The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-06
CHAPTER VII.
THE AUTOPSY.

After being released from his room
by Burrows, Lewis crossed the hall and
went into the parlor. Though New
England farm people usually arise
early, he judged from the stiffness in
the house that no one else was yet astir.
He heard the detective go up stairs and
close his door behind him. In the quiet
of morning in the country the least
sound is heard afar off. He wondered
how it was that Burrows had been in
the hall so early and why he had re-
turned to his bedroom, but there was no
way of having his thoughts answered.
He stood near the fireplace for long
time with one elbow on the mantel, his
head on his hand, gazing upon the spot
where the corpse had been found, as
though fascinated.
There are some who avoid the pres
ence of the dead, or places where the
dead have been. These would strenuous
ly deny the possibility that spirits of the
departed return to earth, yet in their Sc
cret hearts they admit that it might be.
They scott at ghosts, yet avoid chance
of meeting one. There are others who
would no more enjoy such an encounter,
but who, having specialized little as to
the possibilities or probabilities, yet, in
an undefinable, half conscious way, won
der whether such things can be. These
are attracted to the scenes of deaths, and
especially of bomicides, for, if any
ghost should have the desire to return,
would it not be the grim specter of one
who had been forcibly elected from his
earthly shell? Might not his unfinished
career contain some incompleted pur-
pose, so strongly impressed upon the
soul, that he would try to get back into
communication with some one whom
he might inspire to do his bidding, so
that he, poor ghost, might continue
upon his long journey lighter hearted?
Or, in case of murder, might it not be
that the keen following of scent by
the quick mind of shrewd detective
results from the whisperings of the
spirit of the deceased, which hovers
about the scene till justice be done? If
this be possibility, would it not be a
probability that such would be the case
where suspicion had fallen upon some
beloved one? For whether she, if q
woman were suspected, were even truly
guilty, might not a kindly, loving ghost,
be willing to save her from vengeance,
even though some other, perhaps his en-
envy, would suffer in her place?
However this may be, the fact re-
mains that. though we may speculate
and speculate, we know nothing. And,
knowing nothing, we speculate Thus
it was not strange that in that room
and on that spot Lewis should allow
his thoughts to wander afar off, so far
indeed that we need not follow him.
But while he stood there blind and deaf,
as the distracted always are, though
their eyes and ears may be in perfect
order for the reception of impressions.
there entered one whom he neither saw
nor heard.
use this pronoun, although am al
luding to the great mastiff, for it was
the dog who stalked silently into the
room. l believe that religionists, in
their egotism, have selfishly appropri-
ated all the souls in creation and be-
slowed them upon the king of all ami
mails, man. To my mind there is some
thing inherently wrong about this dog
ma. have met too many good dogs
and too many bad men to easily believe
that man alone is immortal, for surely
If there be any Immortality at all the
good in the world must share it. So
think the good in the dog is more
worthy of perpetuity than the evil that
resides In man.
The mastiff. having entered the
room, went close to where Lewis stood,
and after SHINING 1t his legs moment
gently licked the hand which hung