The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-09-17
Plymouth Marshall County, Indiana, Wednesday, Sept H. 1851

who caame to sacrifice her individual in
terests for his sake, dies a terrible and
lingering death! A step behind me
makes me turn around. 1t is my clerk
curses on him! ground my teeth in
unavailing wrath, could have stabbed
him--shot him--beaten out his brains
hurled him down stairs. But any vio-
lence would have compromised her. In
a few minutes my brain was clear again.
Watson | cried, Mr.--has just
left. He is gone up Fleet street, think;
run after him to leave those papers with
me. Say to him that would like to ex-
anime them more at leisure. Run
quickly. and you'll overtake him.
Watson disappeared. turned the
key of the cutter door, and sprang toward
the closet. AS unlocked it l remem-
bered the look she had given me as shut
it. and wondered, with beating heart,
whether the same expression would greet
my enraptured gaze when opened it,
There she stood with her eyes calmly fix
ed on mine.
You are safe dearest!' murmured.-
She did not rebuke me for calling her so.
and EN- boldened by her silence, took
her from her narrow prison. She moved
forwards, and fell into my arms a CORPSE!
cannot we'll recall what followed. l
only know that tried every means for
her restoration to life; but alas! without
success. Of one thing | was firmly con-
vinced-she had not died from suffoca-
ton. had once seen the body of man
who had been killed by the falling in of
the mouth of pit. ] recollected his pur-
pie and swollen face and his lax, warm
limbs. She was pale, rigid, cold. The
tumult of her own emotions must have
killed her the moment the door was clo-
sed upon her. By some means l kept
my secret from the knowledge of Watson
and every one else. All that night l
was trying to recover her. Then | for.
med the project of shutting her UP in the
closet and locking up her chambers and
going abroad for twenty years. Blu; that
idea was rejected as quickly as formed;
it would hardly be possible that the pres.
ence of dead body in the house should
not be discovered before that time. Next
| thought of setting fire to the place,
burning all my books and papers, making
a funeral pile of them; and thus running
myself to save the secret. But that
thought, too, was dismissed. 1t might
cause loss of life and property to many
innocent people and would be a bungling
after all; as, if the fire was discovered
early, policemen, firemen, mob, all
would break in, and finding her there, all
would be lost-it was more to save her
reputation than life, that / was striving
and plotting.
In the meantime, l was prey to the
most painful anxiety. | was sure that
by this time she must have been missed
and sought for. Perhaps she had been
seen to enter my chambers. Every step
shat heard l feared might be that of
policemen. In the morning. a stranger
called on business. This, of course, was
nothing extraordinary; but, when he had
gone, ! felt that he was a detective off,
Ger, and had come as a spy. thrust
few clothes into carpet sack intending
the escape to France. l caught up a
bunch Of matches, to set the place on
fire-I grasped a razor, and looked ca
gerly OF its keen edge. as the surest and
swiftest way Of en- ling my misery. But
then, all of those would leave her to the
jests of the world, and my own sufferings
were nothing in comparison. At this
distance Of time, can look back impair
TALLY and coolly upon that dreadful day;
and can solemnly declare, that would
rather have been hanged for numbering
her, than to have allowed a breath TO
sully her fair fame.
had Just laid down the razor, when
hurried step crossed the ante room. 1t
was her husbands.
Now, thought, all is lost. She was
seen to enter here, and he has come to
claim her.
my dear - he began, in a nervous
unsettled way, you remember the busi-
ness that came about yesterday?
Perfectly
'And do you remember the words l
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 wife?'
Yes, ! remember them distinctly
MY wife has disappeared since yester-
day morning, he continued, turning still
paler than before, and if anything seri-
Gus should have happened, You know,
and you should repeat those expressions.
they might be laid hold of, and don't
know what might be the consequence.
| might be suspected of having murdered
her.
Poor fellow if | had not known the
truth. l should have suspected it myself,
from his excessive terror and anxiety.
He wiped the perspiration from his face,
and sank into chair. The sight Of
person more frightened than myself reas-