Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-01-27
The Sandycroft Mystery.
BY II. w. 'sPEIGHr.
CHAPTER XvII-Coxrsyrzn

light on a brief paragraph
TO the effect that the supposed muir
derer o! Captain Darvill is still at
large although the police continue
indefatigable in their efforts to effect
his capture And that Is all. Time
merely serves to deepen the mystery.
May 9.-From the window of my
sitting-room can see over the crowns
OF the trees the spire of the church
within whose precincts my husband
lies buried. i often sit and look at it
for an hour at time. Why do do
thisp Because my heart still clings
TO the memory of the man who met
his death at my hand. Do rsgret
the deedP No--a hundred times no
Under the same circum stances l
should assurediy do the same again.
For such treachsry as his but one
penalty was meet All the same as
it was my curse and misfortune to be
under the compulsion of loving him
while alive so does 1t seem to be my
fate to have no option save to cling
TO and cherish his memory now that
he is dead.
| nhoJ hdNO dlhOa0y IGCOEQCu
how. on the morning ColoIel Bernage
visited me / saw my husband face
peering at me over his shoulder.
Last evening he appeared to me
again.
| 1t was after the shutters had been
closed. l was sitting in the lamp.
lighted room trying 10 fix my atten-
tiOn on a novel when. happening to
look up saw him there. sitting OPP
posite 10 me-
The figure sat facing me- staring
full at me. its eyes wide open. CLASSY
I'm winking-the eyes Of dead man
with no speculation or purpose in
them. The lips were blush purple
the tightlydrawn skin over the fore
head looked like parchment the
cheeks were sunken. and the face
was as that OF one who might have
Leen "a month or more in his grave.
The mouth was twisted into that
sneer which remembered SO we'll
which lifted one corner of the lip and
moustache and left visible one sharp.
white. woltish.looking tooth. 1t was
thus that Wv used 10 look when in
his more evil moods. Immovable sat
the figure each dead white hand
grasping an arm OF the chair.
Rising. / crossed the hearth and de-
liberately sat down in the chair oppo.
site. The moment l had done so |
saw the figure had seated itself in the
chair | had Just vacated. After star
ing at each other for few seconds
rose and went back to my first seat
The phantom did the same.
Then | rang for Paquita Il feel
lonely" | said to her rs she entered
the room. 'Sit there'-indicating
the chair on which the figure was
seated-'pnd keep me company
awhile"
AS she sat down the figure slipped
out OF the chair and gliding round
the table and 80 behind my chair.
passed out OF my range of vision.
That 1t was there behind me was
presently made conscious OF by an in
describable sensational sort OF ice
cold prioking of the nerves as though
thousands OF tiny needle-polnts were
puncturing me at the same moment
i gripped one hand hard with the
other ard set my teeth and gave nc
sign.
Paquita had brought her embroid
cry and while deity plying her
needle. she began to talk of Rio and
many things which had happened
there in bygoue days l paid small
heed to her chatter oppressed as |
was by slowly growing horror.
which was powerless to throw of,
of the presence which / knew TO be
standing close behind me- Suddenl,
Paquita let her work drop and sprang
to her feet She read the question in
my eyes which my lips refused to put
oh, madam" she cried. 81 fell
sure that | saw a hand stretched
over the back OF your chair graspine
you by the shoulder. but the momen
I got up it was gone. and of course
my eyes must have deceived me-"
: had not seen the hand. but hat
felt 1t gripping my shoulder will
I cruel fingers till could hav,
| screamed with agony.
; For the first time in my life
tainted.
The continuation OF Mrs Darvill'
| diary was little mora than a record o
, the recurring Appearances to her o
, her husband. the details of which
, varied ia slight particulars only from
! the instances already given. AS tim,
went on the appearances becam
mere fire. .uent till at length a day, o.
rather a nigft, seldom passed withou
visit from the ghastly intruder Des
pite the steel-lke quality OF he
|, nerves and her utter scepticism as Il
, the origin and nature of the appari
, ton both appetite and sleep began
to fail her. and as her bodily healtl
declined so did the gruesome offspring
OF her imagination haunt her NOR
persistently. For years she had beef
in the habit of seeking relief fro q
pain in narcotics and now she cluui
so than mara than avar Dav nv da