Year: 1865

sitting in the bGr.Toom, With an elbow on
each arm Of the chair, gazing intently at
the hFa.


had been in bed about half An hour,
when he came up stairs with two candles,
which he placed upon the table, then went
to hie valve and took SS. 3D7syzl' qDires
Of fOolscap, and lastly drew from biz pOck-
ct . small black bOttle, and placed il by
his side, as be sat down and began 70
write.


| vas too much interestedin in this move.
ment to think Of going to sleep. - I laid
still and kept my attention nxsd upon
him.


At first his pen moved deliberately
over the paper, and as his hand passed
over page after page, its scratching be.
came louder and d<mure nervous. There
was evidently burning thought that
must have expression in words. The
veins upon bis forehead were swollen az
il ready to burst, and his whole express
ion was that Of intense excitement He
seemed 10 have forgotten that there was
any one else in the room, for I could hear
him muttering his thoughts aloud As he
penned them. Now and then he would
pause, draw a long breath, and then dash
on again. At last he threw down his pen
and struck his hand against his forehead,
with the exclamation:


did i'll And now she is gone. wh,
do tarry here to see that poor wretch
suffering in my stead? Twas as | Said
she did not marry him. There's com.
fort in the thought. loved her we'll
SO we'll that did slsy her. Could have
seen her as his wife and not gone mad ?
fe cruel fates, ye were too much for me
in the unequal strife, when twas a wo.
mans heart became the price Of wealth !;
but my good steel did find its way where
gold is powerless. Ill wed her yet, for
here is that which shall give me quick
conveyance to the shore where she has
gone before"


lie seized the little black bottle. took a
deep draught, and then resumed his wri.
ting.


see it oil now, thought I. 1t is as ]
expected. This is the murderer the low.
Ell vino did tie deed. lie is committing
suicide, and writing out his confession.


was not inclined to disturb man un
der such circumstances. so lay still and
awaited the result. His pen dashed OF
more luriouSly than ever. Occasionally
his band would go to his bottle, whose
contents we're evidently working on biz
brain. One Of the candles had gone out
and the other burned low in the socket
He threw down his pen and applied hi:
bottle once more to his lips and swallow
ed the last drop il contained. and in 4
sepulchral tone gave expression to thes'
words as he stood before the expiring
light:


That is all. When they do look OF
this, then they will know why twas they
thought me strange. There's my confes
sion writ for those who think 1t was
little thing that she rejected me. They
Snail know that what | swore, had th'
courage to perform. III to my couch
and let the morrow tell tale of horror
which shall make their drOwsy souls be
lieve 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 burned blue as the excited
man uttered these last words, with ges-
lures and tones of one talking with the
spirit of the murdered Mary. The las,
glimmer of the light was gone, and then
| heard the man throw himself heavily
upon the bed.


M first impulse was to give the alarm.
bnt a second thought told me if he was
he murderer, and had written out his
confession, and was now taking himself
off bv dose of poison. could do no good
by bringing him hack to lite again only
to be strung up and die like dog. did
not see why should try to keep poor
wretch in this world when he had be-
cone convinced that he hid better leave
IT. lie might make his exit un er worse
rcumStances, and as he had done me nu
wrong, | could not out Of charity inter.
icrr.


With . quiet conscience, I dropped
asleep, and did not wake till after day
light the next morning. looked towards
my neighbours bed. There he lay on the
outside Of the bed. with his back towards
me, and none'of his clothing removed. -
The candIe>ticks, the black bottle, the
papers were on the table with him.
rose and dressed myself snd glanced at
the papers. They contained a murdcrer's 8
confession, evidently. The bottle was
labelled Poison" with DEATHS head
aud cross bones, but had 9 strong smell
"f 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 nv
breakfast and settling my bill, left for
home, wondering whether should see in
the papers the next morning "The Muir
derer's confession" looked for il some
time, but as it did not appear, began to
suspect that something had been the mat
ter With my brain during my stay in
Steinton.


Several weeks afterward went into 4
theatre, to hear a sensation play which
was that night to br brought out. I took
my seat in the gallery, and watched the
development Of the plot. 1t was one OF
the "love and murder" stamp could
not help thinking how similar were the
circumstances to those Of the trial in
Steinton. When in the last act, the mur
derer'G confession was reached, it seemed
but repetition Of the scene in the double
bedded room. which have already de-
Scribed. There was the actor striking
his hand against his forehead: and finally,
with ouiStretched arms. and eyes gazing
into futurity, uttering those words which
had been so deeply impressed upon my
mind:


Farewell, earth, whore gold doth rob
me Of my love; and hail the strange nm
known where she doth wait my comingH


He then staggered toward a couch, and
fell senseleSs upon it, ~ becOmingly as
could be expected Of suicide.


The applause was deafening: Ny