The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
GRIEVANCE OF DEAD MAN
Ay UNCOMMON ADVENTURE IN 4
LONELY PARMH OUSE.

OnlO, WIN " SOipHc"-1u hnNtTiUuN WIN
nm Axe-Tlic Revenge of II Husband In
dictated by IA discovery Made Long After.
Forty years or more ago" said n business
man from Il central Ohio town. Il vas a
sprightly youne adverturer Of % years on my
way from the State OF New York to that point
In the midst Of the Buckeyes where I finally
stopped and made n pretty fair success Of my
self. ] was poor and was working my way
along from place to place, without any %particu"
lar object in view except the remote one OF
reaching 'hc Western Reserve. where I had
friends. unless something hotter turned W. OH
the WAY. / had got well along through west
ern Pennsylvania. and having gathered In
few dollars extra at one small village ! con-
cluded | would move on to u larger ard better
one. nfty miles to the west. through II very
snarsclv populated aud wild section.
Il started on my journey shortly after sun
up ono day and made very good progress until
2 or 3 o'clock, when a storm arose. and | took
rctuge in u cave | could see ny the hillside in
the cliffs. II kept me dry. but | lost my boar
inGs when | came out to resume my journey,
and In two minutes | didn't know which way l
was going. ] kept going. however. and when
night came on / hadn't the ~fnintest idea where
l was. except that | was in the woods. aud the
only road before me did not appear to lead any
where in particular. After laundering about
until 8 o'clock or later. | struck a somewhat
more civilized piece Of roadway. and down 1t or
up IL | saw u light from a window. / hailed tho
good omen with pleasure. for l know from OK
perience with the hospitable Pennsylvanians
that ] would find food and shelter In plenty. and
/ hurried forward.
1T was a house Of logs and weatherboard-
ing. more prctcutious than others ] had seen
on the road. but its situation was lonclier than
any had been by that day. and | could see
tlrnt,,ph tl,a ,IIt,lu t,nan1irht tlnt hnt.nbl fha
few acres Of clearing it occupied it was prac-
tically in the midst of the woods. l knocked.
and the door was opencd promptly by n comcly
looking woman. who showed some signs OF
alarm at my appearance, though she opened
the door so quickly that l almost thought
she had been looking for me. She did not
ask me to come III. but ! told her ] was
lost and muddy aud tired and hungry and
sleepy. and begged her to accommodate
me for the night. Sho said she was sorry
but she couldn't do It. asked her how far it
was to tho next house, and when she told me
1t was three miles | told her she would have to
take me in whether she could or not. because
! was utterly tuckcrcd out and couldn't walk n
rod further. She h%esitatel 4 while. and ilnaly
snin ! rGMtu stay II HiHh | nave any oplcetlOn
exactly looking for that sort Of n roomm to.
and the PROPOSITION startled me some. hut /
and ! told her it would be all right il she would
BRACE me up with a bite o. surrcr.
things. including milk. all Of which tasted
cheerful enough, and then she conducted me
into the adjoining. room. whose chief occupant
sheet. A lounge stood, alongside of the wall
" "%, far "Y SEs T S4sfed P no hq Is,orm fSIG me edn mlfht
nc" 70 to ask any aussitionf. Fifteenth, it was no
show any signs Of grief, A lamp was burning
dimly on, the mantel., and by this she said I
retire. ! was ready as soon as she got out. and
in a minute thereafter, had of my, muddy
boots and my toat. and was under the only
covering the lounge possessed, which was a
horse blnnect.
G %Ttr1T3 a # ptt | w dsrIS SSq 1Re f4 go to tail fiiiGSs Gat tho T i
stranGrness Of the whole business grew upon
me each time started from mar; and began
,siiIIff ]see s | i.l'y 1t Ti ast i oT @"edF7 my lHr eysal w snIs
tween mo and The dim light on the mantel.
While so engaged saw a movement under the
sheet. and before | had time to think Of ghosts
pushed the sheet down in front Of him and
isG%9mGd for me to eom er eyer; ! though g =, |
i HD IN dnmb astain1i SI"neS' I + b be"'D5y dag" asai =.
and still;GcttiIgno response II sworc at,ine IN
NY wits had come, to mo by this time. for I
had grit a%-plrntv and no fear Of ghosts. and |
was about to turn ont and obey orl"rs when
there was the sound Of wheels outside and |
cOuIl near Il morse anu NtIItIt OF Spllc KIM
stopped in front of the house. The corpse
suddenly motionnd me To lie down again. aud.
lodging beneath his sheet as he was, at first. a
profound silence once more prevailed in our
apartment. and everything was as dim and
mysterious as it had been before the dis
turbance. There was moro movement in
the next room. however, and l., heard
the woman open tn" door carefully and
anA then ~ the two talked In low tones
over something which appeared to please them
II good deal. Tor ! could hear short laughs as
mart of tho con EprSaIiDr. Once | thought | saw
the sheet Oh the table shake. hut wasn't sure.
i It wa t th%9 f btr n1 n@ %S%s Il nn I'd ! iH an M'ih 'n ,T5
dead. Presently the woman opened the door
OF, our room very grpt.r. ttp-toed over 70, the
was all right. stopped n moment as IL TO listen
10 my heavy breathing indicating how sound
HS'""p ! was, and slipped out again. closing the
Instantly the corpse, sat up listening and I
emaaia'cd for a dead man. i. thought, and on
til" whole NOT bad looking. ] listened. too. and
could lcar he couple in the next room talking
as before, and finally. after a few minutes.
they went into The far room from the other
side Of the mnin apartment in the c"ntr" Of tho
house. where We could not even hear their
voices: Then the man on the table turned his
attention to me-. having thrown aside the sheet
and sal. M. tie WIS attire in his best clothes
for the funeral. Int was in his stocking feet.
Rnd aSEGt ime t. t. get his boots out o, TIE cup
hn,riitG;ify' ana scarcely above whisper, that he
bad heard IN" come in aud knew was a stranger
" ""GJ he T .nm an me to u I," nd BY XIII him thu /" H wSma he
~ 80 '|T'T''.'' ~ 'N'N'. '''' NV 'A'
was his wife and the man with her was n neigh
hur Whu waited 10 marry her. and that they
had c%Cnnivci together to poison him. the huS-
band. So n 10 get him safely ont OF tho way.
Th" poison worse! all right M 10 a certain
point. but in tn" twenty-inlr hours that he
had been LAYING nut Il hal lost IL Erip soma
way AMI he VAST a. lead ~ they Thought nc
was, He wasn't feeling particularly strong
and healthy Just then. h" said. but he thought
he could have u settlement With the guilty
couple that woald b" som. gratiilcatiOn to him.
Having explained this much to me. he
asked IN" to wait until he came back or should
emil for mo, aud. taking AN axe that stood in
the corner 10y the fireplace, he went out Of the
room.
What happened during this next ten min
utcs | do not know, hut at the end of that time
the man rnNu back without the axe. and. tell
ing IN" that everything was ali right. asked me
to Join him in the main room while he got
something I" eat and ESPECIALLY something To
drink. He ask"d, nG to drink with him. which
did. and also asked me to holu open his carpet
bag while h" iLllch it with such things as he
mightnced on 4 Journey. liz, suggested at the
same time that 1T might perhaps. be
Just as well If. ! asked no questions.
aud | didn't, for the strain was be-
ginning to tell on me, and was Incoming
very anxious TO be somewhere else. no matter
al ana