Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-11-11

| seize him. He determined to 90 to Australia
and secured berth in a clipper ship bound for
| Melbourne. but some accident prevented his
reaching the pier in season the vessel sailed
without him, and was never heard of afterwards.
/ Then he proposed to buy an estate inCanada
but the owner failed to make his appearance
at the time appointed for the negotiation, and
/ the bargain was not completed At last he
! took passage for New York, whittier lie
brew acquaintance of his had gone, year or
two before, and was established broker Up
on arriving in that city, Stolen purchased Of
an agent tract of land in Western State,
situate on the shore of Lake Michigan ; and
after reServing a sum of money for immediate
purposes, he deposited bis money with his
friend, the broker aud started westward. He
travelled the usual route BY rail, then 4 short
distance in mail-coach, which carried him
Within six miles of his farm Leaving his lug
! gage to be sent for, he started TO walk the re-
manning distance. 1t was Sultry dav, and
/ the prairie road was anything but pleasant to
q pedestrian unaccuStomed 10 heat and dust
( After walking less than an hour, he determin-
ed to stop at small house hear the road, for
rest, and some water TO quench his thirst but
aS he approached, the Gayiug hounds, no less
/ than the squad children about the door, re-
PEELED him, and he went on 20 the next house
! He now turned down green lane, between
rows of thrifty trees, TO a neat log-cabiu, whose
ncely-plaStered walls and the regular fence en-
closing it testified to the thrift and good taste
of the owner. Tie knocked all was still -
/ Again, and as thirsty as he was, he was on the
point Of leaving when he heard step within.
He waited the door opened, and before him
/ stood-katrine
She did not know him but he had not for
gotten that voluptuous figure nor those melting
/ blue eyes He preferred his requests, looking
through the doorway at the same time TO make
sure that she had no protector. katrine
brought the stranger gourd of water, and Of
fered him a chair. She did not see the bale
ful eyes he threw after her as she went about
her household duties. Stolen had dropped
front he armament like q fallen star Secure
in her unsuspectiug innocence, she chirped to
her baby and resumed her sewing
That evening, when Carl Proch returned
from his field, after his usual hard days labor,
, be found his wife on the floor, sobbing, and
the child, unnoticed, lying in the cradle. His
dog sat by the hearth with look of almost
intelligent sympathy, and whined as his master
entered the room. He raised katrine and
held her in his arms like child, covered her
face with kisses and implored her to speak
She seemed to be in q fearful dream. and
Shrunk from some imagined danger IN the eX-
tremeSt terror Gradually her Sobs became less
frequent her treBorS ceased. aud she smiled
upon the manly face that met hers As though
she had ouIy suffered from an imaginary fright.
But when she felt her hair floating upon her
shoulders, saw the almost speaking face of the
dog, Bruno, and became conscious Of the cries
of the neglected child, the wave of agony swept
over her again, and she could utter ouly broken
calculations. As word after word came from
her lips, the unhappy husbands flesh tinged :;
his hair stifened with horror every nerve
seemed 10 be strung with new and madden
ed tension There was for him no such thing
as fatigue, no distance, no danger-no law, no
hereafter, no God. All thought aud feeling
I were drowned in one wild desire for vengeance
vengeance swift, terrible, and final
He first car ressed the dog as though he had
bceu brother he put his arms about the
shaggy neck. and shook each faithful paw he
made his wife caresS him also God be praS-
cd, dear katriue, for your protector, the dog -
said be. Come, HOW, Bruno -
katrjne saw him depart with hi, dog and
gua but if she guessed his erraud, she did
rot dare remonstyate He walked of rapidly
the dog il advance, now and then bayiug as
though he were on trail
In the night be returned, and smiled grimly
Us he set down The rifle in the accustomed cor
Eer His wife was waiting for him with in
tense anxiety. II was marvellous 10 her that
he was 50 cheerful HI trotted her upon his
knee pressed her hundred times 20 hi> bosom.
kissed her forehead, lips, and cheeks, called
her his pretty Kate, his dear wife, and every
endearing name he knew. So they sat, Ike
lovers in their teens, till the purple cast told
of a new dav.
Tie luggage Of one Stolen, a stage-coach
passenger, remained al the tavern uncaIled for.
Tor nearly year No one knew tie man, and
his disappearance, though profound mystery,
was not an uncommon thing in a new country
The Hebrew broker in New York received no
answers To bis letters, though he had preserved
the po>t-ofice address which Stolen had given
him. lie began to fear lest he shoGli be
obliged TO fulfil the duty of Eeirship TO the pro-
perty deposited with him. To quiet his natu-
raj apprehensOns in view Of this event, be de-
termined TO follow Stolzens track, rs much Of
it Is lay in this world, at least, and end out
what had become Of him CnOn arriving Ia
the BeighborhoOd, the Jew had q thoroagL:
search made The country vas secured, and
on the third day there was discovery. A mau
walking on the sandy margin Of a river. about
two or three miles from Carts house, saw a
skull before him. As The steep blHf nearly
ioverhung the Spo, where be stood, he ooHjee-
tured that the body TO which the skull belong
ed was 10 be found above on lis verge He
climbed up, and there saw headieSs skeleton.
1t was the body Of Stolen, as his memoTan
dum-booG AID other articles showed His pis
tol was 10 bis pocket, aud still loaded {; that
fSct precluded the Ides Of suicide Moreover,
npon exsmiHinS more closely. ballet-hole was
fnrni in hss hraaSr-hnl,. arnnn6 which The