Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-03-03

" Not vet, said Herman, calmly. The
crisis, however, is certainly approaching.
| But al it shall have come and left us
corses, we must not despair. We must
| think-we must collect all our energies
and all our faculties, and think-Yes, we
must keep cool and think.
He was himself far from calm. His
! fine, manly features were as pale as a
shroud his dark hair hung loppingly
around his brow; beads of cold sweat
were visible at every pore; his nerves
shook painfully. He dropped for a few
moments on the side of the bed facing
the door, and covered his eyes with his
hands. My agitation passed away look
ing upon his In a few moments he re-
moved his hand and raised his head; and
! then, to my amazement, all traces of his
agitation had passed away. His features
were calm and stern as iron, and the
beads of cold sweat had all vanished
& Let us prepare for the crisis" said he,
rising and seating himself on his chair.
Get ready your pistols and your knife. -
| made no reply, but proceeded to fol-
low his suggestion. In a few moments,
as far as defending ourselves with our
arms was concerned we were ready.
We must make up our minds to pass
the night without sleep" said my compan-
ion, or else run the chance of sleeping
forever"
Il am prepared" SAID I, resignedly.
q And l. replied Herman. Now
listen. If it be my fate, in the conflict
that is coming, to fall, and yours to es-
cape, l have a favor TO ask Of YOU"
" Name it,"
O. In the town Of Picardy, France, I
have an estate, valued at two hundred
thousand francs. BY using my name any
citizen of that town will point 1t out TO
you"
Well"
At Berse, by careful inquiry, you
will find a poor, lone widow by the name
Of Rudder-she IS my mother DO not
start, for [ guess your thought and par
don it. You viii seek out this poor wild
oW, tell her Of my end, convey her with
what dispatch vou can to Picardy, and al
ter paying yourself freely for your own
time and trouble, put her in possession Of
my property. Do you understand me 2"
= Yes"
VIII YOU DO tbs q
Yes"
"Thank you-thank you"
He took my hand andgrasped it warm
", turned away his head and wept
q And YOU" he said, at length, have
you nothing TO say, nothing that | can Go
/ for YOU, if YOU should fall and | live 2"
" Nothing" SAID l.
g Nothing = he exclaimed, looking at
me in surprise.
:. Nothing" l replied, i am mere
/ clerk, travelling from town 10 town, to cx-
tend the country correspondence Of my
employer. | nave 10 kindred living, no
/ friends that care for me. [ owe no man,
and all the trouble my death would ere
/ ate would be the burial Of my body, and
! the necessity, on the part OF my employ
i er, Of appointing another in my stead
4 If YOU VIII write to hIm the fact of my
death, It's all that VIII be necessary"
. His address 2
" NJ LecOis, Paris"
Enough Enough! It shall be done
Now farewell"
We fell on each others breasts, shooj,
each other warmly by The hand, and sep
arated. As we parted, Herman pointed
sileuJiyto the bed. twas slowly sinking
10 The iloor. We looked at each other
The work Of blood has begun" said
I Herman, in a fearful whisper. = Death
Is here, as well as on yon couch. Deliy-
I eranca is not here, and it may be where
/ the couch viii lead Us. Dare you tryit =
:. dare =
" Enough. Follow me-"
We threw ourselves carefully upon the
bed Id the attitude Of men ia profound
slumbcr, with our armed hands concealed
between us and the coverlid. The couch
continued to descend very gently, noise
lessiy and sIowly-down! down down
It seemed TO me an age. / would have
given worlds, Were It in my power, to
have our descent and our fate hastened.
But it was not to be. We were to suffer
the agony Of an uncertain and protracted
doom. We continued to descend, slowly
as before, and as noiseIessIv-wlthn Moth
ING to meet US on the way-no hight, no
lie eXecuuuaer, to break the monotony Of our
) agony. | at length resigned myself ST.
lently to the terrible torture, and threw
out my hand II struck against the wall
By the feeling in my knuckIes | was sud
denly rejoiced to find that we had begun
to descend faster than before.
Thank God - l exclaimed, 1--WE are
nearing our journeys end.
=" Hush :" whispered my companion
. we are nearing a vault. | know 1t by
the pecuLarity Of the air. Be ready fol
a spring.
My mind was made up, my trust put II
| my destiny, and | felt no longer the length
! of time consumed by the descension Of the
bed II a few minutes the air came
, sweeping all around Us.
We are In the vault, spring in God:
i name"
/ IIo ,,,--,J ,,-or mo and T iY0r7aIia+a1y