The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-11-09
RAyENNA, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9, 1858.

is, in low voice. He seems derious, and there
is something about you that agi'ales him. 1 want
him to be very quiet
.Mordaunt, Mordauntn groaned the man, who
told you his name =
Then pausing, he added, in a whisper
Fool he died upon the scaffold!'
Mordaunt grasped the Doctors arm with spas
modic force The blood rushed iu torrents to his
brain, 10 make room for the wild hope that leaped
into his heart.
Be quiet said the Doctor, laying HE hand on
Mordaunt S shoulder, and fixing upon him his COM
manding eyes. Be quiet. He may die scitaout
confrssing.'
The last words were audible only TO the ear Of
Mordaunt; but. low they were. they rung,
through him like trumpet's blast. He remained
silent, while every fibre of bis frame quvered with
suppressed emotion.
Doctor Lewis bent over the wounded man, and
addressed him calmly and deliberately.
You have but few hours to live, at The utmost.
i ou are going into the presence of God, naked,
guilty, trembling soul. Your only hope of mercy
is in making full confession of the crimes you
have committed. You cannot conceal them.
know them. God knows them. The assembled
universe will know them
The dying man uttered the most horrible groans;
while, as if under the influence of fascination, he
kept his lurid, sunken eyes fixed upon the pale and
agitated face of Mordaunt.
L can't de- he murmured : l hav'n't time to
repent. He had. Every body that dies upon the
scaffold goes to Heaven-don't they? A few
hours-how many! Tell me, or, by the Almighty
God, I'll curse you with my last breath y
You cannot live more than three-perhaps not
one,' replied the Doctor, with imperturbabIe COM
posure. Waste not your breath in idle curses.
There was pardon for the dying thief-there may
be for you. You cannot bring back the dead you
may justify their memory. For your crimes this
young mans father perished on the scaffold. Con-
fess it-for, sure as you die without clearing the
innocent, your departing spirit will weave itself d
winding-sheet Of fiames.'
j will confess he gaspod but, God of mercy!
it is too lale-too late.'
The Doctor moistened the parched lips of the
patient; then, having forced him to swallow re-
viving MIXTURE he drew from his pocket paper and
pencil, and seated himself with the gravity of a
ny tuo Sluo Ol Inc D0Q II was EOl
without many Interruptions, incoherent ejacua-
tions, groans of despair, and cries for mercy, that
the wretched being, who called himself Leftridge
related what we will endeavor to condanse il
fewer words.
More than sixteen years previous, Leftridge and
Mordaunt (the father of the young physician) met
as travellers, in crowded inn. There was anoth
ar str fhera xpho IF
quantity of gold in his possession. He looked
upon the red wine cup, and prudence evaporateG
with its fumes. Leftridge and Mordaunt shared
the same room, the same bed. The stranger, witt
his boasted gold occupied the next apartment.
| Leftridge could not sleep-a demon was at worl
in bis heart Kissing temptation. He stole from
the side of his sleeping companion, whose
placid face the moonbeams were shining, (strange
that man can mediate deeds Of guilt, in such
holy lightly Mordaunt's dagger, his travelling
weapon of defence, lay cleaning on the table, con
spieuous for its gilded sheath. Leftridge drew
forth the blade, ard touched the edge with his colo
| fingers. The steel seemed to burn into his flesh
chill as ii was. A l:uen handkerchief lay by it
| side, bearing initials not his o,on. He seized i
also. and stole with steslthy steps into the adon
| ing room. So was the blow that but one
groan broke on the silence of the night, and tha
groan echoed not beyond the walls of the death
chamber.
| The murderer filled his pockets with gold, anc
| fled. Mordaunt was arrested as the criminal
His own knife, found in the gaping wound his OWL
handkerchief, buthed in blood, some of the gold
discovered in his pocket were crcumstantial evi
deuces which no couotsr testimony outweighed
| The absence of Leftridge, who was supposed tt
have left at early dawn, travellers often did, ex
cited but little remark. Mordaunt was stranger
So great was the public indignation, it came nea
setting at defiance the majesty of the law, ane
condemning him without judge or jury. The
sequel of his fate is known to the reader from ou
previous narrative.
| Leftridge wandered from place to place, ta
from the scene of the two-fold tragedy, spending
his ii-gotten gold, and trying 10 drown in intem
perance the unquenchable fires of remorse. Pro
vidence had brought him, at his last hour, face tt
face with the ron of his victim, thus proving it
own retribut.ve justice.
Mordaunt listened TO this vindication Of his faith
er's memory in breathess emotion. but no vindic
tive feelings swelled his bosom. That miserable
being, stretched on the very edge Of the burning
crater of doom, looking into the smoking abyss be
low, feeling the crumblng earth sinking, givni
way beneatb-could he look upon him with an.
emotions save of the deepest compassion! Hi
father had died, sustained by faith and animate
by Christian hope. His memory, though stampe
with public gnominy, was embalmed by the teal
I lior .r,~f,, H.
canouized him. But Lefiridge-aas for the poo
wretch What was left for him but fesrfu
looking forward to future judgment, and a nam
STEPPED in infamy?
Exhausted by the efforts he had made, he la
painting, gasping a cold and clammy moistur
oozing from his cadaverous skin. And 80 he dice
Doctor Lewis took immediate measures to pub
lish to the world the circumstances which remove
! the shadow that envy and malice had rolled owe
, Mordaunt's name. They became the topic of til