Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-06-22

thirsty lie had not quite finished
the grave, but he declared that he
would work no more that day. He
got out of the grave by means of a
ladder, which he pulled up and reared
against the church between buttress
and the wall.
Without saying anything further he
ascended the ladder and hid his spade
in Il hole in the wall. When he came
down, he eyed me and said
II forgot that you were looking, but
you won't tell any of them, will ye?"
What have | to tell ?"
Where | have hidden the spade.
II you do, it will he stolen. They stole
many a one till | discovered that hole
under the roof. Its safe there.
He removed the ladder and flung it
among the long grass. Then he put
on his jacket and lit his pipe.
We soon reached the parting of the
way. The village public house and
my home were in opposite directions.
"You forgot, Grubb, to tell me whose
grave it Is"
Did L? No, | did not. Well, that
grave is for my wife
| shuddered, and with n chuckle he
passed on toward the Rose and Crown.
Once he looked round to see what
effect the announcement had on me.
He noted my mingled power and dis
gust, chuckled again and disappeared
round the bend of the road.
| hated and loathed the man, and
the hatred and loathing were strong
upon me wnen | went to he'd. was
tired and soon fell fast asleep.
1t seemed long night. ! had passed
il in troubled dreamland, and some
how when | awoke | was not astonish-
ed to find again by my bedside my
puzzled and inquislive wife.
"You must" she said, "have been
walking in your sleep. The cook says
that at 6 o'clock this morning she
found the hall door wide open, and she
is sure she heard some one in the top
room near the cupboard where YOU
keep the pistol"
go up stairs" said to my wife,
and see if the case which contains the
pistol is unlocked"
She soon returned to say that it was
locked as usual, and that fact satisfied
her with regard to the pistol, while the
production of the key for the drawer,
where it was always kept, induced in
her Il belief that the domestic had
made mistake.
Still, the girl declares that the hall
door was open. She cannot be mis-
taken on that point"
did she lock it last night y
NO" said my wife with a delibera-
ton. II did,
1t was strange. There had been no
entry. 1t looked more
like Il case of breaking out than break
ing in. But. after all it was a trifie,
and before breakfast was over we had
quite forgotten it.
All this time great excitement pre-
vailed in the village, which was in
Lancashire, not far from Liverpool.
a terrible murder had taken place,
and the small community was agitated
to its depths. Old Grubb, the grave
digger, had been found dead near an
open grave. He had been shot through
the heart.
When | reached the village, the
body had been removed to an outhouse
Of the Rose and Crown, there to wait
the coroner's inquest.
In company with the policeinspector,
| examined the place where the body
was found, and the churchyard, but no
foot prints, save those of the grave
digger himself were visible on the loose
soil that he had himself thrown up the
previous afternoon during the process
Of digging his wife's grave.
No frearm was found | noticed
that the ladder was against the church
wall in the spot where | saw crubb
place it the day before. He had taken
his spade from its hiding place, for it
was lying near the grave. 1t was
strange that he had not re-
moved the ladder, which caused me
inexplicablc mcasiness until, unseen
by the inspector, had removed it and
laid il in the long grass Of the church
yard.
A Jury was summoned. and was
appointed foreman Of it. We were
face to face with mystery, which we
did our best to elucidate. But it was
all in vain.
Several relatives of poor Mrs. Grubh
were suspected Of causing the death of
old Grubb, but on no other grounds
save that the graveligger had habit
ually i'll treated her, and that they
were her relatives. The coroner's
jury extended over several weeks, and
the end Of il was that we returned