The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-24

I
Gus pulsation like the green streamers
in the northern sky.
So l lay a long time quaking in my
naked bed, the sweat pouring off me
yet cold in my bones, as if / had been
COUGHING on a doorstep all that dreal
night in December.
/ must have dozed, yet it was a
troubled, unstable sleep with many
startings and much uneasiness. But
over in the wastes of the winter morn
! ing, perhaps about of the clock, was
startled broad awake by such a crying
as 1 had never heard before, breaking
] the deep silence of the night.
| 1t was a cry so wild, SO strange and
so loud that for time my reasonab BILE
soul shook within me.
| l could have sworn it came from the
room next mine, or even from imInedi-
ately behind the arras where had seen
the dark figure vanish. But yet moth
ing more succeeded. and it seemed as
If l might have heard the crying in my
dreams, for the echoes of il fingered
quivering in my ears as sat up in bed,
trembling, affrighted, and with all my
night gear damp and chill about me as
the frost and the outer blackness took
hold on me.
There was no repetition of the terri
BILE Shrek which had awakened me-
But instead l grew conscious of a baf-
fled, snarling inhuman, cruel as the
grave; it seemed like the complaint of
demon from whom a stronger hath
snatched a coveted prey.
l dared not rise / dared not lie still.
My whole spirits were dashed with I'M
tellabie fear. Yet. being but a boy, 1
was more afraid of being alone than
of anything else. I thought that if 1
could only clasp a hand l should be
safe and happy.
So, in the red loom of the dying fire
l rose, slipped on my shoes and jacket
and listened crouchingly by the door
l heard moaning without which brief
iy and sobbingly stilled itself. Then
came whispering, a, trampling, and
the scuffiing of linen sheets unfolded
fresh from the napery cupboard.
At first l thought the noise was the
work OF spirits. and my heart was dead
within my breast with fear. But pres
emily heard one cough. And by that
knew those who were without for hu-
mans. | grew bold on the instant and
feared them no more.
/ desired to see them to speak with
them. Then l took it in my head that
CLEAN came from behind the arras The
wall hanging indeed waved as if some
one were shaking it, holding the edge in
their hand, or perhaps more exactly as
If wind were blowing it about
Ct CIV eli llCl l. UdItQ DOl move, lot
the terrible cry, the sound of which had
awakened me, rang still in my ears.
And 1 seemed to hear as it had been
several persons struggling together
confuSedly, as if one strove to be
through into my room to be at me, and
another, stronger and kindlier, restrain
ed him.
Whereat, with the childish instinct of
hiding, I slipped behind the arras and
prayed that they might not find me.
Scarcely had been a moment behind
the hanging when l saw a strange
thing before me. At the very place
where 1 had seen the dark figure van
ish was an opening in the wainscot. A
little wicket door, long and narrow.
stood half ajar, and a strong glow of
light streamed in from the room ad-
jacent.
1 could now hear the voices plainly,
and the human sound of them gave me
courage. l stole. forward and peeped
round the swinging edge of the secret
panel.
L looked into my grandfather's room.
and there 1, little trembling lad, little
more than a BARN, saw that which
might have blasted the reason of a
grown man to behold.
For l saw the young man Philip
Stanfield stand by the bedside of his
father, coolly wiping the blade of a
knife with sheet of paper out of the
book which my grandfather had ever
used to keep on a little stand by his
bed head wherever he slept. 1t was
called, as well as ! know "Baster
his Saints Rest"
And at the back, with their feet upon
torn-down hanging, were two women.
one of them busy handling my grand
fathers body while the other with a
crisp, Kissing sound unfolde.i fresh
sheets for the bed out of press in the
wall. Sir James was dead-that l was
sure of-though I had never before seen
one dead. His eyes were open and
stared steadfastly upward. His head
wambled from side to side on his breast
as the woman shifted him from one arm
to the other. busily enduing him with
his flannel night cleading.
This last was the white-face,d woman
whom ] had seen earlier in the evening
in James Brysons change house: Janet
Mark, the wife of Saul Mark. was her
name. The other / knew not by head
mark, but OWNED from a certain SINH
larity of look that she was a sister or
crony of the first
More than once Janet Mark called to
Philip Stanfeld to help her with the
body; but he only swore at her and
would not, going on unconcernedly
tearing fresh leaves from the Saints
Rest" and polishing at his knife.
breathing on it and rubbing in corners.
At last he finished the blade to his
satisfaction.
Now" he said. I'VE will carly this
carrion out and throw it in the river. If
it be found we will cast the blame upon
Omphray Spurway and be ready to
swear that he did ito because he could
not pay the rent and mails due upon his
mills
So saying, Philip Stanfield took the
body upon his back, and with the wom-
en- going one before and one behind, he
staggered out of the room and down
the stairs. taking care to walk light
ly, but stumbling rather heavily like a
man who carries on his back a sack of
corn.
II was found afterward that he and
his accomplices had locked and barred
all in the house within their sleeping
chambers. being as it were fey and des-
perate, running heedlessly great risks,
trusting to the darkness of the night
and the fear Of the folk within doors
When the murderer had gone half
way down the steps he rested his bur
den at landing, and heard him say:
Janet. take the knife and go see if
that deil's brat is asleep in the blue
room. And if not cut his throat"
l stood petrified for moment, as If 1 |
felt already the edge of the blade touch
my flesh. Then with a sharp access of
terror l turned and fled back into the
blue room. shutting the panel after me
and dragging the arras into place. 1
crept under the bed clothes and drew
them about me in a heap.
The next moment could hear the |
woman fumbling at the door. Then. |
finding it locked, she went into the
apartment where l had seen them. and |
after many attempts found the spring |
0I NH nf. Oh