Happy October 2
This would have been all well, fine, and good if Lulla-Bell had known anything about it. As far as she knew she spent most of her time alone. When she walked home in the evenings, she did so unaware that her escort was several paces behind her keeping to the shadows of the trees and the rocks. When home at night with no one to talk too she’d sit and read, practice her numbers, or sew just to pass the time till Daddy got home, unaware that just outside her window, or on the porch, or even sometimes in the next room was a man who cared deeply for her happiness. And when she went down to the pond to be alone she dreamt of someday finding that special someone who would sweep her off her feet and carry away to places beyond her home . . . unaware that just behind her ol’ Joseph E. Stant was making plans to marry her and build her house around this very pond.
Joseph just could never bring himself to talk to her. When sweet Lull-Bell got too near him . . . his collar would sweat, his nerves would turn to fire, and his tongue would stiffen into stone. Heaven help him if those gorgeous green eyes would gaze into his own. Something happened then that was positively sinful. For those eyes had the power to see through him like paper, and to shred him to the dignity of little boy. In those eyes was the power of God and all the love his mother never gave him. None of the other girls in town had this affect on him. She scared him and that’s what made him love her so.
She must have known how she made him feel. One day he came into the grocer’s store and bought only an apple . . . the most sinful of fruit. His master was out so he was the only one there she to talk to. She must have known this . . . somehow and that’s why she chose that day to come in. She sought him out and asked to purchase his apple. Upon sight of those Irish green eyes his throat closed up, his collar began to sweat, and his tongue turned to stone. Then she did something she’d never done near him before. She giggled. She was laughing at him. He felt his heart sank, he blood ran cold. But all at once a fire ignited in him that had never existed before. And he opened his mouth.
“Miss. Lulla-Bell? Will you marry me?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. The room grew still. The silence was broken by Lulla-Bells sweet little giggle. “Oh Mr. Stant you are a silly one ain’t ya. You know you’re supposed to ask to court fo’ ya ask ‘bout marriage! And besides I’ve been asked for by the tailor’s boy. “ She gave him the money for the apple and left. But right before she swept through the door she paused. She glanced over her shoulder and those green eyes met his. They were full of pity. Now ol’ Joe’s blood had run into ice when he’d heard that terrible news but one glance into those pretty green eyes and he was filled with fire once more. In that glance she’d told him what to do. And in his eyes he’d promised to do anything she wanted to have her to himself.
So that night when he closed up the grocery shop it was the tailor’s boy he followed home instead. And once they were a good enough distance from all prying eyes and alert ears . . . from any but the owls in the trees ol’ Joe let the tailor’s boy have it in the back of the head with a rock and just to be sure the job was done he drug the body to the pond and let it sink beneath it’s cool, black waters.
Days passed. The tailor boy was never found. Lull-Bell wept for him like a good girl should. Joseph watched her morn. When at last an appropriate amount of time had passed he asked her again. Again he was too late. She smiled at him kindly, even touched his hand, and told him this time the butcher’s son asked her when she outside the grocer’s door. She squeezed his hand and gave him that telling glance once more. Again Joseph followed Lull-Bell’s suitor home that night and again fed another body to the cool black waters of the pond. Again Lull-Bell was left to morn and again Joseph watched her tears from a distance. And a third time he asked her too late, as her father the baker, had introduced her to new young gentleman in town just before she’d come to the grocery store. This time she didn’t need to tell him, he closed the store early that day and waited for the new guy to make himself known.
But this time was different. The new guy, Richard Wesley, was a sells man from the north. He had chosen to escort Lull-Bell home himself that night. After all there was obviously a prowler on the loose. They walked down the path she and Joseph had shared for so long, hugging and holding hands. Joseph followed them barely hiding in the shadows. When they reached her porch Joseph watched as Lull-Bell gave a long sweet kiss - a kiss meant for him. It was all he could to contain himself.
But Miss Lull-Bell was a lady and from there she went in alone. Wesley was left outside the door. Once he stepped off the porch and into the shadows he was struck dead in the back of the head and another body was fed to the pond. And for good measure, the baker too was added to the pile.
