A WEIRD STORY
The unexpected appearance of a man who was supposed, and with every
reason, to be dead and buried was so startling that for a few moments
no one could speak. Had it been night time, those present might well
have been excused had they taken the newcomer for a ghost. But a ghost
would scarcely reveal itself in broad daylight, supported by two flesh
and blood mortals. Amazing as it seemed, the wan person, who was
placed in a convenient armchair by his guides, was actually the Rev.
Simon Leigh. His head was bandaged; his face was bloodless, and he
appeared to be listless and exhausted. Never was there such a dramatic
entrance, or such an uncanny situation.
"Leigh!" gasped Rupert, hardly able to pronounce the name.
"Yes," replied the parson, faintly smiling. "I am alive, you see."
"I said as he worn't dead," chuckled Ark again, and rubbed his horny
hands with comfortable glee, while his grandson Tobias stood mute and
grim behind the man who had returned from the other world.
Carrington, equally startled, was the first to recover himself
entirely. He saw in the reappearance of the clergyman a chance of
escape from his dangerous position. "You accuse me of murdering Leigh,
and Leigh is alive," he said, regaining swiftly his native impudence.
"What do you say now, Hendle?"
Rupert turned his eyes from the vicar to Tollart, whose big face was
purple with astonishment. "What do you say, doctor?" he asked, feebly.
"It's a dream," muttered Tollart, rubbing his eyes. "He must be dead.
I examined the body; I saw him buried; I gave the certificate of
death."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Tollart," murmured Leigh with a weak
attempt at a smile; "but you see I am still alive. Tobias!"
The grim man knew what was asked for and producing a flask of generous
proportions administered a stiff dose of brandy to his patient. The
ardent spirit made Leigh cough, but brought the blood to his cheek and
a more lively light into his dim eyes. Also when he opened his mouth
he spoke with a stronger voice. "Yes, I am alive. I was buried by
mistake."
"It's impossible, I tell you," cried the doctor, still struggling with
his astonishment. "You were as dead as a door-nail."
"So you thought, Tollart, but you are not the first medical man who
has mistaken catalepsy for death."
"Catalepsy?"
"I have been subject to it all my life, but I never told anyone about
it--not even you, Tollart. Only Titus knew, and that was why he was
what was called my shadow down in the village. I always dreaded being
buried alive."
"Yet you were," said Rupert, staring with all his might at the
resuscitated man, and wondering if he was asleep or awake. "Titus
wasn't much good, after all, in spite of his watchfulness."
"And what could I do, Squoire?" demanded the ancient shrilly. "I said
as Muster Leigh warn't dead agin and agin, but none heeded me."
"If you had used the one word catalepsy," protested Tollart, who was
annoyed that Leigh should reappear to give the lie to his skill, "I
should have known what to do."
"I bain't no scholard," croaked Titus sulkily. "I said as Muster Leigh
warn't dead and he warn't. On the night of the day when he was buried,
me and Tobias got him out of his coffin and he hev bin in my house
getting well."
"You should have told me, Titus," expostulated Rupert reprovingly.
"Now the Lard help me, Squoire. Didn't I tell 'ee times wi'out number.
I said as Muster Leigh warn't dead and you laughed; you know you did.
But he warn't dead; he warn't dead"; and the ancient repeated his
favorite phrase again and again with angry gestures.
"No, he warn't dead," mimicked Carrington, strolling easily toward the
door, "and now that we know he warn't, I suppose there is no objection
to my leaving this pleasant little party."
"Stay where you are," commanded Leigh in a much stronger voice. "It is
no thanks to you that I am alive. Stop him, Hendle."
Rupert took Carrington by the shoulders and pushed him across the room
and into the chair he had vacated. "You stay here," he said sternly.
"Oh, I'll stay if you wish me to," replied Carrington, making a virtue
of necessity, and shrugging his shoulders contemptuously. "You can't
get me into trouble now."
"We'll see about that," replied Leigh, who was breathing heavily. "I
haven't much time to live, as the shock of being buried alive has
given me my deathblow. But I shall live long enough to see that
justice is done. Now let me explain what I owe to Mr. Carrington."
