The National tribune., 1893-06-01


! in plain sight of the road, and which had been
the private burial ground of the Lawson
family for three generations. It was g bleak
| cherries spot, where no greeBsward grew to
| cover its nakedness from the burning suns oil
| Summer and Winters winds stole from it the
mantles of snow that invested more favorable
spots.
It was not this desolate appearance OF the
| place which made death seem much more
terrible nor yet the few white columns rising
grim aud ghostfy above tire bare mounds oil
| sand that had arrested the attention of the two
men, but rather little knots and fringes Of
| dark green grass finding, it must be, precar-
| ious existence on the side of grave more re-
Gently made than the others, aud as yet I'M
| identified by memorial shaft.
My gracious, Sam do blieve they be let
! ters surc's you air bon," said the speakers
| companion when he had scanned closely the
| bits of greensward. can they read sumthin'
| too"
Gan yo' make 'em out, Jim? My mind
amt jess clear SIGH things, though can sec
| they do look like the pot hooks an handles
] Master Wittle used to make on tho blackb board
! for the fu5t class in readin'.
| The hinge grass grown letters rendered more
| conspicuous by their white setting, were
easily read by the one called Sam, who repeated
! in low, measured tone
Poisoned !"
| panion. in an awe-inspired voice.
It's pizened and it's plain as the nose on
| your face. I have the grass growing
| there for a week, and wondered how it could
| fnd root in that sand, where nothing else has
ever grown. But it never seemed to be in the
| shape of letters before"
The priH6in' in books an papers amt no.
| where now. j wouldn't Rlcved it il hadn't
| seen it myself. Do you sposed Jerry was
pZened? Let's spread the news"
jeremiah Lawson, whose grave bore the
startling accusation in letters Of grass, had been
| a steady going and worthy towsmsn, having
| accumulated considerable property. Somewhat
| late in life he had married Susan Ridgefied,
bot she had died five years after, leaving to his
care young son whose face was miniature Of
her own. James, or Jimmie he was called,
had inherited her dreamy nature, so be was
con sdered by those who did not understand
him a. peculiar boy and old for his years"
The VIII Of the deceased bequeathed ali Of the
property to this child and heir. said bequest to
be placed in the trust of Mr.. Lswsons brother
in law Reuben Falconer, and by him to be held
until the legatee should become Of age. In
case of the latter's death before that time the
guardian was 10 inherit the estate.
All this seemed correct enough, and ia due
time Reuben Faleoner. after accepting the
guarianship Of his nephew. having no home
stead of his own. moved upon his late brother
irt-law's farm to begin to till the broad acres
as If they were his own, Jimmie, of course, liy-
ing with him.
The last in his great grief, appeared stranger
than ever. refusing generally to speak to any
one but his uncie. aud spending many fearful
hours at his fathers grave.
News of the strange symbol upon the grave
few very rapidly, and many sighC-seers visited
the place, until the singular freak of nature be-
came a ninc-days wonder. Ii WAS the one
theme of gossip. and more than one transient
traveller stopped at the village store to ask what
it meant. Then the strips of silken sward be-
gan to lose their freshness, the deep green died
into a pale yellow, and finally the whole with
cred aad disappeared.
About that time thick mats OF fine grass ap-
peared at places on the opposite side OF the
barrow To say that the development of these
was watched with intense interest is to give
the fact as mild statement as is consistent
with truth.
The first Of this new collection to assume
shape was patch in the left corner, which
soon appeared in the form of "a hand, the thumb
and three fingers closed. while the index menl-
Der pointed To the forthcoming message nearer
the center of the grave.
This speedily showed in unmistakable char
acters: Rube Did 1t.
Excitement now ran high, some accepting
the phenomenon as a serious omen showing
that the dead had come to an untimeiy
end. while Others ridiculed the idea of its being
more than a p0intless freak Of nature; not
capable of explanation at present it was true,
but none tho less simple curiosity.
Straightway the anxious ones tried to dis
cover the identity of "Rube," when upon eau
wasting the town it was found to number among
its population four Reubens against not enc of
whom could the most aStute point the finger of
suspicion.
After this the rounded ridge of sand became
rs bald as ever, and the exPectant watchers
began to conclude that it had borne its last
fruit of mystery, VIXEN 10! third inscription
grew on its gentle slope.
This time en- the extreme left stood out in
bold relief a capital r. the right the letter
+. Between these two grew what was deei-
phered by some as the word Justice" while
others stoutly maintained it was the proper
name, Justin" The last, by the way was
Reuben Falconer's middle cognomen. 1t is
needless to say this rendering made a startling
combination.
This lettering was destined to be short lived,
for the following morning the grave was as de-
void of any living substance as ever. But the
end was not yet
four days rain-storm soon came on, compel
ling people as far possible to remain indoors,
though / am in duty bound to say that the viii
Iage store. kept by Squire Almont, filled
day after day by anxious gossipers whose sole
theme of discussion may we'll be understood.
Then. when the weather cleared away the
first person to pass the place of uncanny mira
cles was awe stricken to behold, not upon the
grave this time, but on the level plot near by
it, in grass, grown letters a foot in length, that
he who rode at gallop might read, this de-
nouncement:
Jeremiah Lawson Poisoned by Reuben
Falc0ner."
There was no installing the words this time,
but how were they to be accepted? The life
long lethargy of Softwood may now Re said to
Av,ia tafu hrnk Had tht.a
cused seen this new declaration 1t was not
believed lie had
- tell you" said the Squire, in his ponder
Gus tone, +" it is our bounden duty to do sum-
thin | farmy b'lieve the All wise in His in
finite wisdom has taken this way to warn US of
a great wrong which has been done and to pint
out the guilty man. / move committee be
'p'inted to call upon Mr.. Falesner to ask his
explanation in this grave matter, that we may
sift it TO the bottom. As citizens of this law
abiding town it is course of action we owe
ourselves and TO him."
The SQUIRE who had been Justice of the
Peace for 90 years. met with no opposition to
his plan; bat, as it was already late in the
evening, it was thought best to postpone the
visit until morning.
The final arrangements had been hardly
made when a conner entered the store
breathless and excited, with the astounding
announcement that dead man was lying ON
Jeremiah Lawson's grave.
Even in this emergency the Squire proved
himself equal to the OCCASION, and after propos-
ing to visit the scene at once he suggested, las