When neither father nor suitor could be found Lull-Bell sank into a dark depression. News spread that Lulla-Bell was a cursed soul. All who fell in love with her fell in love with death itself. But of course Joseph was not deterred. He went to walking her home himself each night - to make sure she was safe. He kept her company while she read, studied her numbers, and sewed. He even escorted her to and from school. When the time seemed appropriate he asked her to marry him again.
They had walked to the bridge that overlooked the river that fed her favorite pond. She shook her head. “Haven’t you heard? Any man that loves me disappears Joseph. I don’t know what I’d do if anything were to happen to you.”
“I’m different.” He answered. “I’ve always loved you. I’ll do anything to make you mine.” What happened next is unclear because the only one to witness it was Lull-Bell herself and the experience drove her to sheer boarders of madness and beyond. Joseph rapped his harms around her and they shared a sweet impassioned kiss; it was like bringing a juicy piece of fruit to the lips of man who had had nothing to eat or drink in far too long. It as though he wanted desperately to consume her right there upon the bridge. But as the kiss continued she felt the heat retreat from his body; she felt his lips grow cold and stiff. Even the sweat from his body which drenched his cloths and soaked into hers as well became like ice in her hands. When she pulled away from him ol’ Joseph had turned and eerie shade of blue, his eyes rolled in the back of his head as though he was having trouble breathing.
She stepped away from him and bumped into the form of the butcher’s son, the tailor’s boy was to his right and to her left was Richard Wesley the sales man from up north. But she barley had time to register this before she recognized the baker was standing behind ol’ Joe his fists clinched around the grocer’s throat. Before she could speak her three suitors charged Joseph and pushed him over the bridge. All five of them fell to into the river’s cool black, rushing waters but only Joseph’s made a splash. Lull-Bell watched in horror as all the love she’d ever known was swept out from under her in the current.
People soon knew of Lull-Bell as the old maid that lived alone in the manor just outside of town. Her home is said to be haunted with those she’d loved and lost. But the truth is it isn’t Lulla-Bell’s house that was haunted. It was dear sweet Lull-Bell herself. She couldn’t move, nor marry another man without the spirits of her jealous lovers coming to call. And her secret thinking spot became the most terrorized of them for that is were she found them , tangled up around the body of Joseph himself each of their fists fastened firmly around his neck.
.
Joseph just could never bring himself to talk to her. When sweet Lull-Bell got too near him . . . his collar would sweat, his nerves would turn to fire, and his tongue would stiffen into stone. Heaven help him if those gorgeous green eyes would gaze into his own. Something happened then that was positively sinful. For those eyes had the power to see through him like paper, and to shred him to the dignity of little boy. In those eyes was the power of God and all the love his mother never gave him. None of the other girls in town had this affect on him. She scared him and that’s what made him love her so.
She must have known how she made him feel. One day he came into the grocer’s store and bought only an apple . . . the most sinful of fruit. His master was out so he was the only one there she to talk to. She must have known this . . . somehow and that’s why she chose that day to come in. She sought him out and asked to purchase his apple. Upon sight of those Irish green eyes his throat closed up, his collar began to sweat, and his tongue turned to stone. Then she did something she’d never done near him before. She giggled. She was laughing at him. He felt his heart sank, he blood ran cold. But all at once a fire ignited in him that had never existed before. And he opened his mouth.
“Miss. Lulla-Bell? Will you marry me?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. The room grew still. The silence was broken by Lulla-Bells sweet little giggle. “Oh Mr. Stant you are a silly one ain’t ya. You know you’re supposed to ask to court fo’ ya ask ‘bout marriage! And besides I’ve been asked for by the tailor’s boy. “ She gave him the money for the apple and left. But right before she swept through the door she paused. She glanced over her shoulder and those green eyes met his. They were full of pity. Now ol’ Joe’s blood had run into ice when he’d heard that terrible news but one glance into those pretty green eyes and he was filled with fire once more. In that glance she’d told him what to do. And in his eyes he’d promised to do anything she wanted to have her to himself.
