Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-08-12

Even this half.drunken murderer ID pa,c
at the thought how the knife trembles in
his hand--tresnbles against the pistol bar. I
rel. The jeers Of his comrades arouse him
TO the work the light in one hand. he
knife in the other, he goes in the stn;rs ~
ihc'listens! first il tte doorsof fis dal,rl,.
ter's chamber on the right, then 1T The door
ofthe soldiers chamber on the left. An
is still. Then he places the light on tho
f1oor--he enter the chamber on the lea
he is gone moment! -silence!--there L.
a faint groan! He comes forth again,
rushes down the stairs, and stands there bc.s
fore the fire with the bloody knife in his
hand. III s
+. Lcok!' he shrieks, as he scatters ihe red
drops over his comrades faces, over sbe !,
hearth into the fire 'Look!.it is his blood
the traitor Wnshington!'
His comrades gathered round him with
yells Of joy: already, in fancy, thew count
the gold which will be paid for this deed.
when lo!-the stair door opens, and there.
without wound, without even the stain Of
drop Of blood, stands George Washington,
asking calmly for his horse!
'What! shrieks the Tory Menbeim--
can neither steel nor bullet harm you'll
Are you living man? Is there no wound
about your heart? No blood upon your u
niiorm?'
That apparition drives him mad. He
starts forward he places his hand trerr.
blinglingly upon the breast Of w asiington,
Still no wound. Then he looks a. the bloody
knife, still clutched in his right hand, and
stands quiyering with a death spas,n.
! While Washington looks on in silent
wonder, the door is flung open, the bold
troopers from Valley Forge throng tho
room, with the gallant form and bronzed
visage Of Captain Williams in their midst.
At this moment the clock struck twolye.
Then horrid thought crosses like thun-
}, derbolt upon the brain of Tory Mahheim.
ne seizes the light-rushes up stairs -rush.
es into the room Of his daughter on the
i right! Some one had Just risen from tho
! bed, but the chamber was. vacant. Then
. towards that room on the LEFT, with steps Of
loaded heaviness. Look! how the light
quivers in his hand! He pauses at the door:
he listens! Not sound-a stiffness like
the grave. His blood curdles in his veins!
! Gathering courage he pushes open the door.
lie enters. Towards that bed through
whose curtains he struck 50 blindly mo
ment ago! Again he pauses-not d sound
IA stiffness more terrible than the grave.
he filings aside the curtains.
There, in the full light Of the lamp, her
young form but half covered, bathed in her
own blood-there lay his daughter, Mary!
An, do not look upon the face Of the ia
ther, as he starts silently back, frozen to-
stone, but in the pause of horror listen "a
the mystery ofthis deedt
After her father had gone down stairs, an
hour ago, Mary silently stole from the
chamber on the right. Her soul shaken
by thousand fears, she opened the door
OF the left, and beheld Washington sitting
by table, on which were spread chas
and Bible. Then, though her existonce
was wound up in the act, she asked him, in
tone of calm politeness, to take the cham
Der on the opposite side. Mary entered
> the chamber on the left.
! Can you imagine the agony Of that girls
soul, as lying on the bed intended for the
death-couch of Washington, she silently
. awainted the knife, although that knife nigh,
! be clenched in a fathers hand.
a And now that father, frozen to stone, stood
there, holding the light in one hand, the 9th.
!, er cluching the red knife. 5s s3.
r There lay his child, the blood streaming
. from that wound in her arm--her eyes Gov,
cred with CLASSY phlegm.
}. 'Mary!' shrieked the guilty father--fol
!. robber and Tory ashe was, hewas q. fathe
f Mary! he called to her, but that was al
+ he could say. M
III Suddenly she seemed to wake from tha
is stupor. She sat up in the bed with her glas
r, sy eyes, The strong handof fdeath was up
n on her. As she sat there, erect and ghnstly
the room was thronged with soldiers. He
n lover rushed forward and called her by name
es No answer. Called again spoke to her 1
Q. the familiar tones of olden time--still no a.
n swer. She knew him not.
ID Yes, it was true---the strong hand of deaf
was upon her. VIII
lis Has he escaped 4 she said in that thusk
- voice. s.ss.
ur yes T. shieked the father. Live, Mar,
60 only live, and tomorrow, ] will Join II
he camp at Valley Forge \
he Then that girl, the Hcro woman dyir
IN as she was, not so much from the wound
her arm, ns from the deep agony which b,
It's broken the last cord oflile, spread forth h
he arms as though she beheld form hoatil
Ill there above her he'd, beckoning her awe
en- She spread forth her nrras, as If 70 enclo
N, that Angel form.
ife sMotherp she whispered --while tho
on grouped the soldiers There, with speec
he less agony on his brow, stood the lovefE
there, hiding his face with one hsnA WITH