The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-16
A
MYSTERY
By F. A. mitchell

tcu bcI ouI VI peu III Tie luiuuic Vi ~
night and walk the streets. One nigh
he was walking thus in quaint oil
town in New England. There wer
houses In the place fully 200 year
old. Billings was an educated ma
and appreciated the antiquity abou
him. He fancied one house to be tn
old tavern and that the bar was sti
there concealed by a curtain. Ar
other house must have been that of
nabob, for the front door was elabt
rately made.
Billings wandered about In the moon
light wondering about the differen
places and occurrences that might hav,
taken place In them. Apart from tn
rest was house which both from 1T
construction and tumbledown appear
ance must have been older than any hi
had yet passed. Whether 1t was oc
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 1t, its side lights, its arched
lights above and the antique bead
work on it, wishing that he could re-
move it and use it on his own house
In his home city.
Suddenly the door opened. There
was no sound from the old hinges and
1t seemed that the door moved Of itself.
But in another moment face appear
ed in the opening. the face evidently
of young girl, though since she was
in shadow Billings could not see her
distinctly. She beckoned to him, but
did not speak. He drew near her and
she whispered:
"A tragedy has occurred here. "A
man has been stabbed. I and my sis
ter are alone. I 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, nearer view showed her
so comely, that he entered the vesti-
bule. There was no light, and when
the door was closed behind them 1t
was pitchy dark. The girl took Bill
lings' hand to guide him, and a cold
chill followed her touch, which was Icy
cold.
"Will you strike light?" he asked.
"Oh, no. would not attract the at
tention of the watch for the world"
Billings would have retreated, but
was ashamed to do so. Besides, the
cold grip on his hand would not be
easily shaken off. He suffered himself
to be led through a spacious hall and
up winding staircase. On reaching
an upper hall the girl opened a door
and led the way into bedchamber
The windows were open. and the
moon, which was an hour high, cast a |
flood OF light into the room, illuminat-
ing with its pale light four post bed
stead with canopy overhead and val
ance beneath. Beside it knelt wo- !,
man, and on it lay man. who ap-
peared to be dead. The light of the
moon gave CHASTITY hue to his fea-
lures, and he was stiff and stark.
1t seemed to Billings that the cos
tunes of both the women correspond
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 SOP asked Billings, scarcely
knowing what he said.
He was killed. He who killed him
was a near relative. He has fed, but |
should the tragedy be discovered he {
would be pursued, and IL captured We
should have to endure another death. l.
Feeling that we must have a man to Z
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 your
Certainly not. But
"Oh, don't say that you will not
help us. We are two women with no
man 10 rely on. You and | can carry
The body to a secret closet. We can
put It I'm there for the present, and It
an be removed later"
Billings brain was In a whirl. The a
yiri went TO the bed, drew away the I
woman kneeling beside IL and. taking Il
he lower part Of the body, motioned v
o Billings 10 take the heavier part. b
Then the two carried Il 10 an adjoining b
room. The girl touched y
pring in the wall. A panel rolled aside. z
evealing an empty space. They threw
be body IN, closed the panel and left. :"
The next thing Billings remembered =,
vas standing without the door Of the !,
louse. hanging on 20 an iron railing. a
Ie seemed 20 have awakened from a q
ream. He staggered into the street i
nd looked up at the house. IL was b
ark and silent Then he ran as II to q
rave his frightful experience behind ,
I'm. on reaching his hotel he went =,
b his room and threw himself on the =
ed In the morning he awakened.
ceiling as II ell his strength had oozed a
~ during the night.
During that DAY he made Inquiries =,
bout the house be had visited and \,
as told that Il was called the Berwick lhr
ouse. from the family that had lived
J u q century nr more before. II m
"a been empty for years. -
billings relsted bis experience 20 sev- ~
-al persons and persuaded then - ~
. - the house with hin and force un p
rering % the closet where hs had
slr,ed deposit the to1v They did 80 !
n fcgnH the skeleton - man -
WHIST the tragedy hsd been no one :.