The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-06-02


time. After dinner we sat in the IL
brary. room we'll and expensi,ely fur
nished, but without the least attempt at
taste. There were a few oil paintings
on the walls-a presentation portrait
| of himself, and landscape or two--all
more or less bad as far ais remember.
He had eaten next to nothing at din
ner, but he had drunk good Zeal; the
wine, however, did not see.., to iave the
least effect upon him. | had got the
conversation definitely off the subject
of his wife when l made blunder. l
noticed an Erichsen's extension stand
ing on his writing table. said:
II didn't know that telephones had
penetrated into the villages yet"
"Yes," he said, II believe they are
common enough now. I had that one
fitted up during my wife's illness to
communicate with her bedroom on the
| floor above us on the other side of the
| house."
At that moment the bell of the tele-
phone rang sharply.
We both looked at each other. said,
with the stupid affectation of calmness
| one always puts OH when one is little
bit frightened:
Probably servant in that room
wishes to speak to you.'
He got up, walked over to the ma
chine, and swung the green cord
towards me; the end of it was loose.
II had it disconnected this morning"
he said; 'also, the door of that room is
lOcked ood M opa car ,,oec;h1x I,o l., IL y.
He had turned the color of gray blot
ting paper; so probably had l.
The bell rang again--a prolonged,
rafting ring.
'Are you going to answer it?" said.
II am not" he answered. firmly.
"Then," said, II shall answer it my
self. 1t is some stupid trick, joke not
| in the best of taste, for which you will
probably have to sack one or other of
your domestics."
MY servants" he answered, would
not have done that. Besides, don't you
see it is impossible? The instrument is
disconnected"
''The bell rang all the same; l shall
try it,"
picked up the receiver.
Are you there? ?''I called.
The voice which answered me was un-
mistakably the rather high staccato
voice of Mrs. Pyrwhit.
81 want ycu," it said. ito tell my hus-
band that he will be with me to-mor-
row."
still listened. Nothing more was
said
| repeated "Are you there ?" and still
there was no answer.
turned to Pyrwhit.
"There is no one there" said. "Pos-
sibly there is thunder in the air affect
ing the bell in some mysterious way.
There must be some simple explanation.
and I'll find it all out tomorrow"
He went to bed early that night. All
the following day was with him. We
rode together and / expected an acci-
dent every minute, but none happened.
All the evening / expected him to turn
suddenly faint and ill, but that also did
| not happen. When, at about ten o'clock,
he excused himself and said good night
felt distinctly relieved. He went un
to his room and rung for Williams.
The rest is, of course, well known.
The mans reason had broken down.
possibly the immediate cause being the
death of Mrs. Pyrwhit. On entering his
masters room, without the leas, hesi-
tation, he raised a loaded revolver which
he carried in his hand, and shot Pyrwhi:
through the heart. believe the case is
mentioned in some of the text books on
homicidal mania.-Black and White.