Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-09-19

'AA lhtll LIVES.
J The very sweetness of the scene made
r its horror. Never have had such sell
7 Kations, never have felt so the power
OF the unseen, yet that anything would
happen here, anything which would ex-
, plain the total disappearance of several
, persons at different times without a
: trace of their fate being left to the eye
on this spot or in the house beyond,
seemed so impossible that | could bit
llkon my state to that of nightmare,
where visions take the place of realities
and often overwhelm them
had pressed too close against the
hedge as | struggled with these feel.
ings, and the sound l made struck me
as distinct if not alarming, but the tree
tops We're rustling, too and, while Lu-
cetta might have heard, her companion
gave no evidence Of doing so. We could
hear what they We're saying now, and
realizing this we stopped moving and
gave our whole attention up to listen
ing. Mr.. TroIm was speaking l could
hardly believe it was his voice, it had
so changed i'll tone, nor could | see in
his features, distorted as they now We're
by every evil passion, the once quiet
and dignified countenance which had SO
lately imposed upon me-
''Lucetta, my little Lucetta, he was
saying, so she has come to see me-
come to taunt me with the loss of her
lover whom she says have robbed her
Of almost before her eyes! l rob her
How can | rob her or any one Of a man
Wi tb nd Of hi
ger than mine: Am l a wizard to dissi-
/ pate his body in vapor? Yet is it here
in my house or on my lawn? You are a |
/ fool, Lucetta; so are all these men |
about here fools! It's in your house,
Hush - she cried, her slight figure
rising till we forgot it was the feeble
Lucetta we were gazing at. "No more
accusations directed against us. 1t is
you who must meet them now. Mr..
Trohm, your evil practices are discover
ed. Tomorrow you will have the police
here in earnest They did but play with
you when they We're here before.
"You childr' he gasped, striving,
however, TO restrain all evidences of
shock and terror. why, who was it
called III the police and set them work
ing in Lost Man S lane? Was it not T.
Eyes, that they might not suspect
you and perhaps that they might sus-
pect US. But it was useless. Obadiah
Trohm. Althea knollys' children have
been long suffering, but the limit has
been reached at last When you laid
your hand upon my lover, you reused
spirit in me that nothing but. your
own destruction can satisfy. Where is
he Mr.. Trohm? Where is silly Ru-
fus and all the rest who have vanished
between Deacon Spears house and the
little home Of the cripples on the high
road: They have asked me, but if any
one in Lost Man 5 lane can answer that
question it is you, prosecutor Of my
mother, of ourselves, whom / here de-
nounce in face Of these skies where
God reigns and this earth where man
lives to harry and condemn"
And then | saw that the instinct Of
this girl had accomplished what mere
human acumen had failed in. For the
old man-indeed he seemed an old man
and the wrinkles came
out in his face till he was Economically
ugly
You viper!' he shrieked. How
dare You accuse me of crlme-you
whose mother would have died in Jail
but for my forbearance? Have you ever
seen me set my foot upon worm: Look
at my fruit and flowers, look at my
home, without spot or blemish to mar
its neatness and propriety. Can man
who loves these things stomach the de-
struction of man, much less of silly,
boy? Lucetta, you are mad
Mad or sane, my accusation will
have its results, Mr.. Trohm. l believe
too deeply in your guilt not to make
others do So"
"Ah, " said he, "then You have not
done so yet? You believe this and that
but you have not said So
NO" she calmly returned, though
her face blanched to the colorlessness
If wax, Il have not said so yet.
Oh, the cunning that crept into his
face!
''She has not said it, Oh, the little
Lucetta, the WISE the careful little Lu-
,etta!'
"But will, she cried, meeting his
,ye with the courage and constancy of
martyr, Though l bring death upon
myself. will denounce you and do it
before the night has settled down upon
Is. have lover to avenge, brother
o defend. Besides, the earth should be
id of such monster as you y
"Such monster as l: Well, my
,retty one''-his voice grown suddenly
his face study of mingled
,assions-"we will see about that
Jome inst step nearer, Lucetta.
want to see if you are really the little
,irl used to dandle on my knee. y
They were now near the gateway.
hey had been moving all this time.
lis hand was on the curb of the old
veil. His face, so turned that it caught
he full glare of the setting sun, leaned
oward the girl, exerting fascinating
influence upon her. She took the step
@ asked, and before we could shrek
ut "Beware!' we saw him bend for
7ard with sudden, quick motion
nd then start upright again, while her
Orm, which but an instant before had
TODD there in all its frail and inspired
eauty, tottered as if the ground We're
ending under it, and III another mo-
lent disappeared from our appalled,
ght, swallowed in some dreadful cav
rn that for an instant vawned in the