Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-05-24


I urged, was very nervous "YOu cannot
hold me responsible for your wife's pecul-
iarities," said Hanotaux, with q sardonio
CLEAN. Then 1 offered to pay for high
fence along the top Of the wall Hanotaux
shook his head. 81 don't see why l should
lose my view on your account, " he said
1t was when l returned from this that
heard of a new offense If IES3 disagreeable
| little monster. Mariana had been in the
up stairs garden, when the all too familiar
grinning visage had appearedinthe branch
es of an apple tree on the other side of the
fence, into which he had swung himself by
his long arms. "He seemed close to me, I"
said Mariana. ~ don't know how got
down the steps again"
That evening it was that began max
| ing hostile demonstration at this nuisance
of ours, stamping my foot shaking my
fists and shouting, go away" He grin
ned and made his horrible inarticulate
noises at me, but presently he seemed to
realize that was not in fun this time, and
at that he looked disconnected and sudden
ly disappeared. He turned in such queer
manner that I was almost inclined to-
think he dropped on all fours. Presently,
when was Swinging tho Gloire de Dion
in front of the house, it occurred to me
that l might use the weapon in my hand
pretty effectually If had much more trou-
BILE with him.
Now the next thing that happened can
not describe very exactly, for the simple
reason that it has never been properly de-
scribed to me- 1t must have been very dis
agreeable. was in my study, and my
wife was in our dressing room. heard
1,,, nd IN, TO
her kneelng beside the bed, and just at
the beginning of faint, and noticed in
distinctly that there was something like
brown bird that passed from the corner Of
the window When she revived, 1 ques-
tiol. I'd her. So far as 1 can understand she
had suddenly seen the face Of our disgust
ing little neighbor upside down outside
the window. An inverted face at any time
is not nice thing to see suddenly, even
though it be a pretty one. l suppose he
had clambered along the ivy and hung
down by means of his long arms.
When. had recovered her and learned
this, l will confess my charitable feelings
toward this incubus vanished. / was fu-
riously angry, and, fancy, little afraid
Of what he would do. This experience was
new. Evidently the little brute had only
just discovered the climbable nature of our
creepcr in his queer and anything but
pleasant attempts upon our company, or
rather upon my wifes company. went
off to Marvin the solicitor, and then to
Hanotaux again. The law considered !
had a case, and perhaps in the course Of
little time At which l left the office,
disappearing.
When 1 got home 1 got an ak and began
to chop at the main stem of the ivy, in the
corner between the house and the wall. In
the midst of this l heard a chuckling,
throaty sound above that 1 knew only too
well. 1 went indoors and returned with
the syringe.
The little beast was waving his apelike
arms at me in a threatening manner, and
his face was full of diabolcal malice. $50
it's war;" said 1, and forthwith the jet
from the syringe took him fairly in the
face. The water sprayed out from the cor
ners of his ugly grin, making him more
suggestive of gargoyle than ever.
This time there was no mistakingit He
dropped on all tours and vanished.
Mariana woke me in the middle of the
night. She was sitting up in bed listen
ing. At first-for l am heavy sleeper
was disposed to be angry at being awak
ened, but then 1 heard a steady rustling in
the ivy outside.
Don't be frightened, little one, " said l,
and getting out of bed l began to grope
about for the matches. think at that mo-
ment was capable of murder.
Then came u ctackling noise, and then |
kissing sound, IL, though n lot of crumpled |
paper had been drawn smartly across the |
window The whole queer, quick noise ter
minated in n thud, and this was immedi-
ately succeeded by n low moan.
AS the match 1lared l saw Mariana in |
the blush glare, CHASTITY with terror. |
went to her at once, and she chung to me, |
too frightened even to sob.
"Don't leave mel" she said. Don't |
leave mep'
Presently, as we sat there in the flaring |
light of the candle, we heard faint whin-
ing from the garden, then it changed to o |
still fainter sobbing, and died down into |
absolute stiffness.
tried to comfort Mariana as we'll as 1 |
could, but until the dawn came she would |
not let me leave her, or even unclasp her
clinging arms For the most part during |
that interminable watching We sat hold
ing one another in silence. At last, how
ever, as the daylight grew strong her GRASP
lOosened, and she fell asleep, and when |
was assured of her 1 went down and I'M
chained the front door and looked out.
The first thing l saw was one great stem
of ivy torn down from the WALL and then
almost at my feet was the dead body Of
our little neighbor. There was red stain
on the gravel toward the flower bed, and
flat red triangle stuck out between his
shoulder blades.
Overcoming my feeling of repulsion,
turned him over and found the handle of
a big knife like a breadknife, sticking
out Of his chest. Evidently he had been
down the ivy with this In his
hand and had stabbed himself in his fall
1t was very bright, fresh morning, and
all the world lay still under the pink sun
rise. thought for moment, ana then l
decided to go round and call up HRnvtaux.
That ends the story of our littIs neigh
Dor. When Mariana awoke, the body was
gone, and the red stains had been dug into
the gravel. 1 avoided any errors on the
side of truth in the account l gave her.
She knows nothing Of the knife and thinks
our little tormentor broke his neck-which
Is, so far as the phrase goes, death by nc
means horrible But nevertheless to save
perhaps myself as well-from
memories, 1 had-at some profit
to the ingenious landlord-to get released
from my agreement and leave the house.
had the Uravact draoA that ba ,,,o,,,or, |