St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-11-05

Success :" he said Il have it, al
though whether from chance or as
result of repea ting my impression of
light falling on a church window l
can't say. Certainly after all these
years, the tune is mine again. Lis
| ten
AS we proceeded up the street the
doctor whistled few measures COM
posing rather peculiar melody, ex-
pressive, it seemed to me Of unrest.
| never forget tune | have once
heard, and this one was soon fixed
in my memory.
"And the interesting circumstances
under which you heard it ?" l inter
rogated. "Surely, after the concern
I've shown in the matter, you're not
going to deprive me of the story that
goes with the tune ~
"There is no reason why | should.
But hope you will not circulate the
melody. 1t is the music that accom-
panies a tragedy"
Indeed? You have written one,
then? 1t must be brief, as there
isn't much of the music"
"Irefer to tragedy which actually
occurred Tragedies in real life are
not, as rule, accompanied by music,
and, to be accurate, in this case the
music preceded the tragedy. Ten
years ago, when 1 was living in
Paris, apartments adjoining mine
were taken by a musician and his
wife. His name, as l learned after
wards, was Heinrich Spellerberg,
and he came from Breslau. The wife,
very young and pretty creature,
showed herself, by her attire and
manners. to be frivolous and vain,
and. without having more than the
| slightest acquaintance with the pair,
Isoon learned that she had no knOwl-
edge of or taste for music. He had
married her, l suppose, for her
beauty, and had too late discovered
the incompatibility of their tempera-
ly and jealously. One day l heard
loud words between them, from
which 1 gathered unintentionally
that something had aroused his jeal-
ousy. She replied with laughter and
taunts to his threats. The quarrel
ended with her abrupt departure
from the room and from the house.
He did not follow her, but sat down
at the piano and began to play in
the manner of one who improvises.
Correcting the melody that first re-
sponded to his touch, modifying it at
several repetitions, he eventually
gave it the form that l have just
whistled.
Evening came and the wife did not
return. He continued to play that
strain over and over, into the night.
l dropped my book, turned down my
lamplight, and stood at the window,
looking at the church across the way.
Suddenly the music ceased. The wife
had returned Where did you dine p
l heard him ask. l could not hear
her reply, but his next speech was
plainly distinguishable. You lie!
he said, in vehement tone of rage;
YOU were with - l did not catch
the name be mentioned, nor do l
know what she said next, or exactly
what happened. l heard only a con-
fused sound, which did not impress
me at the time as indica ting a strug
gle, and which was followed by ST.
lence Imagined that harmony or a
sullen truce had been restored in the
household, and thought no more
| L
the wife was found dead, strangled.
The husband had disappeared, and
has never, l believe, been heard of to
this day."
We reached the restaurant just as
the doctor finished his story. How
the account had impressed me need
not tell Seated in the warm cafe,
with appetizing viands and bottle
before us, asked the doctor to tell
me again the husbands name.
Heinrich Spellerberg."
"And who had the woman been ?"
81 never ascertained. She was a
vain, insignificant, shallow little
blonde. The Paris newspapers could
learn nothing as to her antecedents.
She, too, was German, but slight
and delicate in physique.
You didn't save any of the news
papers giving accounts of the af-
fair?"
mo. My evidence was printed,
but they spelled my name wrong"
do you remember the exact date
of the murder ?''
Yes, because it was the birthday
of friend of mine. 1t was Febru
airy II, 1877. Twelve years ago!
And that tune has been with me, off
and on, ever since-forgotten most
of the time; few times recalled-as
tonight"
And the man, what did he look
like?''
"Slim and of medium height. Very
light of complexion and eyes. His
face was entirely smooth. His hair,
bit faxen in color, was curly and
plentiful, especially about the back
of his neck"
I'm your evidence did you say any
thing about the strain of music,
which was very manifestly of the
murderer's composition ?"
Not didn't recur to me until
later"