Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-04

Will solve this riddle"
Good" returned the undertaken Il have
bull's-eye lantern. perhaps had better
There is no use in doing that" answered
awfully suItry night, is it mott" he added.
'1 half think we shall have storm"
"All the BETTER" rejoined Mattocks, there
will not be SO many people stirring "ei''
ave shall meet at Phillipi" added the
undertaken, who had rather weakness for
theatricals, striking an attitude.
Mr.. Staple was the first to arrive at the
keep him waiting long. "You have got the
keyf" asked he, as he sauntered up;
! agent, "but come along, for 1 feel quite
nervous"
Scarcely had he uttered these words than
cleave s the dark sky, and in an instant was
followed by peal of thunder like the roar
of a piece Of artillery. -,
Il thought we should have it before long,"
remarked the undertaken, "let US get on, for
the rain has begun"
Short as was the distance to the door of
No. Z, the seekers into the mystery were
almost soaked through by the heavy drops
which came down in one continuous shower
At last, however, the shelter of the doorway
WAS gained, and Mr.. staple, raising his
hand, gave modest little knock.
To his surprise the door was Immediately
opened, and by the CLEAN of the lightning
he fancied he saw more than one dark figure
ascending the stairs.
"Did you see that?" whispered he, grasp
ing his companion BY the arm.
"Nothing but shadows" replied the scepti
cal undertaken. Light the gas, aud shut
the door,"
As soon as this was done they entered the
parlor and lit one burner in the gaselier
which hung from the ceiling. The room was
in a terrible state OF disorder; Packing Fac ,ias
wrenched off, and the valuable contents
strewn anout the room: quaint old pieces OF
plate, and image Lemoge enamels, carvings
in ivory, and silver-clasped books, were all
lying about, as if someone had been dis
turbed in the act of removing them.
"What can be the meaning of thisf'' asked
the undertaken.
"It is pretty plain" responded Staple.
''The old man has been repacking his valu-
ables But where can he be?"
AS if in reply to the question, the folding
doors were flung open and the figure of God
frey Hopper appeared on the threshold.
Pardon our intrusion, Mr.. Hepper," be-
gan the house agent: but he stopped short,
for there was something so appalling in the
old mans expression that he could proceed
no further.
The face of the dealer in curios was
swollen and distorted, and marked here and
there with !ivid streaks. In his hand he
held thin piece of cord, with slipknot at
the end of it.
For an instant he stood motionless, and
as nen be aS dS ns nssr Ing SRR'es srppS ugsA
festatIon took place. The figure of
the old curio dealer seemed to form the
center of the other shadowy counterfeits of
ITSELF moving backwards and forwards,
now stationary for q moment, but in some
unexplainable manner. now blending and
now detaching themselves from the figure
from which they appeared to emanate. AS
far as could be seen each counterfeit had
the same shape and features, and each bore
in its hand the rope with the moose at the
end of it. Once again the thunder pealed
and the lightning seemed to flash round the
room, but as the last stroke of IL sounded
the shadowy figure vanished, and the origi-
nal apparition appeared to rise in the air
and disappear through the ceiling.
AS if actuated by the same impulse, the
two men darted upstairs and entered the
back bedroom. A man was kneeling before
an iron .clasped packing case endeavoring to
force it open. At the sound of the entrance
of the intruders, he started to his feet with
muttered oath, and snatching up a revol-
yer which lay beside him, he leveled it at
the head of the house agent.
Staple saw that he had not moment to
lose for the finger of the man was near the
would be discharged. Springing forward he
grasped the mans arm and attempted to
turn the muzzle on one side. In the strug-
gle they both came to the ground, the pistol
batants rose from the floor with a scared,
pale face, but the other lay where he had
Iallen, writhing and moaning. Great
heavens, it is Renouf," said Mattocks, as he
bent down and raised the fallen mans head.
"Yes," returned Heppers son-in-law, 'it is
I, safe enough, and l have got my death, so
there is no use of mincing matters. l
strangled the old man-do you see him
mopping and moving at me in the corner
there?-and buried him in the coal cellar;
but he wouldn't keep quiet. and was up and
down before l had stamped the earth over
him. Katrina woman-like, couldn't bear it
though she was ready enough to lend a
hand, when was at work, squeezing the old
fellows throat, and so had to take her out
of the house; but 1 crept back after the
nightfall and have been at work ever since
hunting up the most available portable
property. He has never left me, and as the
hours go on he increases in numbers, until
by midnight there were II old men, all with
the same sunken face, and the rope in their
hand with which the trick was DONE AT
myself, was never afraid of you living,
why should 1 fear you now that you are
dead?' and so went on with my work, tell
ing him to play his ghostly pranks as much
some in yonder bottle; am feeling faint.
81 shan't tell you where Katrina is, she
will read all about this in the papers, and
will be mad that she cannot come forward
and claim the property: don't know what
in the name of the fiend made you meddling
fellows come here: but at any rate your visit
see how contented the II faces all look; see,
he is all round me. bending over me, and
grinning, take him away, am frightened
through all eternity? 1 can feel his ciammy
fingers on my face and his ice-cold hand
clutching at my heart-take him away 1
say"
Mattocks and Staple glanced around with
a shudder. and saw the shadowy ring of
ghastly forms encircling the dying man, and
mocking his last agonies.
1t was but momentary vision, and van
ished, as with wild shrek the murderers |
spirit fed from his body.
Adolphe Renouf's words were true,
Katrina never came forward to claim the |
old mans property, nor indeed was it ever
known what had become of her. Doubtless |
she fed away, and in daily fear of being ar
rested an accompice in her stepfather's |
death, passed the rest of her days in misery |
and obscurity.
Mattocks and the house agent gave their |
evidence at the Coroner's inquest and |
search in the coal cellar produced the body |
OF the murdered mans
In due time board purporting that the |
house was to let ap peared in the garden of !
No. Z, Birthstone road; but the place is still |
for the idea still remains that |
the spirit of the old curio dealer may vet |
linger about his last earthly habitation.
THE END.J