The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-07-06

ger that lie would compuinise the sue.
cess of his sanguinary erterprize; the
shrieks OF a victim put on is guard might
alarm the house
Have you ever stood, hour after hour,
with your fishing rod in hand, waiting,
with the ferocious paterce Of an angler.
Tor nlbleg It you have, you have some
ialht idea o! the state IF mind 10 which
Mrs. Martin-with IA other interest at
Stake-passed the time, until an old clock
on the chimney piece told one after mid
night Another source Of anxiety now
presented ;tseit-the ire had nearly burnt
out. Her dizzy EYES could scarcely see
the floor, AS she bnt with fearful atten
ton over the head of the bed-the terri
bic moose hanging. like the sword of Da
mocIes, above the gloomy aperture
WHAT she thought, IL he delay his ap
pearane until the high, has completely
died away? VII it not then be inpos
slbIe for me to ADJUST the scarf-to do the
deed-to Kill this assassin to save nv
self and my chic. Oh, God deliver him
into my hands
A cautious movement below-the drao
gl"g OF hands and knees along the floor
"A heavy suppressed brea,hing-an
nounced that the supreme moment was
near at hand. Her white arms were bar,
ed to the shoulder; her hair fell wildly
around her face, like the manes Of a lion
ess about to leap upon its prey; the dis
tended orbits Of her eyes gIared down
upon the sPo, where The question of life
and death was to he so soon deciied -
lime seemed lmmeasurabIy heightened
out, every second assumed the propor.
mons OF An hour. But at last, nIst AS All
lines and forms began to float before her
sight Though an indistinct medium Of
blended light and darkness, a black mass
InterpnSed between her ewes and tn. floor
Suspense being over. tfe time of action
having arrived, every thing to pass with
magical rapidIty. The robher thrust his
head cautiously forward. Mrs. Martin
bent down. There WAS \ halCchoked
cry the sound OF knife falling OF the
h"or--a coIvu'sive struggle. Pull pull I,
pull. MIS-. Martin heard nolhing-saw
nothing but the scarf passing over the
head "i the bed between her two naked
feet She bad hat thrown herself back
and holding her scarf with both her hands.
pulled with desperate energy for her life.
Tie conti'"t had begun; and one or she
other must perish. The rohher was a
powerful man, ard made furious efforts
To get loose, bat in vain. Not a sound
escaped from his lips-no, sound from
hers. The dreadful tradegy was acted in
silence.
We'll, Mother Guerard,' cried a Young
man, leapng out Of a carriage that stop.
ped before the door Of the duJerge next
morning; what news have YOU for me
las my mother arrived
is 1t your mother = replied the landIa-
DIV, who seemed qnte good. d.humored after
her nights rest. There is a lady up stairs
waiting for some friends; but she does
not speak French easily. and seemed un.
willing to talk. We could scarcely per.
suade her to 60 to bed
SHOW me the room T. cred Arthur.
running into the house.
They soon arrived before the door.
Mother! mO:her = cried he, but receiy.
ed no answer.
The door is only Iatched for we have
no robbers IN tins part OF the country
saiG the Iandlady.
But formidable obstacle opposed their
entrance. They became alarmed, espe.
orally when they heard the shrieks Of the
little girl, and burst open the door.
The first object that presented itself
WAS the fac OF the robber, violently up.
turned from beneath the bed, and with
pr"truding tongue and eyehals; the next
Was the form of Mrs. Martin, in the posi-
ton in which We had left her. She was
still pulling with both hands At the scarf
and glazing wildly towards the head of
the bed. The child had thrown it's arns
around Ter neck and was crying but she
paid no attention. The terror of that
dreadful nigh, hah driven her mad.