of his father, and had arrived thus
| at last IN his own proper person ut the secr.t,
{ the calculation Of which had Dcen FOR years
! the object nearest to his heart.
1t appeared that in telling uS-mY wife
and myself the story OF ms early NE. ne HAD
stopped short at what was at once the SaudcSt
! and the most striking part Of it. II was not
/ 50 much in The bare fact of his cousins dca.h,
but in the terrible circumstances accompany
! ING it, there had lain the OVerppwcrng
/ anguish of which we had been per-
mltted glimpse Old Van Deck"rmann-
! growing more and more misery ana uIcI-
! Gus Of all around HIM rs tn. wears went ON.
had at last after empty iug tue house OF
every servant it contained 10y succession of
/ similar charges, accused ms niece of the
tnett of a lar.-, ,uul ut money aud had posi-
lively gone the length, in what would aulear
- have boon '.I G,.'',- If insau ~, oi living
3 her into custody. The evidence was lu> III
, dcent. but She d.aI iearanCe Of the money
, VS. proved beyond II doubt, and the fact
: that Sine bad Only the day before her arrest
. posted a lr,trr IT, Andrew Van prckurnaun
ut the CGpc seemed to give Il certain cOiuriHC
= the Theory advanced 10y his father that
the robbery had been committed ON his be-
half Had the truth as to the young mans
position been known. 1t must have been seen
at once how uutcuuhle was the argument,
but his cousin in her strangely isolated lie
had made mo- condolences, aud tie poor thing
had not tine strength OF mind to wait tor That
redress OF WrOH1 which time must inevitably
have brought her. neither open or closed
to her. within her unCles doors 1t was I'M
possible tllat she should enter again, uut
She found refuge from her unmerted shame
and sorrow where so many bad found 1t Nc-
fore her, and have found 1t slnce-lu the
river.
The old man never recovered the shock Of
her death, though he persisted to the eud IN
his belief in her guilt, and he died miserahly
only two days before his sons return. Foo 4
long time past he had become strange IN his
ways, and had turned night iuto day, WALL
dcring about the house at all hours. so that II
was scarcely surprising that, lett to Itself as
it was after his death, the place should have
come by the uncanpy reputation OF which Its
master had spoken,
OF one thing | was left in no doubt, al
though never had 1t from his own lips, anc
that was The supclstltouS horror with Nhlcl
its owner himself regarded the house; bu'
that horror was dominated, as the even
proved, 10y sttl stronger influence ina