The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-03
Copyright, 1895. by Irving Bacheller

irving Bachellero
the Tuesday evening meeting, and
Phoebe Dole and Maria Woods, two old
maiden ladies, dressmakers, our next
door neighbors, went past on their way
TO meeting. Phoebe stopped and asked
If Rufus and his wife had gone. Maria
went around the house. Very soon they
went on, and several other people passed.
When they had all gone ii was as still
as death.
/ sat alone long time, until I could
see by the shadows that the full moon
had risen. Then went up to my room
and went to bed.
l lay awake a long time, crying. 1t
seemed to me that all hope of marriage
between Henry and me was over. could
not expect him to wait for me. thought
of that other girl; could see her pretty
face. wherever 1 looked. But at last L
cried myself to sleer.
At about 5 o'clock 1 woke and got up.
Father always wanted his breakfast at
6 o'clock, and had TO prepare it now.
| When father and / were alone he al
ways built the fire in the kitchen stove.
But that morning / did not hear him
stirring as usual, and I fancied that he
must be so out of temper, with me that
he would not build the fire.
/ went to my closet for dark-blue
calico dress which / wore to do house.
work in. 1t had hung there during all
the school term. AS / took it off the
n,
thing strange about the dress / had
worn the night before. This dress was
made of thin summer silk; it was green
in color, sprinkled over with white rings.
1t had been my best dress for two sum-
mers, but now l was wearing it on hot
afternoons at home, for 1t is the coolest
dress 1 have. The night before, too, /
had thought of the possibility of Henrys
driving over from Digby and passing the
house He had done this sometimes dur
ing the last summer vacation, and 1
wished to look my best If he did.
AS / took down the calico dress / saw
what seemed to be a stain on the green
silk. / threw on the calico hastily and
then took the green silk and carried 1t
over to the window. 1t was covered with
streaks down the front The right sleeve,
too, was stained, and all the stains were
wet.
What have 1 got on my dress?"
said /.
1t looked like blood. Then 1 smelled Of
it, and it was sickening in my nostrils.
but 1 was not sure what the smell of
blood was like. / thought / must have
got the stains by some accident the night
before.
eff that is blood on my dress" 1 said,
IT must do something to get it of at
once, or the dress will be ruined"
1t came to my mind that l had been
told that blood stains had been removed
from cloth by an application of. flour
paste on the wrong side / took my green
silk and ran down the back stairs. which
lead, having a door at the foot, directly
into the kitchen.
There was no fire in the kitchen stove,
as had thought. Everything was very
solitary and still, except for the ticking
of the clock on the shelf. When
crossed the kitchen to the pantry, how
ever, the cat mewed to be let in from
the shed. She had little door of her
own by which. she could enter or leave
the shed at william aperture just large
enough for her maltese body to pass at
ease beside the shed door. 1t had lit
tie lid, too hung upon a leather hinge.
On my way let in the cat then went
to the pantry and got bowl of flour.
This mixed with water into a stiff paste
| and applied to the under surface of the
stains on my dress. l then hung the
| dress up to dry in the dark end OF a
| closet leading out of the kitchen, which
| contained some old clothes of fathers.
Then / made up the fire in the kitchen
stove; / made coffee. baked biscuits and
| poached some eggs for breakfast.
Then 1 opened the door into the sit
| ting-room and called, Father, breakfast
| is ready" Suddenly 1 started. There
was red stain on the inside of the sit
| ting-room door. My heart began to beat
| in my ears.
Father" called out; father"
| There was no answer.
Father" again called, as loud as
I could scream. why don't you speak?
| What IS the matter?"
| The door Of his bedroom stood open.
I had feeling that j saw a. red refiec-
| ton in there. / gathered myself to-
| gether and went across the sitting-room
| to fathers bedroom door. His little
| looking-glass hung over his bureau di-
rectly opposite his bed, which was re-
| flected IN it,
That was the first thing saw when
I reached the door. / could see rather
| in the looking glass ande the bed. rather
was dead there: he had been murdered
| in the night. -
mo be continued on Monday, Aug. So