Year: 1865

1 ~
fort in that thought. [ loved her we'll
so we'll that [ did slay her. Could I
have seen her as his wife and not gone
mad? Ye cruel fates strife, when twas
a woman's heart became the price Of
wealth /; but my good steel did find its
way where gold is powerless. I'll wed
her yet, for here is what shall give me
quick conveyance to the shore where she
has gone before


He seized the little black bottle, took
a deep draught, and then resumed his
writing.


I see it all now. thought I. It is as |
expected. This is the murderer, the low
er who did the deed. He is committing
suicide and writing out his confession.


| was not inclined to disturb a man
under such circumstances, so [ lay still
and awaited the result. His pen dash
ed on more furiously than ever Occa-
sionally his hand would 60 to his bottle,
whose contents were evidently working
upon his brain One Of his candles had
gone out, the other burned low in the
socket He threw down his pen and
applied bis bottle once more to his lips
and swallowed the last drop which it
contained, and in a sepulchral tone, gave
expression to these words as he stood be-
fore the expiring light.


That is all. When they do look on
this then they will know why twas they
thought me strange. There's my con.
fession written for those who think it
was little thing that she rejected me-
They shall know that what / swJre, [
had the courage to perform. I'll to my
couch, and let the morrow tell tale Of
horror which shall make their drowsy
souls believe there is love far stronger
than grim death. Farewell earth, where
gold doth rob me Of my love and hail
thou strange unknown where she doth
wait my coming.


The candle turned blue, as the excit-
ed man uttered these last words, with
the gestures and tones Of one talking
with the spirit Of the murdered Mary
The last glimmer of the light was gone,
and then [ heard the man throw himself
heavily upon the bed.


My first impulse was to give the alarm
but second thought told me if he was
the murderer. and had written out his
confession, and was now taking himself
off by dose Of poison, [ could do no
good by bringing him back to life again
only to be strung up by rope and die
like dog. | did not see why I should
try to keep poor wretch in this world
when he had become convinced that he
had better leave it. He might take his
exit under worse circumstances, and as
ne had done me no wrong, could not
out of charity interfere. With a quiet
conscience | dropped asleep and did not
awake till after daylight the next morn
ing. ] looked toward my neighbor's bed
There he lay upon the outside ofthe bed,
with his back towards ME and none of
his clothing removed.


The candlesticks, the black bottle, the
papers were on the table with him. I
rose and dressed myself and glanced at
the papers. They contained murderers
confession, evidently. The bottle was
labeled Poison, with deaths head
and cross bones, bat had strong smell
of brandy. bent over the motionless
figure on the bed. He was asleep. The
whole thing was so mysterious that I
said nothing about it, but after eating
my breakfast and settling my bill. left
for home, wondering whether [ should
see in the papers the next morning The
Murderer's Confession | looked for it
for some time, but as it did not appear
began to suspect that something had
been the matter with my brain during
my stay in Steinton.


Several weeks afterwards I went into
theater to hear sensation play, which
was that night to be brought out.
took my seat in the gallery, and watch
ed the Development of the plot. 1t was
one OF the love and murder stamp. I
could not help thinking how similar
were the circumstances to those of the
trial in Stenton. When in the last act
the murderer's confession was reached,
1t seemed but repetition Of the scene
in the double-bedded room, which have
already described-There was the actor
striking bis hand against his forehead.
and finally with out stretched arms and
eyes gazing into futurity, uttering those
words which had been 20 deeply impress
ed upon my mind


Farewell, earth, where gold doth rob
me of my love; and hail thou strange
unknown where she doth wait my com
ing


He then staggered toward couch,
and fell senseless upon it as becomingly
as could be expected as a suicide.


The applause was deafening Ny
neighbor, whom [ had not particularly
noticed before, clapping his hands and
beating the floor with his boot and cane
till there was no breathing from the dust
he raised. I was about to demonstrate,
when my eyes assured me that he was
my lean friend of the double bedded