The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-07-16
A

By F. A. Mitchell

Billings was u commercial traveller.
Troubled with insomnia, he would Of
ten get out of bed in the middle of the
night and walk the streets. One night
he was walking thus. in q quaint old
town in New England. There were
houses in the place fully 200 years
old. Billings was an educated man
and appreciated the antiquity about
him. He fancied one house to be the
old tavern and that the bar was still
there concealed by a curtain. An
other house must have been that Of q
nabob, for the front door was elabo-
rately made.
Billings wandered about in the moon
light wondering about the different
places and occurrences that might have
taken place in them. Apart from the
rest was a house which both from its
construction and t%umbledown appear
ance must have been older than any he
had vet passed. Whether 1t was &C.
cupied or not he could not tell, for like
all the rest Of the houses it was dark.
Billings stopped before the front door
to admire It. its side lights, its arched
lights above and the antique bead
work on it. wishing that he could re-
move it and use 1t OF his own house
in his home city.
Suddenly the door opened. There
was no sound from the old hinges and
it seemed that the door moved Of itself.
But in another moment a face appear.
ed in the opening. the face evidently
of a.fyoung girl. though since she was
in shadow Billings could not see her
distinctly. She beckoned to him. but
did not speak. He drew e her and
she whispered:
IA tragedy has occurred here. A
man has been stabbed. l and my Sis
ter are alone. l wish you would come
in and help u.s."
Billings had no inclination for what
was asked of him. but the girls voice
was so soft. q nearer view showed her
so comedy. that. he entered the vesti-
bule. There was no light, and when
the door was closed behind them it
was pitchy dark. The girl took Bill
lings' hand to guide him. and a cold
chill followed her touch. which was icy
cold.
Twill you strike a light?' he asked.
"Oh. no. l would not attract the at
tention of the watch for the world"
Billings would have retreated, but
was ashamed to do 50. Besides. the
cold grip on his hand would not be
easily shaken of. He suffered himself
to be led through a spacious hall and
up a winding staircase. On reaching
an upper hall the girl opened a door
and led the way into a bedchamber.
The windows were open. and the
moon. which was an hour high. cast a
food Of light into the room. illumfnat-
ing with its pale light a four post bed
stead with canopy overhead and val
ance beneath. Beside it knelt a wo-
man. and on it lay a man. who ap-
peared to be dead. The light of the
moon gave a CHASTITY hue to his fea-
lures, and he was stiff and stark.
1t seemed to Billings that the cos
tunes of both the women corresponds
ed with the antique furniture. Both
wore white caps on their heads and
kerchiefs around their shoulders and
across their bosoms. Billings stood look
ing on the scene in wonder and horror.
I'VE must remove. the body before
day." said the girl.
why so?"- asked Billings. scarcely
knowing what he said.
He was killed. He who killed him
vas a near relative. He has fed. but
should the tragedy be discovered he
would be pursued. and II captured we
should have to endure another death
Feeling that we must have Il man to
help US and seeing you from the win
dow about to pass the house. | stepped
down and called you. You will not be-
tray us. will you?"
Certainly not But
"Oh. don't say that you will not
help us. We are two women with no
man to rely ON. You and I can carry
the body to a secret closet. We can
put it in there for the present. and it
can be removed later"
Billings brain was in q whirl. The
girl went to the bed, drew away the
woman kneeling beside it and. taking
the lower part of the body. motioned
to Billings to take the heavier part.
Then the two carried it to an adjoining
wainscoted room. The girl touched a
spring in the wall. A. panel rolled aside.
revealing an empty space. They threw
the body in. closed the panel and left.
The next thing Billings remembered
was standing without the door Of the
house. hanging on to an iron railing.
He seemed to have awakened from q
dream. He staggered into the street
and looked up: at the house. It was
dark and silent. Then he ran as II to
leave his frightful experience behind
him. On reaching his hotel he went
to his room and threw himself on the
bed. In the morning he awakened.
feeling az IL all his strength had oozed