The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-02-18
AN IMAGINARY CRIME.

entering tho postotfice. saw q thin
haggnrd-faced man receive letter at
the delivery window and then step
back TO tho wall TO read il. My eye
rested upon him almost involuntarily
while ] waited for Blake to transact
some business with the money orde.
department Tho letter seemed 10
contain some very bad news for as
Lardner read it deathly pallor
came over his face and he had every
appearance OF feeling an overpower-
fng fear. Then he thrast tho letter
into his pocket and rushed ont as
though fleeing from the gibbet
His conduct aroused my curiosity.
and determined to find out tho cause
OF it; but before | had u chance to
ask about him. business matters
crowded oil thoughts OF him fiom my
mind. Two weeks later US Blake and
! were again entering the postoflice /
recalled the incident and said: ..Do
you remember bowling to that strange
looking man here on that windy day
week before last? Who was he?
why. don't you know I-ardnerp
WAS he that clerk OF Bryce's who
Inherited that murdered merchants
moneyw
Yes" said Blake and it is some.
what of n coincidence chat he got the
announcement OF the old mans death
and his own good fortune at that very
time when we saw him. And. by the
way. he is proposed for the club;
what do you think Of him?"
l replied that had nothing against
him since knew nothing OF him and
] pretended not TO care anything
about the matter for wished to keep
secret my desire to know him. While
Blake talked on about Lardner. was
wondering at tho thing had seon in
the postotllce 1t seemed very strange
to me that q man should be fright
ened by the news that he had just
inherited 81 000 900. And the one
who had left tho money had met a
violent death. and no ono knew how.
While LardDer was not very social
yet he kepta good establishment and
his horses or box at the museum
were ut the service OF the club men.
One day he asked me what the play
Tor the evening wass
/ do not know why I answered.
''rhe Comedy Of Errors. for knew
it was to be Macbeth
Lets 60" he said. II hear that
Lawrence and Wilks make capital
twins"
When the curtain arose and we
saw. not the magnificent halls OF the
Duke of Ephesus. but the stormy
moor and the weird sisters l noticed
look on Lardner's face which re-
minded me forcibly OF our first meet.
ing. Ugh" he said. Il dislike this
tragedy"
'Ha! ha" laughed arc you so
delicate that you cannot bear to see
red ink murders done with tin dag
gers?'
He did not leave the theater but
was evidently i'll at ease. However.
he was not very much disturbed until
that awful scene where Macbeth aud
his consort meet after the murder.
Then he seemed to live only in tho
play. When Macbeth tells OF the
blood curdling cry. Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep" no.
ticed that Lardner was trembling
violently; and through Macbeth's
despairing soliloquy. ending with the
exclamation. Wake Duncan with
thy knocking! would thou couldst!"
he sat petrilied. with gaping mouth
and clenched hands. Then he SUBJ
sided into quietness until the two
arch murderers with whose expert
ences he seemed to have an intense
sympathy. appeared again.
That night wondered why this
man was so moved by the tragedy; he
surely was not effected to such ecstasy
by artistic sensitiveness. and with all
his nervousness he was no weak man.
No! felt sure that this great exposi-
ton OF tho workings OF the murderers
mind recalled some dark event in his
own. life. could not conceive of
Lardner as criminal but tho mys-
cry had been thickened by this even
ng's revelation. Now the summer
,ad passed. and Lardner had returned
after his vacation. He seemed to me
more thin and fear. haunted than ever.
In my pretended regard for him pity
uuu HTob sprung UP huu INV ~ hdu
ripened into real affection for this I'M
fortunate man. 10 felt It and we
ormed sincere friendships and
through that friendship learned his
story. One evening while was sit
ling in the club reading-room Lard.
,er hurried in with a look OF Joy on
ais face which astonished me. He
,ried: Come with me old man, /
lave something to tell YOU"
We went TO his room and sat down.
He said: Il have just received such
rood news that must tell some one.
md you are the only ore in whom I
lave enough confidence. You had
,etter light your pipe for my story is
lot very short"
Isettled myself comfortably and he
began: My first recollections are OF
poverty; my grandfather had been
lefrauded OF his inheritance by his
brother aud when he died he left
,nly burden OF debts as legacy to
ny father. When my mother was left