Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-01

himself alone. He haG inherited ten
dency to melancholy, and it made him
recluse. Sometimes he would seek
seclusion among the rocks and woods
Of the beautiful Mt. Hope Lands. and
sit alone looking out to sea. If any
one found him there, he would say.
Leave me alone. am a sick man and
cannot bear much. Don't excite me-
He died suddenly at last and kind of
mysteriously. Some folks limited sui
eide, but he did not take his own life;
his brain had been smitten by the
deadly aim of the two bullet words of
Grant. I tell you, doctor, that man
was waylaid.
But here we are in your new home
Warren. That is the Young Ladies
Seminary, and that the old Baptist
church. These people are going to the
funeral. I want you to go. 1t is to be
at the Ark where Placide lived in his
last years when he was at home. |
want you to go, as l said, and study
the face of Brayton Grant. He will be
there and he will wish to know you. l
may be able to introduce him to you.
Zone thing more-a curious one.
Placide had favorite horse He rode
on horseback when he was in Bristol,
and once said to his mother, If
should die, I would that my own horse
should carry me to the grave! The
horse is to go with the hearse. His
mother has asked me to have it so.
wish you would ride with me as an
attendant to the grave. The old doc
tor used to ride with me sometimes
Placide is to be buried in the old Bris-
toll burying ground, near the Court
House down by the sea. The coffin is
to be opened at the grave, and a ply
stefan in this place often goes to the
grave when the lid is to be raised for
the last time-poor Placide! for the
last time! Grant will be there; he will
have to be; he can only save his repu-
tation now by keeping up the deception
acting on a principIev
The undertaken pulled up the reins
with a jerk and I left the wagon, near
the green yard of the Old Baptist
church.
THAT way" he said, down past the
gambrel rooted house. Gen Washing
ton once slept in that house. Say, doc
tor, they report that Grant looks and
acts strange. l want your opinion.
You ought to be able to form an opin-
ion by this time-what is all your
learning for?"
Here indeed a psychological study
was open to me! The waXy faced man
had greatly excited my curiosity and
had not answered my questions. l fol-
lowed the slowly moving companies of
people toward the Ark.
For the first time in my life, l
found myself going to a funeral by a
mysterious attraction. Luther's, the
undertakers, wild face haunted me,
and there rang in my ears his myster-
ious words-"And it was night"
[ passed near a small Episcopal
church, when the blue Narragansett
opened upon the view, with it's sunny
sky, an over sea of cerulean gIory.
The country around the neat decorous
village was green and shady. 1t has
been place of oaks since old Indian
days. Within a mile of the village
King Phillips war had begun.
My mind was full of questions. Did
! Grant, who was now the representative
to congress, write the crafty letter Of
which the undertaken had told me? If
so, he had taken into his soul haunt
ing evil that ne must continue to cover
by false life. His deception and his
money might secure for him the cleo,
ton, but this was not the end.
All events in life follow their own
laws No one can escape from his own
gravitation. A stolen watch will keep
good time for a thief, if the watch be
good one, but the soul of the thief
himself will be out of order. The
worst man in the world may destroy
the best, but his own spirit will alter
and fail, and his act will fall under
the judgment Of the higher law.
"He that is spiritual judgeth all
things is a tremendous truth; men
ascend to be as gods that way.
[ had a strong curiosity to see Con-
gresham Grant.
(To Be Continued)