"One moment, before you change the subject," remarked Tollart sharply.
"You told me that you had heart disease."
"I did," admitted the vicar dryly; "but I never allowed you to examine
me, or you would have found that my heart was perfectly sound. I made
that excuse to account for anyone finding me in a cataleptic trance."
"You should have told me the truth," rejoined the doctor sternly. "But
that I thought the blow on the head had killed you, along with heart
disease, I would have opened your body to be certain of the cause of
death. As it was, Mr. Leigh----"
"As it wor," interrupted the old sexton aggressively, "you warn't
sober, Muster Tollart. That you warn't."
"How dare you say that!" cried the doctor, flushing angrily.
"Aye, but I do say it," retorted Titus valiantly. "You saw double, you
did, and not being sure of your larning said as Muster Leigh wor dead
when he warn't. And if 'ee'd tried to cut Muster Leigh up, I'd hev
knocked 'ee down. Yus, I would, and no mistake."
"It seems to me that we are not getting on very fast," said Carrington
lightly, yet anxiously, for he desired to get away before Inspector
Lawson arrived from Tarhaven. "Suppose Mr. Leigh speaks, and relates
his experiences in the other world."
"I shall deal with you later," said Leigh meaningly and with an
unpleasant look. "You are not going to escape punishment because you
failed to carry out your evil design. First, I shall explain about my
catalepsy. I have always been afflicted thus, Hendle," he added,
turning to the young Squire, "and for that reason I rarely went away
from my house. Titus knew that I was subject to these trances, and I
always liked to have him at my elbow in case I fell into one. Also
Titus had the key of my family vault, so as to rescue me should I be
buried alive by any chance. The blow on the head did not kill me
outright, although it was severe enough very nearly to do so. I was
stunned for the time being and then passed into a trance. Owing to the
warm weather, unfortunately for me, I was buried hastily, else I might
have recovered."
"You were as dead as any man could be," persisted Tollart sullenly,
for the revival annoyed him beyond measure.
"I was not, yet, although you, in your confused state, thought so. And
you were confused with drink, Tollart, as Titus assures me. Let this
be a warning to you, my friend, to abandon this vice, as you may not
so easily escape again from dooming a man to a terrible death."
Tollart tried to speak, but could not, as he knew very well that he
was entirely in the wrong, and that the consequences of his too
hurried examination of the body might be serious for him. He
stammered, stuttered, and turned very white, then walked silently out
of the room. He had received a lesson which he would not easily
forget. Rupert started forward to stop him, but Mallien, who had been
too startled to speak hitherto, laid a detaining hand on his arm. The
man was nervous and less aggressive than usual, which was not to be
wondered at considering what had taken place.
"Let him go, Rupert," he muttered. "We can deal with this matter among
ourselves. I want to hear how Mr. Leigh was rescued from his terrible
position."
"Titus rescued me," said Leigh thankfully. "On the night of the day
when I was buried he came with Tobias to the vault. He had the key, as
I said before, in case of such an accident. These two"--he jerked his
head right and left toward his supporters--"unscrewed the coffin and
carried me into their house, which is, as you know, near the
churchyard. Gradually I revived from my trance, but suffered greatly
from the blow in the head which confused me. Feeling that I was not
myself, and knowing that serious matters had to be dealt with, I
ordered Titus and his grandson not to say anything about my being
alive. Since the day of my burial I have been hidden in that little
cottage, and Titus has nursed me back to health. But I fear," ended
the vicar plaintively, "that I shall not live long. The shock has
killed me."
"Well, at all events," said Carrington coolly, "I didn't kill you."
"Indirectly you have," said Leigh indignantly, "and I shall have you
punished before I die."
"That is a nice Christian feeling, I must say," retorted Carrington
uneasily.
"Men such as you are, who go about attempting murder, should be locked
up," was the stern reply. "You intended to kill me."
"I did not. I intended to stun you, and thought I had done so,"
protested Carrington sullenly. "No one was more astonished than I was,
when I heard next day from Hendle there that you were dead. I thought
the heart disease had killed you."