So that night when he closed up the grocery shop it was the tailor’s boy he followed home instead. And once they were a good enough distance from all prying eyes and alert ears . . . from any but the owls in the trees ol’ Joe let the tailor’s boy have it in the back of the head with a rock and just to be sure the job was done he drug the body to the pond and let it sink beneath it’s cool, black waters.
Days passed. The tailor boy was never found. Lull-Bell wept for him like a good girl should. Joseph watched her morn. When at last an appropriate amount of time had passed he asked her again. Again he was too late. She smiled at him kindly, even touched his hand, and told him this time the butcher’s son asked her when she outside the grocer’s door. She squeezed his hand and gave him that telling glance once more. Again Joseph followed Lull-Bell’s suitor home that night and again fed another body to the cool black waters of the pond. Again Lull-Bell was left to morn and again Joseph watched her tears from a distance. And a third time he asked her too late, as her father the baker, had introduced her to new young gentleman in town just before she’d come to the grocery store. This time she didn’t need to tell him, he closed the store early that day and waited for the new guy to make himself known.
But this time was different. The new guy, Richard Wesley, was a sells man from the north. He had chosen to escort Lull-Bell home himself that night. After all there was obviously a prowler on the loose. They walked down the path she and Joseph had shared for so long, hugging and holding hands. Joseph followed them barely hiding in the shadows. When they reached her porch Joseph watched as Lull-Bell gave a long sweet kiss - a kiss meant for him. It was all he could to contain himself.
But Miss Lull-Bell was a lady and from there she went in alone. Wesley was left outside the door. Once he stepped off the porch and into the shadows he was struck dead in the back of the head and another body was fed to the pond. And for good measure, the baker too was added to the pile.
When neither father nor suitor could be found Lull-Bell sank into a dark depression. News spread that Lulla-Bell was a cursed soul. All who fell in love with her fell in love with death itself. But of course Joseph was not deterred. He went to walking her home himself each night - to make sure she was safe. He kept her company while she read, studied her numbers, and sewed. He even escorted her to and from school. When the time seemed appropriate he asked her to marry him again.
They had walked to the bridge that overlooked the river that fed her favorite pond. She shook her head. “Haven’t you heard? Any man that loves me disappears Joseph. I don’t know what I’d do if anything were to happen to you.”
“I’m different.” He answered. “I’ve always loved you. I’ll do anything to make you mine.” What happened next is unclear because the only one to witness it was Lull-Bell herself and the experience drove her to sheer boarders of madness and beyond. Joseph rapped his harms around her and they shared a sweet impassioned kiss; it was like bringing a juicy piece of fruit to the lips of man who had had nothing to eat or drink in far too long. It as though he wanted desperately to consume her right there upon the bridge. But as the kiss continued she felt the heat retreat from his body; she felt his lips grow cold and stiff. Even the sweat from his body which drenched his cloths and soaked into hers as well became like ice in her hands. When she pulled away from him ol’ Joseph had turned and eerie shade of blue, his eyes rolled in the back of his head as though he was having trouble breathing.
She stepped away from him and bumped into the form of the butcher’s son, the tailor’s boy was to his right and to her left was Richard Wesley the sales man from up north. But she barley had time to register this before she recognized the baker was standing behind ol’ Joe his fists clinched around the grocer’s throat. Before she could speak her three suitors charged Joseph and pushed him over the bridge. All five of them fell to into the river’s cool black, rushing waters but only Joseph’s made a splash. Lull-Bell watched in horror as all the love she’d ever known was swept out from under her in the current.
People soon knew of Lull-Bell as the old maid that lived alone in the manor just outside of town. Her home is said to be haunted with those she’d loved and lost. But the truth is it isn’t Lulla-Bell’s house that was haunted. It was dear sweet Lull-Bell herself. She couldn’t move, nor marry another man without the spirits of her jealous lovers coming to call. And her secret thinking spot became the most terrorized of them for that is were she found them , tangled up around the body of Joseph himself each of their fists fastened firmly around his neck.
.