Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-09-15

my chamber. Every step that / .heared
S feared might be, that of the policemen. Il
j; the morning a stranger called on business
) This ofscourse was nothing xtraordinary y
!, but when be, ,hads gone, 1 felt he was de
teoliye officer, and bad come rs spy.
thrust few clothes into my carpet bag, in
? Tending 10 escape 70 France. caught III
2 box Of matches to set the place on fire
,sEI grasped q razor and hooked eagerly 'oI
j lis keen edge as ;lhe ssarest nnd sSiftes
way Of ending my misery. But then oil
these would leaye her 10 the tests, Of The
I, world, and my own sufferngs were nothing
in comparison. q Al this distance OF time j
can look back impartial y and scofIy 'upor
that dreadful day; and Lean solemnly de.
clare, thai would rather have been hung
for numbering her, tLan allowed breath
E to sully her fair fame.
s ibad Just laid down the razor, when q
hurried step crossed the 3onti-room. II
was her husband 81 IS. ss.5s.sas~
] Now | thought all was lost! She has
been seen TO enter here and he has come
to claim her.
IN dear he began, in nerv-
Gus unsettled way, "you remember the bus
siness that came about yesterdaya" s.
Perfectly"
Sand, do you remember the words |
used, as | was going? mean in answer
to what you said about my not being able
to touch this money till after the death of
my wife2'' - 5-..s az; ..4
"Yes, remember ,hem distinctly"
"My wife has disappeared since yester-
day morning." ne continued, turning even
paler than before; "and if anything should
have happened, you know, and should you
! repeat those expressions, they nigh, be
laid hold Of, and | don't know what might
be the consequences. might be suspected
of having murdered her,
/ Poor fellow! if:I had not known The
truth, Il should have suspected it myself,
from his excessive terror and anxiety.-
He wiped the perspirations from his. face
and sank into chair. The sight of q
person more frightened than myself reas-
sured me. | was calmer than had been
since the preceding night. sEz
"Where did she 60! How was she
dressedP' inquired, anxious to know all
| could on the subject.
81 don't know. She told.m she was
going out shopping and visiting; but DO one
saw her leave The house, and none of the
servants knew exactly how she was dress.
ed. When went home to dinner, the
first thing | heard was she had not re-
turned. :" ssssz4 So #& s.is af*t <
-"Wha have you done? Have you sent to
the police and to the hospitals!" s. '5ei
"Yes, and TO every friend and tradesmap
where she was likely 10 CALL
"You may depend upon it," | replied
very inpressive.y, "that | will not repeat
what1you said yesterday. You are right
in supposing that it might tell against you
very much il she should be found dead, un-
der such suspicious circumstances
He talked q little longer, and then went
TO renew the search for his wife. How |
preserved my self-possession during this in
teryiew, do not knows. so far, from being
really calm could have gpawed the flesh
from my bones in my agony.
That nigh, when the doors were fasten-
ed, and was alone-exce ept from the
company of The dead shut myself up in
the closet for TWO hours, to ascerlnia wheth.
or she had died from want of air, for dis.
trusted my own knowledge of the appear
ance of sufbcated persons. The place
was well supplied with air from several
creyices. My first idea was correct-she
had dice from soma other cause.
When emerged from the closet, the
night was intensely dark; it was raining in
torrents, and the thunder and wind roared
a terrific chorus. passed BY the sullen
booming of the river, then at high tide, and
already swollen by the rain. sat there
in the dark upon the floor, holding the cold
stiff hand of the dead within my own. l
thought dreamingly how Oft it had welcom.
ed me with its soft pressure, while the
sweet eyes had beamed brightly into mine.
and the full pouting lips had wrealhed into
dimples of delight. Now that hand that
used to be so plump, so full of warmth, and
life, was rigid and cold!-those eyes were
glazed and ghas.ly!-those lips were clam.
my and hard! Tears came to my relief.
wept as grown men seldom do, and with
that heart.easing gush came new idea of
escape for her and me. | was ready to
believe at that moment her spirit rested ups
on mine, and inspired the thought-for
it bursted upon me suddenly with the con-
viction that if executed at that instant, it
would be crowned with success, How
could otherwise have had the temerity to
snatch her up in my arms, carry her down
stairs, ut the risk Of being encountered by
some one of the other Inhabitants of the
house, bear her through the court, and by
a way that knew, into the garden!
The river was running strong and deep
against the wall! pressed one kiss upon
her cold forehead, and threw her into the
stream. Gladly, gladly would ! have gone
with her, and held to my heart till death;
but the impulse was still on me, and, with
out further delay | hnstened back. No
one saw me, and the beating rain had ef>
faced my footprints
A few days after | saw by the papers
that her body had been found far down the
river. The medical evidence after post
nsortem examination, was that she died
from the rupture Of the heart, and tha,
daa,b tool n1oce hefora immersion in the