Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-03-01

Now and then came a dazzling blaze o
hope that he had indeed found his deaf
brother, which was quickly extingaishe,
by the vivid memory OF seeing his deaf
brothers face in the ehurchyard. The
Hardy would wonder why Mr.. Brow
should take such a marked interest i
his life, and why Condor should seem 8
disturbed,
Brown adroitly drew the conversatio
to II close by proposing to accompan
Condor and him to Melroso the mex
morning, if agreeable to Hardy. Tn
latter gladly consented. Nothing coul
have suited his desires better, He feI
that there was an important and inc!
plicable responsibility resting on hin
and was anxious to see Condor in tn
birthplace of his brother, and before h
mothers eyes,
When the trio arrived at MelroSe III
next morning, the news ran through II
hamlet like u sudden chill wind. +.
citement was most intense in the crow
round them, while they were waitir
for a messenger to bear the tidlngs
Mrs. Telford of the strange resemblan,
Of Condor to her dead son. The VI
layers. for the most part, were ready
swear that Condor was Washington Tt
ford.
Brown was very uncommunlcatly
though most observing; Condor W
very silent and apparently embarrass
under the gaze of the assembly.
: The crowd increased as it went iowa
; the Telford cottage, Mrs. Telford "
| in the door, highly excited and p2
With a startled cry she ran towardT
as they entered the gate and thYNls'
9 arms around Condon's neck, eYH"e"
t My boy, my son! kneW
= It," %S'n pei-
1 p~lcxity, he seemed % ,oo,
gle with his memorY1mls'.,ahen' gqoa
,., ~ am =, n afraid Xany Of outlook
+ you-Ican't rI1 e' Ov
- ;r, or,und <iuSV pc SUM- instant
,"7 sop-/an chung to him with a
SU nv "%ate embrace. you are
The cried; 'do you think |
oIistaken in my W child? l
ml[t all these years that you were
- %ad."
london, obeying a signal from his
eyes, released himself from her
arms, kindly but firmly telling her that
he would return to see her soon. He
LETT thecottage yard, and followed Brown
down the street.
The surging, murmuring wave Of hui
mainly rolled after them. As the news
wider, the excitement waxed
greater. Then some n suggested the
opening of the grave where Washington
Telford had been buried. 1t was the
spark to the powder Of suspense. They
madly toward the graveyard,
men and boys, with rigid c~ountenances,
in the lead; whispering women and
children fringing the human billow.
Naught could have stayed them. The
grave alone could solve the mystery.
They had seen the young mar placed
there who nov stood before their eyes:
they would know if the grave had given
up its contents.
Condor and his lawyer were in the
crowd when the grave was reached.
The marble head and footstones were
torn from their places, picks and shovels
went into the grassy mound. Silence
yielded only to the noise Of the tools.
II can't bear this, it is too horrible"'
whispered Condor to Brown, as the picks
began to thump with a hollow sound
against the box containing the coffin.
For Gods sake be calm" was the
cautious reply; every thing depend,
now on your calmness. You had better
90 back to the hotel and wait for me
this is no place for you"
AS the casket was being raised to thu
surface of the earth, Condor slipped
away unnoticed to the village. All eye
were glued to the coffin. Not a whispe,
stirred the air, scarcely a breath wa
drawn. The hands of the men who be
gan TO unscrew the fastcnings of the liz
shook as with palsy.
The lid was removed. A skeleton
was there.
Great God!' exclaimed some one
Low m%utterings swelled into a grea
sound-wave and round up from the mul
titude.
Another trickw calculated Brown
turning impatiently away and precedin
the stupetied crowd to the village. Whe
the others reached the hamlet, it wa
found that the strangers had taken thei
leave.
Four days passed. The widow, frml
r%eiterating that Condor was her sol
was i'll almost to death, The villagel
talked, thought, dreamed of nothin
else.
Then Hardy received a letter; it rea
IA follows:
NEW YORK, July 10, 1s-.
HARDY TELFoRD, ESQ.,: Dear Sir: ] b'
pardon for writing you anonymously. VIII,
ytu have read this letter, you will unde
stand why ! do so.
Having read the newspaper reports Of d
remarkable circumstance In your family
feel that II Is my duty to write you of an O
currcnce whlch may bear slightly on I
mystery. Will be as brief as possible.
am n physician. At the time Of yo
brothers burial was a student In a me IL
college in this city. ! required a body
dissection, and, on the morning follow
the published date Of your brothers int,
ment, the body Of u young man In n I'M
remarkable state Of preservation "
brought me by a man engaged In such n ,
cation.
Iordered It taken to n room used by n
self and some fellow students. When
went to the room the following night,
found that the door had been forced OF
> and con I ind no trace Of the corpse.
We were greatly disturbed, fearing Il
D retreat had been discovered by offic
q of the law, and said nothing to any one alb
: The matter. To this day l have had no
u PLANTATION Of the mystery. But since read
of your dilemma, ! am constrained to tn
that my subject may have been your broth
Notwithstanding that the finding Of the 81
a cton In b grave Is strongly contradict,
u looping to hear Of your success In the In,
Ngation, am ANoRYMou
e As may well be conceived, this Q,
munication did not cool the fever
n sensation at Melrose. II was follow
In o the next dav. NV auofher from