第19章

Withthesemeditations，DominicusPikedroveintothestreetof

Parker’sFalls，which，aseverybodyknows，isasthrivingavillageas

threecottonfactoriesandaslittingmillcanmakeit。The

machinerywasnotinmotion，andbutafewoftheshopdoorsunbarred，

whenhealightedinthestableyardofthetavern，andmadeithis

firstbusinesstoorderthemarefourquartsofoats。Hissecondduty，

ofcourse，wastoimpartMr。Higginbotham’scatastrophetothe

hostler。Hedeemeditadvisable，however，nottobetoopositiveasto

thedateofthedirefulfact，andalsotobeuncertainwhetheritwere

perpetratedbyanIrishmanandamulatto，orbythesonofErinalone。

Neitherdidheprofesstorelateitonhisownauthority，orthatof

anyoneperson；butmentioneditasareportgenerallydiffused。

Thestoryranthroughthetownlikefireamonggirdledtrees，and

becamesomuchtheuniversaltalkthatnobodycouldtellwhenceithad

originated。Mr。HigginbothamwasaswellknownatParker’sFallsas

anycitizenoftheplace，beingpartowneroftheslittingmill，anda

considerablestockholderinthecottonfactories。Theinhabitantsfelt

theirownprosperityinterestedinhisfate。Suchwasthe

excitement，thattheParker’sFallsGazetteanticipateditsregular

dayofpublication，andcameoutwithhalfaformofblankpaperanda

columnofdoublepicaemphasizedwithcapitals，andheadedHORRID

MURDEROFMR。HIGGINBOTHAM！Amongotherdreadfuldetails，the

printedaccountdescribedthemarkofthecordroundthedeadman’s

neck，andstatedthenumberofthousanddollarsofwhichhehadbeen

robbed；therewasmuchpathosalsoabouttheafflictionofhis

niece，whohadgonefromonefaintingfittoanother，eversinceher

unclewasfoundhangingontheSt。Michael’spear-treewithhis

pocketsinsideout。Thevillagepoetlikewisecommemoratedtheyoung

lady’sgriefinseventeenstanzasofaballad。Theselectmenhelda

meeting，and，inconsiderationofMr。Higginbotham’sclaimsonthe

town，determinedtoissuehandbills，offeringarewardoffivehundred

dollarsfortheapprehensionofhismurderers，andtherecoveryofthe

stolenproperty。

MeanwhilethewholepopulationofParker’sFalls，consistingof

shopkeepers，mistressesofboarding-houses，factorygirls，millmen，

andschoolboys，rushedintothestreetandkeptupsuchaterrible

loquacityasmorethancompensatedforthesilenceofthecotton

machines，whichrefrainedfromtheirusualdinoutofrespecttothe

deceased。HadMr。Higginbothamcaredaboutposthumousrenown，his

untimelyghostwouldhaveexultedinthistumult。Ourfriend

Dominicus，inhisvanityofheart，forgothisintendedprecautions，

andmountingonthetownpump，announcedhimselfasthebearerof

theauthenticintelligencewhichhadcausedsowonderfula

sensation。Heimmediatelybecamethegreatmanofthemoment，and

hadjustbegunaneweditionofthenarrative，withavoicelikea

fieldpreacher，whenthemailstagedroveintothevillagestreet。

Ithadtravelledallnight，andmusthaveshiftedhorsesat

Kimballton，atthreeinthemorning。

“Nowweshallhearalltheparticulars。”shoutedthecrowd。

Thecoachrumbleduptothepiazzaofthetavern，followedbya

thousandpeople；forifanymanhadbeenmindinghisownbusinesstill

then，henowleftitatsixesandsevens，tohearthenews。The

pedlar，foremostintherace，discoveredtwopassengers，bothof

whomhadbeenstartledfromacomfortablenaptofindthemselvesin

thecentreofamob。Everymanassailingthemwithseparatequestions，

allpropoundedatonce，thecouplewerestruckspeechless，though

onewasalawyerandtheotherayounglady。

“Mr。Higginbotham！Mr。Higginbotham！Tellustheparticulars

aboutoldMr。Higginbotham！”bawledthemob。“Whatisthecoroner’s

verdict？Arethemurderersapprehended？IsMr。Higginbotham’sniece

comeoutofherfaintingfits？Mr。Higginbotham！Mr。Higginbotham！！”

