The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-03-14
MURDER WILL OUT.
The Private Counselor's Story Of
the Mark in the Bible.

The Private Counselor's Story OF
the Mark in the Bible.
''Of a WORTHY, Herr Magistrate, - said the
Private Counselor, "you have just given a
striking proof Of the possession of those
powers of induction and deduction that
characterize tho born judicial investigator:
If this enthusiastically small detail, so
easily overlooked by mind less keen, had
escaped your attention, there is little doubt
that the culprit would have remained for
ever undetectcd. But who knows! Since
we are on this subject ( could tell you a
strange story, stranger even than the one
you have just related, in which I CHANGED
to play q role that it your duty to assume
officially. I, too, once discovered culprit,
and under circumstances so extraordinary
by means of a clue so slender and improba-
blc that the more l think of it the
moro the whole affair seems to ME like a
genuine miracle don't refer to it to exalt
myself, for should haze discovered moth
ing without the direct interposition of
Chancc-or, Providence, if you prefer the
term"
"Your preamble" replied the Magistrate,
''has already greatly excited my curiosity.
hope you will relate the Incident"
''Willingly. But let US first adjourn to
the library. know you are an admirer of
rare tones, and I must show you mine.
Don't be afraid that they will take me away
from my tale; on the contrary, they will
lead us directly to it, and in the most natural
manner possible"
Tho two men passed from the 6lining-room
where the above conversation had taken
place into well-tilled ibrary-four walls
OF shelves bristlirg with formidable folios.
Every collector of books has his speciality,
and that of Private Counselor Otto Grotius
was Bibles. He boasted of being the pos
SCISSOR Of several editions not owned by the
richest theological library in Germany-that
of Georgia Augusta" in the ancient uni
versity Of Gottingen. The Magistrate, anx-
ious to got to the story, did not, perhaps,
admire as they deserved to be admired, the
venerable illustrated edition OF the Holy
Scriptures issued about 1856, by Gutenberg
and Faust; Luther's first Bible; the polyglott
edition Of Plantin; that of Aldus Manucius,
and many others. At last the Private Coun-
selor took from his shelves two shabby,
though modern-loosing volumes, and said
with sarcastic smile:
II have kept these for the last; they are
the bright, particular jewels of my collec-
ton"
"What! Call this cheap reprint of the
last century jewel!"
"Just so, my dear guest, and for a double
reason. In the first place, the edition was
given to my father by the great Frederick
himself, who has cOndescended to ornament
one OF the two volumes with marginal
notes, more witty, indeed, than reverential,
as might be expected from the illustrious
friend Of Voltaire. In the second place
and to this, Herr Magistrate, let me call
your especial observation-disclosures the other
volume bears between its leaves, as mark,
this bit of yellow paper, commonplace look
ing enough, by ITSELF but with which moth
ing would induce me to part, since it gave
me the clue to the terrible and mysterious
tragedy to which have REFERRED"
This time,'' interrupted the Magistrate,
II truso you will not keep me longer in sus-
pense''
The Private Counselor sat down and thus
began:
In the spring of 49, married, and the
Frau Private Counselor, my beloved depart
ed wife, brought me as her dowry this little
estate OF s., which we readily chose as
our home, seeing that it is equally distant
from the capital and the summer residence
Of his highness, the Grand Duke. You have
been kind enough to admire our old garden,
laid out after French models, with its box
bordered walks, its yews trimmed pyramid
wise, and its marble deities pretentiously
clothed in operate costumes; but 1 have
oot ventured to lead you further a-tield to
show You the useful after the beautiful
The commonplace vegetable garden after
the ornamental park! now regret it, for
it is probable that you have never seen a
haunted house, and could have shown you
one there, or, at least, one reputed to be
such.
There is nothing forbidding in the aspect
of this insignificant structure where nv
7alet assures me that he meets souls in
pain. 1t is one-story cottage whose
matched roof is starred with stone-crop,
and whose front is entirely hidden by
honey-suckle, jasmine and Bengal roses. If
one happens t6enter one sees that the win
dows are no longer glazed, that the fire.
place is filed with fallen plaster, that the
Inside partitions are so worn as to show
the lath, and that the walls are crumblng
under the combined action of mildew and
saltpeter This queer structure has for q
long time only been used as a convenient
storage place for potted plants and garden
implements. None of my servants would
consent to live in it, or even to 20 near it
after nightfall.
When we moved to S. this cottage was
occupied by the gardener and his wife.
His name was Josias. He was an old
Pomeranian cuirassier whom my father
n-law had taken into his service, and
whom we retained in ours. Should I live a
thousand years. Josias' features would
never fade from my memory. He was
about fifty, tall, with strong muscular
body, and with what is called q "square''
head. His heavy eyebrows met, making a
straight line across his face He wore no
hot hoi 30
any truth in physiognomy he was ambitious,
obstinate and not at all sensitive. 1t seems
that he had several times tried to improve
bis worldly condition, but had always
lailed-a circumstance Of which he was ac-
customed to complain bitterly.
"Still am bound to be rich," he would
add; II can't tell how, or when, but some
day fortune will come-it will come"
He was hard master to those employed
about the place. ard seemed to take delight
In tormenting animals, beating the dogs, for
example, not apparently out of anger but
because it gave him pleasure. On two oc-
casions, when interlopers had climbed over
the garden wall, he had broken their )egs
with his gun. The servants hated him, lid
the peasants declared that he cast spells on
the cattle, and that if he looked at q young
girl in certain way she would from that
moment fall under his diabolical influence.
Josias had married late in life. His wife
was younger than he, and, without being
aware of it. increased his unsavory reputa-
zion. Not that she was Suspected of doing
any thing wrong, but she was believed to be
tho Victim of her husbands occult practices.
Blonde, pale, with ligh blue eyes and soft
cheeks, she trembled before her spouse as a
poor bird trembles that has been fascinated
by serpeant. Besides, she was subject to
lethargic fits. Sometimes she would remain
for days wrapped In "a strange slumber 50
closely resembling death that when she was
6rst attacked they came near burying her
| alive.
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