Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-05-17

blinds drawn down. The furniture
of the room consisted of but three
pieces; an arm chair small reading
stand, supporting the candle, and n
long kitchen table, supporting
the body of a man covered from head
to foot with sheet. All these in
Guiding the body, would seem to
have been recently brought in, for an
observer had there been one, would
have seen that all were free from
dust; whereas there were cobwebs in
the angles of the walls.
Under the sheet the outlines of the
body could be traced, even the feat
ures, these having that unnaturally
sharp definition which seems to be-
| long to the faces of the dead, but is
really characteristic of those only
| that have been wasted by disease.
From the silence of the room one
would rightly have inferred that it
was not in the front OF the house,
facing a street. 1t really faced moth
ing but high breast of rock, the
rear of the building being set into a
hill.
As neighboring church clock was
striking 8 with elaboration which
seemed to imply such an indifference
to the fight OF time that one could
hardly help wondering why it took
the trouble to strike at all, the sin
gle door OF the room was opened and
man entered, advancing toward
the coffin. As lie did so the door
closed, apparently Of its own wolf
ton; there was grating, as OF key
turned with difficulty, and the snap
of the lock-bolt as it shot into its
socket. A sound ofretiring footsteps
in the passage outside ensued, and
the man was to all appearances a
prisoner. Advancing to the table
he stood moment looking down al
the body; then, with a slight shrup
of the shoulders, walked over to one
OF the windows and hoisted the blind
The dcrkness outside was absolute
the panes were covered with dust
but by wiping this away he could see
that the window was fortified
with strong iron bars crossing il
within a few inches OF the glass anC
imbedded in the masonry on eacl
side. He examined the othel
window. 1t was the same. FL
manifested no great curiosity in ths
1 matter; did not even so much al
! raise the sash. If he was prisoner
he was apparently a tractable one
Having completed his examination
Of the room he seated himself in tn,
armchair, took a book from hi
pocket. drew the stand with its can
die alongside and began to read.
The man was young-not NOR
: than thirty--dark in complexion
i smooth shaven, with brown hair
: His face was thin and high nosed
q with a broad forehead and 'sfirm
ness" of the chin and jaw which i
said To denote resolution. The eve
! we're gray and steadfast. not movint
: except for definitiye purpose. The,
: we're now for the greater part of tn
: time fixed upon his book, but he ac
/. casionaIly withdrew them and turned
) them to the body on the table, not
q apparently from any dismal fascina
= ton which under such circumstance
. it might be supposed to exercise up
on an even courageous person, no
/. with a conscious rebellion agains
the opposite influence which nigh
, dominate a timid one. He looket
y at it as if in his reading h
had come upon something recalling
d him to o. sense of his surroundings
,r Clearly this watcher of the dead wa
IS discharging his trust with intelligenc
ID and composure, as became him.
re After reading for perhaps half a
hour he seemed to come to the end c
chapter and quietly laid away tn
= book. He then rose, and taking tn
= reading stand from the floor, carrie
= it into a corner Of the room near on
le of the windows, lifted the candle fror
70 it, and returned to the empty fire
IS place before which he had been sit
L ting.
as A moment later he walked over t
$. the body on the table. lifted the sheet
n turned it back from the head, expos
u ing a mass of dark hair and thil
=, face cloth, beneath which the feature
showed with even sharper defnitio
than before. Shading his eyes by II
terposing his free hand between ther
4, and the candle, he stood looking q
-. his motionless companion with a 81
VI rious and tranquil regard. 1t was
g picture to delight Rembrandt
lg Satisfied with his inspection he pull
BY ed the sheet over the face again. an
c- returning to his chair, took som
Mt matches off the eandlestick, put thei
ar in the side pocket Of his sack Goa
OF and sat down. He then lifted til
he candle from its socket and looked q