Thecoachmansaidnotaword，excepttoswearawfullyatthe

hostlerfornotbringinghimafreshteamofhorses。Thelawyerinside

hadgenerallyhiswitsabouthimevenwhenasleep；thefirstthing

hedid，afterlearningthecauseoftheexcitement，wastoproducea

largeredpocket-book。MeantimeDominicusPike，beinganextremely

politeyoungman，andalsosuspectingthatafemaletonguewould

tellthestoryasgliblyasalawyer’s，hadhandedtheladyoutofthe

coach。Shewasafine，smartgirl，nowwideawakeandbrightasa

button，andhadsuchasweetprettymouth，thatDominicuswouldalmost

asliefhaveheardalovetalefromitasataleofmurder。

“Gentlemenandladies，saidthelawyertotheshopkeepers，the

millmen，andthefactorygirls，“Icanassureyouthatsome

unaccountablemistake，or，moreprobably，awilfulfalsehood，

maliciouslycontrivedtoinjureMr。Higginbotham’scredit，hasexcited

thissingularuproar。WepassedthroughKimballtonatthreeo’clock

thismorning，andmostcertainlyshouldhavebeeninformedofthe

murderhadanybeenperpetrated。ButIhaveproofnearlyasstrong

asMr。Higginbotham’sownoraltestimony，inthenegative。Hereisa

noterelatingtoasuitofhisintheConnecticutcourts，whichwas

deliveredmefromthatgentlemanhimself。Ifinditdatedatten

o’clocklastevening。”

Sosaying，thelawyerexhibitedthedateandsignatureofthenote，

whichirrefragablyproved，eitherthatthisperverseMr。

Higginbothamwasalivewhenhewroteit，or-assomedeemedthemore

probablecase，oftwodoubtfulones-thathewassoabsorbedin

worldlybusinessastocontinuetotransactitevenafterhisdeath。

Butunexpectedevidencewasforthcoming。Theyounglady，after

listeningtothepedlar’sexplanation，merelyseizedamomentto

smoothhergownandputhercurlsinorder，andthenappearedatthe

taverndoor，makingamodestsignaltobeheard。

“Goodpeople。”saidshe，“IamMr。Higginbotham’sniece。”

Awonderingmurmurpassedthroughthecrowdonbeholdingherso

rosyandbright；thatsameunhappyniece，whomtheyhadsupposed，on

theauthorityoftheParker’sFallsGazette，tobelyingatdeath’s

doorinafaintingfit。Butsomeshrewdfellowshaddoubtedallalong，

whetherayoungladywouldbequitesodesperateatthehangingofa

richolduncle。

“Yousee。”continuedMissHigginbotham，withasmile，“thatthis

strangestoryisquiteunfoundedastomyself；andIbelieveImay

affirmittobeequallysoinregardtomydearuncleHigginbotham。He

hasthekindnesstogivemeahomeinhishouse，thoughIcontribute

tomyownsupportbyteachingaschool。IleftKimballtonthismorning

tospendthevacationofcommencementweekwithafriend，aboutfive

milesfromParker’sFalls。Mygenerousuncle，whenheheardmeon

thestairs，calledmetohisbedside，andgavemetwodollarsand

fiftycentstopaymystagefare，andanotherdollarformyextra

expenses。Hethenlaidhispocket-bookunderhispillow，shookhands

withme，andadvisedmetotakesomebiscuitinmybag，insteadof

breakfastingontheroad。Ifeelconfident，therefore，thatIleft

mybelovedrelativealive，andtrustthatIshallfindhimsoonmy

return。”

