Year: 1868

=
After considerable difficulty I found
such a place as would suit both my
taste and my purse, in small fishing
village called Sandybar, which no one
save myself and an eccentric old French
man familiarity known as Monsieur
Jacques, had found out. We met
generally in our walks about the sea
shore, and often he called upon me in
the quiet little abode where was board
ing, but could not visit him, because
his household consisted exclusively of
males; his valet, who came to see him
now and then, his nephew, himself and
a sick fri end, who had been confined to
his room for three years, and long since
pronounced incurable- An old woman
called Betty, was glad to spend two or
three hours daily in Monsieur Jacques
kitchen. Monsieur Jacques was rich
and eccentric. He had made it known
that in his will he had left all his prop
erty to his nephew, AlphOnse Lefebr6,
and in case AIphonse should die with
out issue, then it was to go to Martin
the sick man.


Great was the horror of the villagers
when they heard one morning, that
Monsieur Jacques had been murdered
the night before-his throat having been
cut.


Who could be the murderer of so good
a man2 was the question every one ask
ed his neighbOr. Suspicion fell upon
j
man was arrested and placed in the
county Jail, distance of five miles
from Sandybar; and his trial for the
murder of his uncle followed his i'm
prisOnment in very short time. From
the first word of suspicion against him
my sympathies had been entirely with
the prisoner; but when I learned that
his counsel was my lover and promised
husband, Harvey Mellisb, need not
say that all my kindest feelings towards
the unhappy young man were increased
to the highest possible degree. It was
the first really important case he had
undertaken, and he had set his heart
upon gaining it. I was equally anx-
ious.


One night-it was just two nights be-
fore the day fixed upon for the trial of
Alphonse Lefebre-Harvey, having paid
me his usual daily visit, had remained
quite late in the evening; and, of course
the subject of our conversation had been
the case in which he was so deeply in
teTested. When I retired to my room
found it impossible to compose myself
to sleep-it was n bright moonlight
night, perfectly still and quiet-so that
the heavy beating of my heart sound
ed almost nOisily in my ears. cannot
tell how long I lay in this almost pain
full quiet, but it must have been more
than an hour, when began to dOZe off
into sleep. What followed 1 will not





too deeply affected ever to inquira min
utely regarding my own feelings at the
time. Whether I slept and drea med or
whether it was a waking revelation, I
am utterly incapable of forming a
Judgment. But suddenly the silYery
moonlight faded out of my room, and
it was filed with bright celestial ra-
dance, out of the midst of which the
quaint, kindly, brown face of Monsieur
jacques smiled gently on me. 1 heard
no voice, yet something said distinctly
as though it was spoken within my
soul


sNfy nephew Alphonseis an innocent
man-rise, go forth and find my real
murderer ~


On the instant, I was wide awake
The bright moonlight flooded my room,
and I could see distinctly every object
about me. I lay stupidity gazing at
them for few minutes, dazed at what
had happened; and then, on a sudden, I
felt that the words which had been ad-
dressed to me were command. 1 rose
and hastily dressed myself, and noise
lessly slipped out of the house. When
had got so far, I asked myself what I
should do next, and whether L was not
acting most absUrdly. But I Lad been
so strongly impressed by the extraOr-
binary circumstance just detailed, that
1 dared not go back. I walked on and
on, till insensibly I found myself tax





erly occupied by Monsieur Jacques, and
which was still occupied by Mr.. Martin
and Edward. In short time, L stood
before il, and there continued TO stand
for several minutes, disposed to call my
self hard names, and wondering what
on earth would do next. I began to
walk round about the house, taking a
view from various points of obserVa-
ton, till 1 paused in the garden and di-
rected my attention to the window of
what had been Monsieur jacques
room. The perfumes of the lilac bushes
flOated about me, and the almost i'm
perceptible breeze family stirred the
leaves and flowers with a ghOgtly noise
that gave me a creeping sensations; but
as yet I was not afraid, though I began
to fancy that I saw a face pressed
against the window and Vainly trying
to peer out into the garden. Another
moment and l was almost stifled with
terror-the window sash began to move
gently upward, and mans head and
shoulders were thrust out OF the win
dow. If I had not been weak with
fright think 1 would have cried out
the surprise was so sharp and sudden.
L shrank back among the lilac bushes
and covered behind their sheltering
| branches. From where [ was I could
distinctly see the head and face-so dis
! tinctly that can never forget 1t, and
now see it in nv mind as ViVidly as l
I y
was shaggy, grizzled and unkempt; the
! face was pallid-as much of it as was
visible, for the lower part was covered
with many days growth of beard, which
was grizzled and untidy like the hair;
] the eyes looked out like burning Goals.
and searching hastily in all directions
] almost-tO my excited fancy-scorched d
whatever their gaze lighted upon
! Trem bling, yet fascinated, could not
choose but look; and presently the head


was drawn in again, the window was
| softly lowered, and I saw nothing but
the bright light of the moon reflected
from the panes of glass. was yet too
frightened to move, or to connect the
extraordinary sight had seen with the
murder of Monsieur Jacques. But
while tried to take courage, the sound
of stealthy footsteps tell upon my ear,
/ and saw the same head and face ac-


companied by the bent figure belonging
to them come peering round the corner


of the house and then more boldly adj


vance into the garden, till he was di-


rectly under the window where his


head appeared. In another moment


he was down upon his knees, and two


shaking hands were eagerly searching


among the long grass. In that moment


knew that the possibility of saving


Monsieur AlphOnse was within my
: power for before me, groVeliing in the


grass and evidently searching for the


weapon that had done the deed, was the


murderer of Monsieur Jacques, What
should do? My head was in a wbirl-
Ito discover myself would be instant
DEATH could but mark the villain


and follow him when his search was
done. This was the only scheme that
: suggested itself to me. What is that
The rich pleasant Ytoee of Edward sing
ing lively French air-but what an eff
feet that simple air produced on the


man whose movement now intenLly
| of a M "a
ton of rage, fear and hate, he started


up and was gone. I remained perfectly


quiet-one thought only in my mind
: the Weaponl Had he found it, or wai


it still there awaiting its discovery


Presently Edward entered the garden