The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-12-25

wondered at these fits of melancholy,
but | dared not ask my father, and he
vouch-safed no explanation My moth
er l never knew. She died when l
was Lorn. Would to God that l, too,
had followed her.
passed the usual uneventful life
of the country squire's son until l
was twenty years old, and then, as is
only human. | fell in love.
My love was returned and the hap
piest moment OF my life was when
Lucy Derrick promised to become my
wife.
Later | was sitting at the drawing
room fire thinking of Lucy, when a
! servant entered the room and said my
| father wanted to see me. He had
| taken suddenly i'll and was in his bed
room.
l arose hastily and started for the
| room, for this was the first intimation
l had had of his illness. Just as l
opened the door, | heard a heavy
booming sound like some immense
church bell toling for a funeral The
sound was so uncanny that | started
and gave a quick glance around me.
My eyes fell upon my fathers features
and | never saw such change in any
one as had taken place in his face. In
| place of the usual calm expression,
his face was so distorted that | could
| scarcely recognize him.
| hastily ran to his side and forced
some brandy through his clenched
teeth. This seemed to revive him
somewhat and he motioned me to
open the drawer of his secretary.
did so and found a paper addressed
to myself. He glanced at it and made
feeble effort to nod his head The
next moment his whole body shook
with commissions. He half rose from
the bed, gasped and fell back. My
father was dead.
The paper was still in my u,,nu1
and, mechanically, unfolded it, Tbil
is what | read
TO my son, John Vereken:-I ad-
dress these words to you as it were,
from the grave, and l trust that you
will forgive my great sin. There is a
/ curse in our family and |, poor weak,
/ fool, have transmitted it to you. You
/ no doubt heard the sound of the bell
when l died. l will tell you the story
Of it.
Your t-grandfather-my grand
/ father-was Of a generous but hasty
/ nature. He was quick to strike, and
as quick to repent of the blow His
greatest friend was Richard Bassman,
/ whose family died with him My
grandfather loved Richard as a broth;
/ err They were always together But
/ one day they quarreled and Richard
/ Bassman was shot by my GRANDPA
/ Their He died instantly. My GRANDPA
| Their was so struck with horror at the
| deed that he tried to kill himself. but
| friends prevented the act. Richard
| Bassman was buried the next day,
and as the body was being carried to
/ the grave, the bell in the church tolled
/ out his years. 1t has tolled - times,
/ and the sexton pulled the rope for the
| thirteenth stroke The bell gave forth
a booming sound and breaking loose
/ from its fastening0, fell to the ground.
/ My grandfather had been deeply af-
| fected by the tolltng of the bell At
/ each stroke he was seen to shudder.
. Then came that fatal thirteenth
/ stroke. His face grew livid and such
/ an expression of unutterable horror
/ came over it that everyone who saw
him shuddered. His great form sway
/ ed and fell to the ground dead
The curse is in the family. trans
mitted from father to son. We must
hear that terrible noise 10 times
sometimes closely connected
| times at intervals of years. At the
/ thirteenth stroke comes death When
/ hear 1t the last time, you shall hear
it first, and the curse will be upon
you.
MY son, it is my earnest plea that
| you let our accursed race die with
you My father implored me never
to marry and l resolved to follow his
request, but | met the woman | loved
/ and fell Will you be stronger than
/ 1? Already the bell tolled IL times and
/ | feel that my end is near. My son.
forgive me, and heed my admonition.
Do not transmit this curse to anoth-
er, for it will cause your loved ones
untold misery"
The next day l told Lucy all.
! never saw her again for | knew that
should look upon her dear face. my
/ resolution would vanish and | would
sin as my father had done before me.
She died six months later-of a bro
ken heart
This is my story. Thirty years
have passed since that fearful night
when I looked upon the dead face of
my father and read the paper that
sealed my doom. l am an old man
have heard the bell toll 70 times and
| feel that my end is near. have
| suffered much, but as look back upon
the life, already spent, I am glad that
I kept my VOW. Many a time have l
been in communication with Lucy and
I know that she waits for me, and"
(Here the MSS suddenly breaks
off. The body was found by the table,
sitting in a chair, as in life A pen
was still clutched in the nerveless
ingers.l