The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-10-20


weeks ma, ried life, rose like the con-
firmation Of doubt In my shocked and
rebellious breast.
From that hour till dawn nothing In
that slowly Frightening room seemed
real. not her face lying buried in It's
youthful locks upon the pillow, not the
objects well known and well priced by
which we were surrounded-not my
sef-most Of all, not myself, unless the
icy dew ooziug from the roots of my
lifted hair was real. unless that shape,
fearsome. vague. but persistent, which
lowered In the shadows above us,
drawing line of eternal separation
between me and my wife. was thing
which could be caught and strangled
and Oh. l rave! chatter like
mudman, but did not rave that night.
Nor did l rave when, In the bright,
broad sunlight, her eyes slowly unclos.
ed and she started to see Inc bending
so near her, but not with my usunl kiss
or glad good morning. could not
question her then; dared not. The
smile which slowly rose to her lips
was too piteous-it showed confidence.
l waited till after breakfast. Then,
while she was seated where she could
not see my face, whispered the ques-
ton. DO you know that you have had
horrible drcamf' She shrieked and
turned. saw her face and knew that
what she had uttered In her sleep was
true.
II have 10 remembrance Of whnt
said TO her She tried to tell me how
she had been tempted and how she had
not realized her own act till the mo-
mcnt | bent down to kiss her lips as
her husband. But did not stop to
llsten--I could not. few Immediately
to Miss Tuttle with the violent demand
as to whether she knew that her sister
was already wife when she married
me, and when she cried out, No! and
showed great dlsmGy I broke forth
with the dreadful tale and covered In
unmanly anguish at her feet and went
mad and lost myself for little while
Then went back to my wretched wife
md asked her how the awful deed had
been done. She told me, and again
did not believe her and began to look
upon it all as some wild dream Of the
distempcred fancies Of a disordered
brain. This thought calmc3 me, and
spoke gently TO her and even tried to
take her hand. But she herself was
ravlng now and clung about my knees
murmurlng words of such anguish and
contrition that my worst fears return
ed and. only stopping to take the key
of the Moore house from my bureau, I
left the house and wandered madly-
know not where.
81 did not go back that day. I could
not face her again till ! knew how
much oi her confession was fancy and
how much was fact. | roamed the
Of the city to the other, and mt night
| used It to open the house which she
had declared contained so dreadful a
secret.
II had bought candles on my way
there but. forgetting 10 take them from
the store, had no light with which TO
penetrate the horrible place that even
the moon refused to illumine. | realized
this when once in, but would not 20
back. All | have told about using
matches to light me to the southwest
chamber Is true, also my coming upon
the old idcaIdelnbrum there, with candle
IN one of its sockets. This candle
lit, my sole reason for seeking this
room being my desire 10 examine the
antique sketch for he words which she
had said could be found there.
II had failed 10 bring magnifying
glass with me, but my eyes are
phenomenally sharp. Knowing where
to look, | was able to pick out enough
words here and there in the lines com
posing the hair 10 feel quite sure that
my wife had neither deceived me moi
been deceived as to certain directions
being cmbouIed there in writing. Shak
en- in my last lingering hope. but no,
yet quite convinced that these words
pointed TO outrageous c"iine, flew
next to the closet and drew out the
fatal drawer
you have been there and know wha
| the place Is, but no one but myself cal
| ever realize what it was for me, still
loving, still clinging to Il wild inconse
quent belief in my wife, 10 grope II
| that mouth Of hell for the spring she
had chartered about in her. sleep, tt
find it, press it,, and then to hear, dowr
In the dark of the fearsOme recess, thu
sound OF something deadly strlk,
against what l took to be the cushions
Of the old settle standing at the edg,
Of the library hearthstone.
II think ! must have tainted, fOl
when ] found myself possessed of suf
ficient consciousness to withdraw iron
that hole of death the candle In til,
candelabrum was shorter by an incl
than when first thrust my head int
the gap made by the removed draw
ers. In putting back the drawers
hit the candelabrum with my foot, up
setting 1t and throwing out the burn
ing candle. As the flames began t
lick the worm eaten boarding Of tn
floor momentary impulse seized III
to rush away and leave the who'll
place to burn, but l did not. With
sudden frenzy stamped out the fam
and then, finding myself in darkness
groped my way downstairs and out
II entered the library do not remem
Der 1t. Some lapses must be pardone'
man involved as | was"
But the fact which you dismiss o
lightly is an important one" insiste'
the major. 1--WE must know positive
Iy whether you entered this room o
nOfu