Theyoungladycourtesiedatthecloseofherspeech，whichwas

sosensibleandwellworded，anddeliveredwithsuchgraceand

propriety，thateverybodythoughtherfittobepreceptressofthe

bestacademyintheState。ButastrangerwouldhavesupposedthatMr。

HigginbothamwasanobjectofabhorrenceatParker’sFalls，andthata

thanksgivinghadbeenproclaimedforhismurder；soexcessivewas

thewrathoftheinhabitantsonlearningtheirmistake。Themillmen

resolvedtobestowpublichonorsonDominicusPike，onlyhesitating

whethertotarandfeatherhim，ridehimonarail，orrefreshhim

withanablutionatthetownpump，onthetopofwhichhehaddeclared

himselfthebearerofthenews。Theselectmen，byadviceofthe

lawyer，spokeofprosecutinghimforamisdemeanor，incirculating

unfoundedreports，tothegreatdisturbanceofthepeaceofthe

Commonwealth。NothingsavedDominicus，eitherfrommoblawora

courtofjustice，butaneloquentappealmadebytheyoungladyinhis

behalf。Addressingafewwordsofheartfeltgratitudetohis

benefactress，hemountedthegreencartandrodeoutoftown，under

adischargeofartilleryfromtheschoolboys，whofoundplentyof

ammunitionintheneighboringclay-pitsandmud-holes。Asheturned

hisheadtoexchangeafarewellglancewithMr。Higginbotham’s

niece，aball，oftheconsistenceofhastypudding，hithimslapin

themouth，givinghimamostgrimaspect。Hiswholepersonwasso

bespatteredwiththelikefilthymissiles，thathehadalmostamind

torideback，andsupplicateforthethreatenedablutionatthetown

pump；for，thoughnotmeantinkindness，itwouldnowhavebeenadeed

ofcharity。

However，thesunshonebrightonpoorDominicus，andthemud，an

emblemofallstainsofundeservedopprobrium，waseasilybrushed

offwhendry。Beingafunnyrogue，hisheartsooncheeredup；nor

couldherefrainfromaheartylaughattheuproarwhichhisstoryhad

excited。Thehandbillsoftheselectmenwouldcausethecommitment

ofallthevagabondsintheState；theparagraphintheParker’sFalls

GazettewouldbereprintedfromMainetoFlorida，andperhapsform

anitemintheLondonnewspapers；andmanyamiserwouldtremblefor

hismoneybagsandlife，onlearningthecatastropheofMr。

Higginbotham。Thepedlarmeditatedwithmuchfervoronthecharmsof

theyoungschoolmistress，andsworethatDanielWebsterneverspoke

norlookedsolikeanangelasMissHigginbotham，whiledefending

himfromthewrathfulpopulaceatParker’sFalls。

DominicuswasnowontheKimballtonturnpike，havingallalong

determinedtovisitthatplace，thoughbusinesshaddrawnhimoutof

themostdirectroadfromMorristown。Asheapproachedthesceneof

thesupposedmurder，hecontinuedtorevolvethecircumstancesin

hismind，andwasastonishedattheaspectwhichthewholecase

assumed。Hadnothingoccurredtocorroboratethestoryofthefirst

traveller，itmightnowhavebeenconsideredasahoax；buttheyellow

manwasevidentlyacquaintedeitherwiththereportorthefact；and

therewasamysteryinhisdismayedandguiltylookonbeing

abruptlyquestioned。When，tothissingularcombinationof

incidents，itwasaddedthattherumortalliedexactlywithMr。

Higginbotham’scharacterandhabitsoflife；andthathehadan

orchard，andaSt。Michael’spear-tree，nearwhichhealwayspassedat

nightfall：thecircumstantialevidenceappearedsostrongthat

Dominicusdoubtedwhethertheautographproducedbythelawyer，or

eventheniece’sdirecttestimony，oughttobeequivalent。Making

cautiousinquiriesalongtheroad，thepedlarfurtherlearnedthatMr。

HigginbothamhadinhisserviceanIrishmanofdoubtfulcharacter，

whomhehadhiredwithoutarecommendation，onthescoreofeconomy。

“MayIbehangedmyself。”exclaimedDominicusPikealoud，on

reachingthetopofalonelyhill，“ifI’llbelieveoldHigginbotham

isunhangedtillIseehimwithmyowneyes，andhearitfromhis

ownmouth！Andashe’sarealshaver，I’llhavetheministerorsome

otherresponsiblemanforanindorser。”

Itwasgrowingduskwhenhereachedthetoll-houseonKimballton

turnpike，aboutaquarterofamilefromthevillageofthisname。His

littlemarewasfastbringinghimupwithamanonhorseback，who

trottedthroughthegateafewrodsinadvanceofhim，noddedtothe

toll-gatherer，andkeptontowardsthevillage。Dominicuswas

acquaintedwiththetollman，and，whilemakingchange，theusual

remarksontheweatherpassedbetweenthem。

“Isuppose。”saidthepedlar，throwingbackhiswhiplash，to

bringitdownlikeafeatheronthemare’sflank，“youhavenotseen

anythingofoldMr。Higginbothamwithinadayortwo？”

“Yes，answeredthetoll-gatherer。“Hepassedthegatejustbefore

youdroveup，andyonderheridesnow，ifyoucanseehimthrough

thedusk。He’sbeentoWoodfieldthisafternoon，attendingasheriff’s

salethere。Theoldmangenerallyshakeshandsandhasalittlechat

withme；buttonight，henodded-asiftosay，’Chargemytoll，’and

joggedon；forwhereverhegoes，hemustalwaysbeathomebyeight

o’clock。”