"I had no heart disease, and----"
"We know all about that," interrupted Mallien restlessly. "But tell us
how that scoundrel managed to knock you down."
"Give me another dose of brandy, Tobias," said the vicar, and when he
felt stronger after taking the spirit proceeded slowly to explain. "I
was in my study on that night, and as it was after ten o'clock, Mr.
and Mrs. Jabber had retired to rest. I had found the will, which I had
mislaid, and was reading it, when I heard a tap at the window."
"I don't know about your reading it," said Carrington insolently, "as
I watched you for some time through the window before I tapped. You
were holding a parchment over a candle. I believe that you intended to
burn the will."
"Perhaps I did," said the vicar with a queer smile. "There is more to
be known about that will than you guess. At all events when I heard
your tapping on the glass I blew out the candle and put down the will.
I opened the window--you know it is a French window, Hendle--and
looked out to see who had come at such an untimely hour. When I
recognized you and you intimated that you wished to speak to me, I
admitted you. I believed that you had come down to stay with Hendle
and had arrived late."
"Did you lock the window again after admitting Carrington?" asked
Rupert.
"I snicked it, certainly," replied Leigh quietly. "Not that doing so
mattered, for, as there was nothing to steal at the vicarage, I paid
little attention to bolts and bars."
Carrington laughed cynically. "And for that reason I was able to slip
out of the front door and leave it unlocked without exciting
suspicion," he remarked. "It was easy to get away."
"Very easy," assented Mr. Leigh. "The front door was never locked
either by day or by night, as I did not fear burglars. And I did not
fear you, Mr. Carrington, as you said that Rupert had told you about
the will, and you wished to speak to me concerning it."
"Oh, you were brave enough," retorted the barrister carelessly.
"Well?"
"I think you had better be less flippant, my man," cried Mallien,
highly indignant. "You are not out of the woods yet."
"There's gratitude for what I have done for you," sneered Carrington.
"But for my appearance at the window the vicar might have burned the
will so as to allow Hendle to keep the property."
"Yes, I might have burnt the will, as you say," remarked Leigh with
another queer smile; "and perhaps it would have been as well, seeing
what an excellent Squire our young friend here makes."
"And what about me?" asked Mallien indignantly.
"You are not fit to govern the parish," said Leigh coolly. "You think
of self and of self only."
"Well, the will is safe in my desk now," said Mallien complacently,
"and, self or no self, I will be Squire of Barship as soon as the
lawyers can arrange for the transfer of the property."
"You count your chickens before they are hatched, Mr. Mallien. There
is much to be said before you step into your cousin's place."
"I don't see that," said Mallien doggedly. "Rupert knows that I
inherit by that will you found in the muniment chest, as I am the
legal descendant of Eunice Hendle. He makes no objection to giving me
the property."
"Is this so, Hendle?" inquired the vicar.
"Yes," answered Rupert quietly. "I can scarcely keep what does not
legally belong to me."
"You will be a pauper."
"I can't help that. I must act honestly."
Leigh was silent for a moment and cast a look of admiration on the
young man. "You shame us all by your honorable nature," he said after
a pause. "I am glad that I am spared to do you justice."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Carrington curiously.
"Never mind what I mean. I shall explain in due time. Just now I have
to tell these gentlemen of the cowardly assault you made on an old
man." Leigh turned toward Rupert to whom he chiefly addressed himself.
"He held me in talk, Hendle, and all the time he was keeping his eyes
on the will. I refused to let him take it away, as he wanted to do."
"I only wished to look after Hendle's interests," muttered Carrington.
"To look after your own, you mean," retorted Leigh tartly. "Had you
meant well you would have gone away after I refused to give you the
will. But you waited until my back was turned, and then struck me with
the loaded stick you carried. The blow fell on my right temple and I
dropped stunned to the floor, while you----"
"While I," cried Carrington, rising and speaking insolently, "snatched
up the will and walked out of the front door cautiously, so as not to
waken those servants of yours."
"After which," put in Mallien viciously, "you went through the jungle
and buried the will under the sundial."
