Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-19

| cred; get no further light was thrown on
the dark subject; for Harry and Harry
alone stood suspected and the only leni-
ence shown on account of his youth and
hitherto spotless reputation. was commu-
ton OF his sentence from execution to peual
servitude.
From this hour, his mother rapidly de-
cllned, and was soon laid in the tomb.
The squire grew prematurely old. As for
Ralph, he grew, if possible, more taciturn
and silent.
Restless and full of trouble, and having
valnly exhausted every effort to clear his
unfortunate son, the squire could no longer
bear to abide In place where circumstan-
ces were constantly reminding him of the
great calmlty which alas! he might never
forget
The hall was shut up; and with Ralph
Lucy and the faithful servants who still
chung to their master, the old gentleman
left the place.
The seasons came and went, luxuriant
flowers blushed amid unsightly weeds,
and the strangers hand gathered them.
The family still remained abroad. Five,
ten, twenty years elapsed. and then there
came rumor thatthe old squire was dead
and Raj ph the elder son, would return to
I Seton, and this brings US to the beginning
| of our story.
1t had been sultry day in the beginning
of Jul y, andstoward sunset the thick clouds
that had been gathering poured their tor
rents to the earth, and peal after peal a
thunder rent the ear; yet amid the violence
OF the storm, a close carriage dashed up
| to the grand entrance of the hall.
There had been eager eyes waiting its
approach; yet only an occasional CLEAN
of lightning enabled them to catch faint
glimpse of the coach and its occupants
which doubtless accounted for the con-
trariety of opinion witch existed among the
anxious watchers; for while some stoutly
maintained that lady had been carried
bodily from the carriage, others as strong
| ly protested that naught but wrappers,
travelling rug, etc, had been carried from
the coach; yet all agreed that time would
settle the question and it was with feel
i ing of no little interest that intelligence
from the hall was solicited.
For a time it appeared as though the
curious would remain unsatlshed, when
suddenly, in way unexpected, TIE first
dainty morsel Of news was gathered.
The intelligence was conveyed by no
less a parsonage than Mistress Bird
get O'Mackerty, who had been in
|
weeks, and who suddenly left the premis
es, swearing never to return to them same
again
''On being questioned, the worthy dam
sci declared, That instead of the place
bein' occupied by a decent female, devil
the I'm was thar to be seen barrin herself,
the laundress, an chambermaid but un
thin she d confess to,the howly father him
self, an that was that she'd seen ghost,
as sure as her name was Bridget 0 Mack
erty, an might she find no rest for the sole
Of her fut it they ever got her in such
place a9in."
Her anxious listeners looked from one
to the other, and there were whispers hat
the ghost of the murdered man had APP
peared to torment the dweliers of Seton;
and from that period its gloomy
master was left to his own compan-
ionship; for none intruded On his
solitude. And so another twelve months
glided on when suddenly the inhabitants
Of Wildon were thrown into a new COM
motion. 1t was announced that Jim Va
ric lay on his death bed, and he had
a startling revelation to make before
he could die in peace. And now,
with the curious, we may enter the bed
chamber of the dying man and listen to
his thrilling announcement.
Talk to me Of peace" he cried to tn
clergyman, who bent over his couch
talk to me of peace! Man You rave!
There is n, peace for the wicked!' And
he endeavored to wipe the beaded
sweat from his brow, as he con-
tinued: Can he who sheltered vi
per, and doomed the innocent to a
living death, find peace? Listen, and |
will tell you a tale that shall chill the
blood in your veins, and then say peace, if
dare, old mani
There were two brothers-the younger,
guileless and open to the light of day; the
other dark, turbulent and silent. The
turned from his dark, gloomy nature, his
jealousy led him to suppose that she loved
his brother. and in this state of mind he
sailed forth one morning, no one knew
whittier. | said no one, yet the statement
is not quite correct; for there was a single
witness of his madness who saw him enter
the forest apparently intent on some des-
perate act, and who traced him into Hath
erl,ill's cot and heard him demand the gun
which the old man had been cleaning for
his brother, and which he fatty refused to
give him in his present state of excite
ment. This only served to exasperate MIN
the more, and before any interference
could be offered by the single observer OF
the scene, he sprang forward, snatched the
weapon, and shot the old man through the
heart.
You would say witness to such a
scene would turn with loathing from a
murderer; yet ne did not, for Ralph SEES,
tons gold swore away his brothers hber-
ty, thus Kidding that infamous man of his
supposed rival. and rescuing him from the
galows. Yet his gold has cursed me;
it curses my last hours. | cannot die in
peace!'
The sun ahowne bright and beautiful on
that May morning; yet terrible were the
scenes that were enacted ere it sunk to
rest.
Jim Varic was dead. He had died raw
ing of his guilt to the last, and an indig-
nant crowd, with retribution written on
their faces, was rapidly gathering round
the old hall. Yet an avenging hard had
gone before them and ssmeted out a ter
rible death to the unmi takeable man they
sought.
No sooner had the wrecked Ralph
learned that the dying man had made a
full con fession of the terrible crime than
he made an effort to escape from the in
furiated populace by suspending himself
from the lofty tower of the hall to deep a
chasm below, but fearful indeed was the
fate that awaited him. for. while plung-
ing forward the rope slipped from his
grasp. and from the awful height he was
dashed headlong into the yawning abyss
After the death of the miserable man,