Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-01-04
I "Now step as light as you can up these
stairs -
She had stopped and laid her hand upon
biS arm

He followed her till he reached the third
flight. When he found himself at the foot
of this, she was at the top. She had hur-
red on before him to unlock the door. She
fcarci he might have suspicion if he found
tha, she had locked the apartment.
He reached the door.
"Come in," whispered she.
And in he went. She conducted him to
seat in the farther part of the room speak
ing in a low voice, as to sick person.
Louisa, are you awake {!
But no answer from the CORY bed!
He sat with his back to the door, as she
had purposcly arranged it. She drew a
match across the wall, and lit the stump of
4 candle. Before it had burned sufficiently
TO light up the oI,scurity Of the room, he
heard the door suddenly shut, and the key
withdrawn
The woman had left him there alone with
the murdered corpse.
He rose from his seat. and sprang to the
door. but it was locked securel y. There
WAS no retreat. His curiosity was suddenly
cited to know what all this mig Int mean.
Taking the candle, therefore, i'll his hand, he
approached the bed.
Ills heart grew Sick-his brain swan
his senses nearly left him, as hia eyes took
i'll tha, fearful sight! There lay the mur.
drrcd womau N the glare Of the light, and
her throat gashcd terribly with the cruel
wcapon--hcr mouth ope',-her g lazcd eyes
set, aud all the evidences of her last fearful
struggle for life still about her!
He stood perfectly motionless. lie did
not seem TO know where he was or what 1t
was that he SAW. His senses seemed be-
numhed. He MAS in a waking sIccp--rlv.
cited he knew not how, 10 that fatal spot.
As soon as ho could sufficiently Y recover
himself, he lifted the hand Of the corpse
i, was cold. 4 lock of hair WAS still tightly
clcuchcd between the fingers, the last testi,
mony of the Ira tul struggle for life.
He turned again, and went to the door.
II tried it once more--puling, pushing,
slraning, pryng, wrenching--but all to no
purpose; he was secure. There was no
escape through the door, unless he rlsked
noise enough 10 call attentic ''' the
crime would dc inStautlS VI
laid at his feet.
lie set down his ligiIi, ~
tptoe across the room to
three stories to the ground
surely. there. lie WAS fast
the drccitlu woman who had drawn him
through sympathy to the spot. lie could
not escape except by force, aud violence
would at once lead to the discovery he most
dreaded.
The whole design now flashed upon hi,
mind. lie was dupe, and at how leartu
cost
He sat down in a chair, brooding ove'
his heavy calamity. The perspiration stooe
in beaded drops upon his forehead, and tht
palms of his hands were profusely wet. liz
could not keep his eyes away from th'
corpse, lying there so rigid, and ghastIy, ane
cold. 1t troze his blood with terror.
To the day he had never expected such
determinations When he rose in the morn,
ine, he little thought of seeing his hands tIec
AS s murderer; but here the fact was--here
it stared him full in the face; no corner il
which he might hide--no crevice through
which he could escape.
He waited there till ten o'clock. The.
were long and weary hours. He sat rs 81
Ient as il he had been keeping watch in
sepulchre, the dead right before him. Th'
most terrible thoughts narrowed his mind
The Interest reflections tore his heart. Tin
nloomiest fancics aud fears, wrilhing them
selves promiscuous y Together, tortured hi
brain
He hardly knew his own identity, so alb
sorbcd became he in planning the means q
esrape. There were but two ways--by th
wind aud hy the door. The former wa
WAS out of the question; the latter-it wa
that of which he was so 6 I"omily studying
But footsteps were to he heard on tn
stairs-htavy feet Others had come u
/, and zone dawn since the wretched man ha
! 81, there, bat he had ceased to feel alarmed
This step, however, startled him; it sounde
) like this doom coming on.
Straight aud steady it mounted the stair
moved across the landng-nearer-near'
= nearer.
1t was close at the door!
| 4 hand was laid heavily on the latch.
Let me in, say," demanded Cru
voice.
The miserable victims heart beat audibl
s and lis face grew paler than ghost
He remembered, for the first time, that Il
Il candle was still burning! The person
the door would know that some one WI
5 within.
: Again a rattle Of the latch, and this tin
Il i violent shaking of the door.
t. 6. Let me in, say" thundered the voc
No answer nothing but silence.
u 4 heavy kick ut the door, that lesodnd'
o all through the room.
r "if you don't let me in, I'll break t
door down.
). The man within was terrified exceedingl
and as fear began to get control, he thoug
i" only OF policy and escape. He would sprl'
s behind the door, and when the stranger
IL frcled his entrance, he would himself ru
out, aud so escape down stairs.
,I Another kick upon the door, more vloe
If than before.
1t The victim sprang across the floor
lie trembIimgly stationed himself where
,r should be ready when the oPportune nome
=, came.
Ie He could feel the insecure barrier yi'
before the steady push OF that stout should
He could hear it crack-crack. 1t ga
o. way. The bolt slipped from the lock, b'
nearly double. Slowly-slowly, aud n
faster, faster, faster-it came with era:
He thought of the light-why had he