The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-01-21


frozen to stone.
why, Captain, what is the matter,
cried the ColoDel, starting up in alarm
DO you see ghost, that you stand ga
zing there at the blank wall ~
The other officers, starting up in alarm
also asked the cause of this singular &C.
meapor, but still, for the space of min.
ute or more, the Refugee Captain stood
there, more like dead man, suddenly
recalled to life, than living being.
The moment passed, be sat down with
a cold sbiver, made o strong effort as il
to command his reason: then gave utter
ance to a forced laugh.
'Ha, ha! See how I've frightened you!'
be said-and then mingled that cold, un-
natural hollow laugh.
And yet. half an hour from that time
he freely confessed the nature of the hor-
rid picture which be had seen drawn on
that blank wainscotted wall, as il by some e
supernatural band.
But now with the wine cup in his hand,
be turned from one comrade to another,
utteriug some forced jet, or looking to-
wards the doorway crowded by officers
and ladies, he gaily invited them to share
in his remarkable argument. Which
were the most beautiful women in the
world
AS he spoke the hour struck
Twelve o'clock was there, and With il
a footstcp, aud then a hold-Indian came
urging through the tbrong of ladies
thronging yonder doorway.
Silently. his arms folded on his wal
blanket, look of calm stoioism on bis
dusky brown, the Indian advanced along
the room, and stood at the head of the
table. There was no lady with him!
Where is the fair girl! She who is to
be the bride to- morrow! Perhaps th,
Indian has left her in the next room, OF
in one of the other halls of the old man.
sion, or perbap>--hut the thought ia a
foolish one--sbe has refused to obey the
lovers request refused to cone to hiu
There was something awful in bel
deep -ilrnce bat reigned through the room
as the solitary Indian stood there at the
head Of the table, gazing silently in the
lovers face.
where l. she = at last gasped the
Refu- ee. She has not refused to Gomez
Tell ne, has any accident tefallen her By
the way | know the forest is dark, and
the wild path most diffeult-tel me-
Where is the lady for whom | sent you
into the rebel linesr
For moment, as the strange horror
of that lovers face was before hiw, tb,
Indian was silent Then as his answer
seemed tren bling on biz lips, the ladie-
in youder doorway, the officers from thf
ballroom, and the party round the table
formed a groupe around the two centrs
! 6gure>-the Indian, standing at the heat
Of the table, bis arms folded in his war
bIsnket-tbe young officer half risins
from his seat, bis lips parted, his fac,
ashy: his cenched hand resting on tb'
dark Mabosopy of the table.
The ln!ian answered first by an &C
ton theu by word.
First action: Slowly drawing bis righ
hand from bis war blanket, he held it il
the light. The right hand clutched will
blood-staincd fingers, bleeding scalp
and locg glossy ringlets of beautiful darl
| hair
Then the word: Young warrier sen
the red man for the scalp of the pale
faced squaw! Here it is!
Yes-the rude savage had mistaken
his message! Instead of bringing tn
bride to her lovers arms, be had gone Of
his way, determined to bring the scalp 0
the victim to the grasp of her pale fac
enemy.
Not even a groan disturbed the silenc
of that dreadful moment Look there
The lover rises, pressed that hairs
black, SO glossy and so beautiful--to hi
heart, and then-as though heas
weight falling on bis heart had crushe'
| him-fell with one dead sound on tn
hard floor.
He lay thcrc-stiff, and pale, and coll
his clenched right hand cutching tn
bloody scalp and the long dark hair fall
ing 10 glossy tresses owe the foor Thi
was his bridal eve
Now tell ne my friends, you who hav
heard some silly and ignorant pretudel
pitlfu!ly complain of the destitution q
Legand, Poetry. Romance. which char
acterizes our National History--tell me
did you ever read tradition of England
or France, or Italy, or Spain, or an
land under the Heavens, that ght i
point of awful tragedy, compare with th
simple History of David Jones aud Jan
M'Crea ! For it is but scene from thi
narrative, with which you have all bee
familiar from childhood that have give
you.
When the bridegroom. flung there o
the floor, with the bloody scalp and lon
dark tresses in his hands, arose again t
terrible consciousness of life Those word
trembled from bis lips in faint an
husky whisper.
DO you remember how, half an hou
ago stood thereby the table-siler
and pale and horror stricken-while yo
all started up around me. asking me wba
borrid sight | saw, Then, oh then,
L L. bos ~ = 4