Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-07-13
WHOLE NUMBER 75S.



which the question was put. lie paused. but
without, however, appearing TO wait for an an.
swer. and looked wistiully al the furnace door
its dimensions marked by four lines Of red
light.
| imagined that in his present mood could
smooth him down, and regain that moral mas
terry over him which the sane, by GOODNESS and
selfpossession, so frequently acquire over the
victims Of mental disease. Cheered BY the
CLEAN Of hope, looked him steadily in the
face and began 10 speak in mild and coaxing
accents.
DO you think we need uoIbe ourselves TO
keep the engine al such speedP
i fear we must, he said, sadly; there would
be danger a mile an hour less.
| paused, completely puzzled. What were
the train Of ideas passing in the madman's s
brain.
You have been illl' continued in the same
fondlng tone.
'No-yes, yes-Oh, very, very ill., Wes-
thorpe spoke with apparent langor and diff
Guilty.
Particularly within the last three daysp 1
resumed.
He started back and exclaimed fiercely, ill
no, notill!-drunkp
Drunk | echoed mechanically; flash Of
light crossed me-Ihe man was suffering under
delirium fremens.
Yes, drunk, he shouted with all his former
wildness. Drunk. yes, I've been drunk since
her death, | shall be TO my own. Drunk or
mad-there's little difference, ! tell you, must
drink-it lays her-it keeps her off from me-!
She haunts me-she persecutes me; and must
have drink, drink
He dared back, struck his forehead with his
clenched fists, and then producing a small
empty phial, he turned away his head. and in a
small smoihered voice said, read the LABEL.
did.
'Prussic Acid-Poison.'
He sprang around as though he had been
shot.
Il didn't give it to her. didn't, she took it Of
her own accord. Before God she did, but she
took it because | said she never would be my
wife. am her murderer-her murderer, tho
| didn't give her the poison. ! murdered the
only woman | ever loved-I did. God help
me. Oh, Mary Slane-but you're revenged.
You have never left me since, you hung over
my bed at night-you walked al my side in
Gods sunlight in the streets--you sat with
your clammy hand in mine in the theatre-you
looked in my face over the glass as | drank
burning spirits-you rode with me on the en-
gine. | have seen you everywhere. All, ah,
see you now, you are following US, through
the night, but you shan't catch us-you sban't,
you shant,'
And the maniac started up, and with howl like
a wild beasts, urged on the levers, and actual
ly screamed with terror tugged and strained at
any portion ofthe ratilng machinery he could
reach, as though to increase its speed.
! shrunk down, (why should | not confess
it?) perfectly covered. At that moment we
flew into tunnel. The glare Of the lantern,
and the half open furnace Pickering on the
vaulted roof, as we traversed the dismal pas
sage, amid what appeared a squall of hot,
damp air, and showed WesIhorpe, his limbs,
twitching, and every feature convulsed with
terror, clinging to and struggling with the en-
gine.
A moment and we we're again beneath the
open night. The paroxysm appeared to have
passed away for the moment, and the maniac
turned to me.
'You saw her face; eh! wasn't it ghastly!
1t was just so she looked out Of her coffin,
just
said couple of words | know not what.
I'll show her something muttered the mad
man after a pause. Il think she'll like TO see
it,
Another pause.
open this he said at length, and received
a carefully tied brown paper from his hand
He turned away when he had given it, as tho
unable to watch the opening. unite it, he
said, with his back 10 me.
| did so. The first envelope was one oi
brown paper; under it was another of somewhat
delicate texture; then came wrapper after wrap
per, until | thought as | undid them with a
trembling hand, that the whole packet would
prove a mere bundle of waste paper. | was de-
ceived, however. | came at length to a care
fulg folded up envelope Of silk paper. tore ii
open, sheltering it from the rush of air, and TO
my utter amazement, found its contents to be
a half dozen blades of grass! An involunta-
ry exclamation escaped me.
'Have-you-done itl' muttered Westhorpe,
gnashing the very words between his teeth.
'Grass!' | exclaimed, 'here's nothing but
grass!'
He bounded round, clutched the very herbage
in his hand, and holding it aof in the air,
shouted
See, Mary Slane, see! Grass from your
grave, Mary! Grass pulled by your murderer,
Mary! o, God! night after night have | pass
ed upon the sod that covered you, and whenev-
erI left it carried the grass against my heart!
Oh, Mary! Mary! mercy-pity! Oh, loved
you! indeed, indeed, Mary did! would have
been good husband, Mary, indeed | would! but
it was not to be-my lost, lost MaryP
He paused; the moon for a moment burst
from behind silvery cloud, and shone glorious
ly down upon us; upon the dusky country side,
the speeding, cleaning, roaring machine and
thedistorted lips ofthe engine driver.
As he paused he appeared to listen. watch
ed him narrowly. The expression of his face
changed, he clasped his hands, raised them;
and the countenance which a moment ago,