The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-07-08

A"S AuSDs AA his SiNoo SAiSAs oPPSoiS"
stranger than ever, refusing generally
to speak to anyone but his uncle, and
spending many fearful hours at his
fathers grave.
News of the strange symbol upon the
grave flew very rapidly, and many
sightseers visited the place. until the
singular freak of nature became a nine
days wonder. 1t vas 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 began to lose their fresh
ness, the deep green died into a pale
yellow, and finally the whole withered
and disappeared.
About that time thick mats of fine
grass appeared at places on the oppo-
site side of the barrow. To say that
the development of these was watched
with intense interest is to give the fact
as mild a statement as is consistent
with truth.
The first of this new collection to as
sumo shape was a patch in the left cor
ner, which o appeared in the form
of a hand, the thumb and three fingers
closed, while the index member pointed
to the forthcoming message nearer the
center of the grave.
This speedily showed in unmistakable
characters: ''Rube Did IT,
Excitement now ran high, some ac-
ceptlng the phenomenon as a serious
omen showing hat the dead man had
come to an untimely end, while others
ridiculed the idea of its being more
than a pointless freak of nature; not
capable of explanation at present, it
was true, but none the less a simple
curiosity.
Straightway the anxious ones tried to
discover the identity of s'Rube," when
upon canvassing the town it was found
to number among it's population four
Reubens, against not one of whom
could the most astute point the finger
of suspicion.
After this the rounded ridge of sand
became as bald as ever, and the expect
ant watchers began to conclude that it
had borne it's last fruit of mystery,
when 10! a third inscription grew on it's
gentle slope.
This time on the extreme left stood
out in bold relief a capital r, on the
right the letter f. Between these two
grew what was deciphered by some as
the word Justice" while others stout
ly 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 devoid of any living
substance as ever. But the end was
not yet.
A four days rainstorm 500 came on.
compelling people as far as possible to
remain indoors, though | am in duty
bound to say hat the village store,
kept by Squire Almont, was 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 un-
canny miracles was awe-stricken to be-
hold, 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 a gallop might read, this de-
nouncement:
Jeremiah Lawson Poisoned by Reu-
ben Falconer."
There was no installing the words
this time. but how were they to be ac-
cepted? The lifelong lethargy of Soft
wood may now be said to have been
completely broken. Had the accused
seen this new declaration? 1t was not
believed he had.
81 tell you" said the squire, in his
ponderous tone, sit is our bounden duty
to do sumthin'. I farmly b'lieve the
All-wise in His infinite wisdom has
taken this way to warn us of a great
wrong which has been done and to
pint out the guilty man. / move a
committee be 'p'inted to call upon Mr..
Falconer to ask his explanation in this
grave matter, that we may sift it t. the
bottom. AS citizens of this law-abiding
town it is a course of action we owe
ourselves and to him."
The squire. who had been Justice OF
the peace for twenty years, met with
no opposition to his plan; but. as it was
already late in the evening, it was
thought best to postpone the visit until
morning.