The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08
TIA l
 MMl

428 meagre necessities of life, Kennith Merrill, aged so. died at his home on Avenue B in Birmingham yesterday So ran a news item in The Age Herald of December 2S, 1908. Those who read the item, passed it over with a thought less glance; an old man dead, probably of hunger-'twas q frequent occurrence
 But Kennith Merrill, although he was unknown by that name until the day of his death, was for many years a well known character among the citizens who lived Avenue some four years ago. He commonly referred to as "Old Whispers" from the fact that as he shunled to and from town, where he sold chewing gum in the summer and roasted chestnuts in the winter, he mum hlod necessarily to himself With his hoary head bowed, his gnarled fingers twitching, in nervous emotion, he tottered to and from his humble cottage each day whispering ever to himself
 No one knew what were the words he whispered; but there was a wild sus- picion among the neighbors as to their secret message. This suspicion. enter tained but not mentioned, was born in the statement of child who professed to have heard the old mans whispers. one wintry night he had stolen close to the dreary cottage and peeped into its inte- rior. The aged owner was kneeling gag ing upon picture on the wall. His tot
 
 emotion, and his trembling lips moved unceasingly In the privacy of his room the aged man gave voice to his mutter- ings, and their secret message borne as it were upon the wind to the youthful listener. frightened him almost into un- consciousness
 The next day the child died; from a cold. said the doctor, but even as the death rattle gripped hs throat. his feeble lips seemed to frame the phrase which they had repeated unceasingly since his strange adventure: Vengeance is mine. saith the Lord, I will repay"
 
 This was what was gathered by The Age-Herald reporter at the inanest. but WHiSh was never Later, tIl9 porter. curious to examine the picture concerning which he had heard, visited the cottage and removed it from the wall The frame contained a photograph of young officer in the uniform of a Con federate soldier. As the picture moved, from behind it dropped a dusty packet of papers tied with piece of cord. It was addressed to Mary Moore, Twin Oakes. Va, and signed Kennith Merrill.
 The name of the deceased the reporter published, but the contents of the packet he kept secret. Now. nearly four years afterwards. he discloses to the people among whom the letters were written, and in whose midst the author passed from out his wretched existence. strange story.
 In the early summer of 1860 there probably no one so thoroughly happy and so contented with his lot as young Ke-nith Merrill of Haversbrook Farm. Virginia Young handsome, wealthy. en- gagged to the sweetheart of his dreams, he had just returned home with his de- gree from the University of Virginia, happy in his fortune and at peace with his fellow man.
 With him returned Philip Travis, a rather mysterious young southerner, whom Merrill had met at college. The magnetic mystery that surrounded the young collegan had drawn the open, free hearted Merrill into close personal friendship with him. Who and what he was no one knew. On matriculating, he reported to the faculty, neither parents nor guardian. He wrote no letters. he mentioned no knspeople; and yet the proud, melancholy dignity of the young man bespoke refinement that pulsated through his veins in contrast with that the world.
 On the first day of their visit to Hav- ersbrook farm, Merrill invited his friend to meet his fancee. Mary Moore. Miss