"I did," admitted Carrington recklessly. "You know so much that you
may as well know all, for Leigh being alive you cannot touch me in any
way. I buried the will, as you say, and afterward wrote that letter to
Mrs. Beatson, so that she might find the will and avert suspicion from
myself."
"Why Mrs. Beatson?" asked Rupert, disgusted with his former friend's
brazen assurance.
"Because, according to you, she had overheard the conversation between
you and the vicar. I guessed that, if she produced the will, suspicion
would fall on her. Our meeting her on that night, Hendle, was pure
chance, but it helped on my plans. I wished her to procure the will to
you, and thus bring suspicion on herself as having killed the vicar."
"You infernal villain!"
"Oh, I don't see that," said Carrington carelessly. "Mrs. Beatson
would be none the worse for having her neck stretched. But I would not
have allowed things to go so far as that. All I wished, was for her to
give you the will, and then when you consulted me, as I knew you
would, I intended to persuade you to burn it in order to keep the
property and pay me five thousand pounds for holding my tongue. You
understand."
"Yes," said Rupert quietly, "you explain your villainy so carefully
that I can scarcely help understanding. It was you, then, who dropped
a clue near the sundial to incriminate Mallien?"
"It was me," replied Carrington, with cynical hardihood. "I snatched
the opal by chance from Mallien's watch-chain when we struggled in the
avenue. Only when I got away and found what was in my hand did I see
how I could get the upper hand of him. I recognized the ornament at
once as the one he had shown me on the first day we met."
"You scoundrel!" shrieked Mallien furiously, and would have struck the
barrister, but that he swerved. Then Rupert interfered.
"He will have a much worse punishment than a blow," said the Squire,
holding his cousin back with a strong arm.
"I won't have any punishment at all," sneered Carrington insistently.
"It is for me to say that," remarked Leigh, who was growing very weak
in spite of the dose of brandy which Tobias administered. "So you met
Mr. Mallien in the avenue of my place after you had buried the will?"
"I did. There is no reason why I should deny it, seeing that I am
safe. And when I got away from him I walked to the next station and
caught the night express from Tarhaven which does not stop at Barship.
Next day----"
"You came down to play the part of a friend," said Rupert scornfully;
"but you soon showed the cloven hoof, Carrington. Your plot was very
clever, and had I been a less honest man it would have succeeded."
"It never would have succeeded," interposed the vicar, speaking with
labored breath, "for I was alive all the time and intended to speak
when necessary, as I have done. Titus kept me informed of all that
went on."
"Aye, that I did," said the old man, patting Leigh's hand; "and
they'll find in the village as the old 'un don't tell lies and bain't
no fool either. I told 'em as you wor alive, didn't I, Muster Leigh?"
"Yes, Titus, yes. But I think you will very soon have to tell them
that I am dead," said Leigh with a weak sigh. "After all, it is for
the best. I shall never regain my health after that awful experience.
And as my successor has been appointed, it would be wrong of me to
deprive him of the living."
"Don't trouble about that, Leigh," remarked Rupert, bending over him.
"You shall stay here and be nursed back into health again. I'll see
that you are all right for the future."
"You are a good man, Hendle; but if you knew----" He stopped abruptly
and drew away his hand which the Squire had taken. "But that I can
speak of another time. Meanwhile we must finish dealing with this
gentleman."
"Do you mean me?" asked Mallien, who felt uneasy because he had an
idea that the resuscitated man had, as the saying goes, something up
his sleeve.
"I don't mean you at present," replied the vicar, eyeing him with an
expression of intense dislike. "I shall attend to your matter later."
"What matter?"
"That," said Leigh slowly, "I shall tell you in my own good time."
"You are very mysterious."
"Oh, I think all mysteries are at an end now," interposed Rupert
hastily, for Mallien showed a tendency to make himself disagreeable in
spite of the vicar's weak state of health. "We now know that
Carrington did come to Barship and did strike down Mr. Leigh."
"Who cares if you do know?" retorted Carrington insolently. "Not me. I
have played a bold game and have lost, thanks to your confounded
honesty. If you had been wise, you would have destroyed that will and
would have kept your money to yourself."
