Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-10-22

Had Ibrahim retained tho smallest pres
ence Of mind, no harm could have befaller
him. In that land of polygamy, his two wive:
(even though one were European) would
have caused little scandal. His domestic
position was somewhat complicated but by
no means desperate. On departing from the
Consul's house, however, he would seem tc
have become possessed by a strange panic
not to be explained by any rules in logic, and
to have gone mad straightway. His one idea
was that he was hurried on by destiny-to
murder Rebecca!
This miserable wretch, possessed by the
! fixed idea of destroying Rebecca, made de-
liberate preparations for carrying il into eff
feet. Both with strange fanaticism and SUI
perstision which formed main part of his
character, and which forms part of many
such characters in those countries, he deter
mined to give her a chance for life, for, he
seems to have thought in some confused, wild
mad, vain way, that it might still be the will
of Providence that she should live.
He concerted measures with the captain
OF a Greek vessel. whom he induced by
heavy bribes to enter into his views. He
gave out that he was going to Algiers, to put
an end to the ridiculous report which had
been raised, and to destroy the claim which
had been set up by his pretended wife.
He embarked with Rebecca, without any
attendants, on board the Greek vessel, which
was bound to Algiers. Rebecca was taken
at once into the cabin, where her curiosity
was excited by a strange looking black box,
which stood at one end of it. The black box
was high and square, and large enough to
contain person sitting upright. The lid
was thrown back; and she saw that the box
was lined with thick cotton cloth, and con p
tanned small brass pitcher full of water, and
u loaf of bread. While she was exam ming
these things, lbrahim and the captain enter
ed they neither OF them spoke Il word, but
coming up behind her, lbrahim placed his
han over her mouth, and mutfied her head
in her veil, lifted her into the box with the
assistance Of the captain, and shut down the
lid, which they securely fastened. They
then carried the box between them upon the
deck, and lowered it to the side oi the YES
sci. The box had holes bored in the side of
the lid; il was very strong, and so built as to
float like u boat.
The Greek vessel continued her course to-
wards giers. Either the crew had not no.
ticed the strange proceedings OF lbrahim and
the captain, or (wnat is more probable) they
were paid to be silent. 1t is certain they did
not attempt to interfere.
The next morning, as a French steamer,
the Panama, was beating towards Tunls,
something like the hull of a vessel was seen
drifting directly in their course. They pick
ed it up as 1t tioated athwart the steamers S
bow, and were horriied to hear feeble cries
proceeding from the interior. Hastily break
ing it open, they found the unhappy Rebecca
nearly dead with fright and exhaustion. -
When she was sufficiently recovered to speak
she told the captain how she had come into
the strange condition, and he made all speed
OH to Tunis.
The French Consul Immediately despatch
ed swift sailing steamer to Algiers with
Rebecca and her nearest friends on board,
bearing despatch 10 the Governor, contain
ing a hasty account of all these things. The
steamer arrived first. When the Greek ves-
sci entered the port, lbrahim and the captain
were ordered To follow the officer of guard,
and in few moments Ibrahim stood face to
face with his victim. To render the COM
plication more complete. the French wife
hearing that a steamer from Tunis had arri-
we'd with dispatches, went down to the Gov
ernor's house 10 make inquiries after her hus-
band.
A. first Ibrahm nearly tainted; but he soon
recovered his insane fell, and boldly confos-
sed his crime. Addressing himself to Re-
becca, he said:
Il confded thee to The sea, for thought it
might DO the will of Providence to save thee !!
If thou hadst died, it would have been Prov
idence that decreed thy fate, but thou art sa-
we'd, and | am destroyed!
Both the wives wept bitterly. Their nat
ura jealousy of each other was merged into
the desire to save the frantic from the eonse-
quences OF his madness. Rebecca attempt-
ed to deny her former statement, and used
great intercession with her relatives to fore
20 their vengeance. The French woman
made interest with the authorities too, but 1t
was all. happily, in vain. The friends of Re-
becca were impacibe and insisted on Justice.
lbrahim now works in the galIies of lou
lon. The captain is under punishment also.
The magician, it is to be feared, is practicing
his old trade.
This is, perhaps, as strange an instance as
there is on record, of an audacious and be-
slowed transterence of every responsibility
to Providence, as though Providence had
left man to work out nothing for himself.
1t is probable that this selfish monomaniac
made the same pretext to his mind for basely
marrying the widow. whom he intended To
desert. There is no kind of impioty 50 mon
strous as this; and yet there is none encoun-
tered so frequently in one sphere or another,
in many aspects of life.