Show A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY 11 j SOLVED GLIMPSES OF LIFE IN THE THIN THINLY L SETTLED SLED COUNTIES OF ARKANSAS at the foot foog of the boston mountains dwells a man named mason he is over eighty years old and his tall figure white hair and patriarchal air give him an indescribable a appearance his house is a rough bp but tearma t ca comfortable for log og cabin and the few acres around it afford si stence an excellent marksman he has never abandoned the use of his t rusty trusty rifle while the numerous deer and bearskins bear skins within and without the cabin bear ample testimony of his skill and success with the exception of his wife he lives entirely alone but his life has not always been thur thus desolate only a few years vears ago three children brightened his humble home two boys john and david and one laughter daughter lizzie who was the pride of the old mans heart and the light of his rude cabin the sons were lighthearted light hearted boys given to drink somewhat but liked by everybody while lizzie lizzle was a rare wildwood blossom her soft blue eyes and flaxen hair played sad havoc with the hearts of the younger portion of the opposite sex in all that section and many sought her hand in marriage 0 the fortunate young suitor being a young man named charles mckinley rather dissipated not worth a dollar yet handsome a very forest apollo in short just the kind of a man to win a young girls heart the mason family were anything but pleased with her choice and spared no efert to break off the attachment tach ment the lovers had for each other lizzle lizzie however could not be moved entreaties and threats were alike unavailing the former gave her cou courage rage to plead for charley cb arley ariey the latter made her cling closer to him the young man was also firm I 1 will never give up lizzie he sid with a big round oath when questioned on that point finding all other efforts useless the masons resor ted to more violent measures john mason met charies charles mckinley one day in the forest and a terrible night fight ensued in which both were ard badly ly cusand cut and bruised but in which john was decidedly worsted this stirred up additional bitterness and for fora a time threatened to draw the majority of the surrounding families into the quarrel and disturb the peace of chenel the neighborhood lizzie Lizzle sought to pour our oun oiron oil on the troubled water and ter her gentle words melted the hardened natures that evil passions had filled with wrath there was a reconciliation between her lover over and brother and there was general rejoicing I 1 in 11 consequence when an event occurred which changed amity into distrust and suspicion the event was no less lesi than the tiie sudden and mysterious disappearance of charles mckinley he was last seen alive alone in the forest beyond the theroun moun bains and was on the trail of a herd of deer the most rigid search failed to discover him or any trace of his whereabouts he had bad dropped out of sight and life ilfe as Ls if the earth had opened and swallowed him up all sorts of stories were rife one said lie had been murdered another that he had run away still another that he was purposely hiding him self and would suddenly return but as ds time went on and he either elther came nor was heard of the suspicion that he had met with foul play gained ground rapidly growing into certainty in the minds of very many persons of course john mason was accused of the murder and though he strenuously denied the tho charge th the e evidence against him was strong enough to warrant his apprehension once in the meshes of the lawn law it seemed as if a hundred circumstances came up all crying trumpet tongued Guil tyl tyll divers persons haz hat had heard him threaten to kill charles mckinley that young man had himself said sald that lie did not consider his bl is life safe so long as john mason remained in the country even johns father admitted reluctantly that his son had declared his intention of riddling cha chi chhrles charles girled mo kinley with buckshot while david corroborated the parents statement thus the coils of circumstantial evidence closed tighter and tighter about the young man and beyond his bare assertion there was nothing to be said in refutation the blow had f allen fallen on the young girl with crushing effect the sudden disappearance of her lover the arrest of her brother on the charge karge barge of murder murde rin rip hig g him almost drove her phe ghe 40 however feinel aho tho c popular p ar opinion that you young ng I 1 mckin laki ta leyhan ad been murdered and and that her brother was guilty of that terrible crime urged for a reason for her belief she nallY finally fl admitted that it rested on th the 9 slender blende r dounda foundation fion of a dream she added that on the night succeeding the tiie day upon which charles charies mckinley disappeared she had dreamed that she saw her brother and him in a violent qa quarrel the men were in a dark ravine there was a mountain to their right and a deep dense fo forest rest to their left she heard their words she saw john strike mckinley with the butt of his rifle and fel him to the earth that blow wal fatal the young man never afterward john hid the body in e dark cave in the mountains and there it still remained this dream made a powerful impression upon the young Vl girl and though many were dispo disposed to laugh at it even while admitting it told tremendously against her brother nothing could shae shake shahe ke her faith and con confidence in its bon bor horrible riLde reality she insisted that etwas it was true though no trace of the body boly could be found in any of the numerous mountain caves after a most rigid search and the vision rested only udon upon upon her individual statement but herfarth her hen faith falth gave it tenfold power her acts seemed to tellef belief bellef from that moment moments she he was a changed woman slowly she pined away the color faded from her cheeks cheek diving giving place to a i deathlike death like pallor her step once light alighi and elastic became slow siow and languid her eyes lost their tender glance and sparkled with an unearthly lustre she uttered no complaint like the gentle girl who wha loved joyed the unfortunate irish patriot Robert emmet she passed to her early grave forgiving all beloved bopery by every one the victim of a broken heart john mason broke jail and fled to texas his ills brother david going into exile with him this settled all questions question s or double doubty as to his guilt or innocence flight was accepted by one and all as a confession of guilt liberal rewards were offered for the capture of the brothers david being considered an accessory to the erime crime but neither was ever apprehended from the lone star state they went to louisiana and in new orleans fell victim victims to that dread scourge yellow fever letters now in the fa theris fathers possession contain the most fervent protestations of their innocence and subsequent events clearly exon exonerated elated them from complicity in the taking off of young charles mckinley for years later when the main actors in this Ws strange episode slept in their quiet graves miles and miles apart when interest in the scenes we have related had almost died away or was recalled with awe at the hunters winter fireside the mystery sur suri i rounding the disappearance of the young man was brought to light A party of hunters while chasing a bear in an adjacent county found his remains in in a cave in which the animal they were pursuing had bs established his lair hir there was only a eastly hooking skeleton of a map man mau rusty rifle and rudely carved in in the yielding rock upon which it rested these words lost cant rant find my way out charles mckinley that was all but it mold told ibs its own story it solved an enigma that darkened many lives it cleared from th e foul stain of murder though too late john mason and his brother I 1 this was the life history a record which by the way is authenticated and cm can be verl veri verified fled by other livi living g witnesses the bid man mart told us 0 ohne evening as we sat beside the gavle glowing g fire in the big fireplace fire place of his lonely cabin the night wind swept down the deep mountain gorges with the roar of an angry sea the stars twinkled dimly overhead tl the 1 e howl of the wolf echoed dismally far out in the shadows of the woods while the darkness of night filled all space witt springs ark cor con kv Y world |