"At the cost of losing my honor," said Rupert flushing.
"Pouf! Who cares for honor in these days?"
"Apparently you don't, you beast," cried Mallien, who was desperately
angry at the way in which Carrington had proposed to cheat him. "How
dare you speak in this way! I'll have you charged with fraud."
"Fraud!" Carrington laughed aloud and snapped his fingers. "And how do
you intend to do that, my good man?"
"Don't call me your good man, confound you!"
"Well, I won't," sneered the barrister; "it is rather a mistake to
credit you with any goodness, I admit. You're no more a saint than I
am, and would have played the same game had you got the chance. My
only regret is that I have not rooked you to the tune of five thousand
pounds. And but for the vicar's unexpected appearance I should have
done so."
"Not you."
"Oh, yes. You were at the Vicarage on the night of the presumed
murder, and I had your opal, which I dropped near the sundial. If I
had held my tongue, as I would have done, you would have been hard put
to explain your presence there, seeing what John Hendle's will meant
to you."
"And you--and you!" shouted Mallien furiously, "how would you have
escaped suspicion seeing you came down on that night?"
"Very easily," retorted the barrister in a light and airy tone. "I
would have declared that I came down in Hendle's interest to get the
will, and arrived at the Vicarage to find you leaving the house after
murdering the man."
"Oh!" Mallien rushed forward. "Let me get at him, Rupert. Dog that he
is. I want to strangle him."
"And be hanged for the murder of a worthless creature," said Rupert,
holding Mallien tightly to prevent his executing his intention. "Leave
him to Mr. Leigh. I rather think he knows how to deal with him."
"Oh, do you?" snapped Carrington, wheeling with a contemptuous smile
on his dark face, "and what do you propose to do, may I ask?"
"I propose," said the vicar, whom he addressed, "to have you arrested
for a murderous assault on me. As a lawyer, Mr. Carrington, you
probably know how many years you will get for a contemplated crime."
Carrington grew pale and looked nervous. "I never intended to kill
you," he muttered sullenly; "and, as you are alive and well----"
"I am alive certainly, but scarcely well," said the vicar faintly.
"All the same, it is no thanks to you that I am not dead. You
assaulted me, and you robbed me, so you shall suffer."
"I shan't!" and Carrington made a dash for the door, only to be caught
by the Squire, who held on to him grimly.
"You shall," said Rupert stolidly. "As soon as Lawson arrives, and he
may be here at any minute, Leigh will give you in charge for assault
and robbery."
"Hendle, you wouldn't see me disgraced in that way," pleaded
Carrington, who suddenly saw an abyss open at his feet. "If I am
arrested, I will be ruined."
Hendle released the miserable man and stood back, rather incautiously
as it afterward proved. "You would have ruined me," he said sternly,
"so why should you not be done by as you intended to be done by
others?"
"There's Scripture authority fur that," grunted old Ark, grinning
toothlessly.
Carrington, now at bay, looked round and saw that everyone was against
him, so that there was no hope of mercy. He covered his face with his
hands and staggered against the wall near the door. For a moment there
was silence, for, although neither Mallien nor Leigh pitied the
scoundrel, Rupert, having an unusually tender heart, did so. Perhaps
the feeling that the man was his old schoolfellow induced him to give
Carrington a chance of escape. But be this as it may, when the
barrister sobbing near the door suddenly opened it and dashed out,
Rupert made no immediate effort to stop him. Mallien did. "Stop,
thief! Stop, liar! Stop, murderer!" he vociferated and followed.
Rupert was thus compelled to pursue the culprit, although he did so
reluctantly.
The two came to the door to see Carrington running down the avenue,
and dashed after him. The barrister flew like the wind and speedily
outdistanced his pursuers. But he was not to escape after all, for, as
he reached the open gates of the avenue, Kit's motor car, containing
Lawson, swept round the corner. Running blindly, Carrington tripped
and fell under the machine. The wheels passed over him, breaking his
back. He was picked up stone dead.