, 1859-05-24
THE .AVENGER.
By Thomas DeQulncey.

LiebenAcm and A2xlmillan was undtfstoou 10
he drawing near. fnt one thing struck every
people were concerned, nobody could doubt
That all was arranged; for nevet was happiness
more perfect than tnAt which aeeuasd 70 :aite
them. MAtgarct xaA tba i.rpeIsona:'on Of May
time and vcuthfal rapture; even Aa1lmlan IN !
*rs presence seemed to forget his gloom, and
tue worm which gnawea at his heart was charm
cd nsleep BY The nusG ot her voice, sno the
came, Margaret's grandfather bad never CEASED |
to frown uTou this connection, and TO support |
tf,e nsr,1nsions Of Edward. The di4like. In |
deed. seemed reciprocal between him and Na1-
inilian. Each avoided the others companI; |
md "a to the cid man, he went 50 iar as to
drspised him 100 heartily to speak Of him at ALL
Whca be could not avoid meeting him. be
treated him with stern courtesy, "hca ais
tressed Margaret often Us she "ltnesaeu H.
She felt thut her grandfather had been the az
cressor: and she telt Atso that be did injustice
q the merits Of her loyer: nu1 sne @ ~
f11ial tenderness for the old man. as the f2sher
uf her sainted mother, End on his own account
continually making more claims on he. pity, as
the decay Of his memory, and childish 1fel-
fulpess growing upon lin from daY to day.
marked bis increasing imhec1ltty.,
Equally my sterious it seemed, tha1 aooo' tnls
time Miss Liebenheitn began to receiTe anony-
nous letters, written in the darkest and mcst
men4cin9 terms. Son1e Of them she showed 70
me, | routd not guess at their DRIFT. Eyldent-
ly they glanced at Aaximalian. and hade her oe,
ware Of connection with him; and dreadful!
things were insnuated about him. Conld tt!esc
letters be written BY Ferdinand: Written they
we're not, but could they be dictated by him!
Much feared that they we're; and the more 80
for one reason.
All al once, and most inexplicably, Mar.
gurct's grandfather showed total change Of
o..ion in his views As to her marriage In
eteud Of favoring Harretstcin's pretensiona. As
Ire lad hitherto done, he now threw the feeble
weight Of lis encouragement into Aa1insllian's
ecafe: though, from the situation Of all the par
| ties, nobody attached any prarticat importance
| 10 thc change in Mr. Leibenheim way Ut think
| ing. Nobody? Is that true: No; one person
til astacl, she greatest weiEht to tue change-
was one perton to take bis part. 50 long AZ tie
| grandfather Of Margaret showed countenance to
himself. had still ielt his situation not utterly
desperate,
Thus we're th;ngs situated, when IN Novem-
| Der, ali the leaves daily blowing Of from the
woods, and learng hare the most secret haon!s .Gs
Of tue thickets. the body Of the jAllsr was LETT
exposed in the forest; but not. as and ny
friend had conectured, hanged. No; be had
died apparently by more h1rrid death-by
that OF crucitixion. The tree. REMARK Aole one.
bore upon part Of its trunk this brief but say
! ARc ! kCf1pIb0n - l. H.s 1A1aCA i" ~ ~7'7
ned Jaly j, lslG."
1 great deal Of ta1k went on throughout the
city upon this discovery; nobody ute ed one
word Of regret on account Ut the wreHheo
jiler; on tic contrary, the voice ot ven.
geance, rising up in nsany cottage, reached ~ ny
ears III eyery direction as walked abroad. Ihe
iutrcd in itself seemed horrid and unchr,a'
tian, and still more 80 after the mans death
but, though horrid and dcndiAh for itself, II
was much more impressive, considered % the
measure md exponent Of tue dasnnable op'
! preston which must hare existed TO pfu
duce it.
recent occurrence, and the presence Of murder.
crs amongst us Was. in consequence, Fer1Fed Z
nur anxious thoughts, it WIS m event Whicf
few alluded to without fear. But matters wer
changed now the jailor had been dead TO-
months, and this interval during which tn
. | murderer's hand had slept, encouraged every
| body to hope TINT the storm hud passed ore
our city; and peace had returned to ou
hearths; and that henceforth weakness nigh
. | sleep in safety, mud innocence withoi
: anxiety. Once mere We had pence With
our walls, md tranquility by our ire
sides. Again the child went to bed IN chez!
futnc>S, und the old man said his prayers i
serenity. Confidence was restored; and reac
, was rc-established once again the sanctity {
lluman life become the rule and the princiPl
! for all human hands amongst US. Great WI
the joy the happiness was universal
4 Q, hcavens: by what thundeEboit were "
7 | awakened from our security: Tn the night
tue twenty-.cvcnth Of December, half an hour,
might be. after twelve o'clock, m alarm wns 81
en- that I'LL was not right IN the house of Mr.. III
, | l,enhcim- Vast was the crowd which soon Gu
lccted in breathlesS agitation. In two minut'
= II nan who had gone round by the back Of Il
= l,nusc was heard uubarring Mr. Licbtnheiu1
door: hc was incapable Of utlertng a wore
but his gestures, as he threw tbs door OPP
ut nnd beckuned 10 thr crowd, were quite enoug
III In tie hall. ut the further extremity, and as
Il :r-"sted in the net Of making for the back doc
lay ahe bodies Of cid Nr. i.ibcuhci,n aud one
lis sisters, an xsed widow; on tile stairs i
another sister, younger and unmarried, but u
IS wards Of sixty. The hail and lower fight
n stairs were floating with blood. Wherc, The
was Miss Libcnheim, the granddaughter? III
was the universal cry: fur she was beloved
beloved rs generally rs she wills admired. Il
n the internal nuFderers been devllish enough
u BRINK into that temple OF innocent and hal'
m, life. Every one asked the question. and ere
-. one held bis breath to listen but for few II
ments no ono dared 10 advance; ior the slic1
Of the house WIS on,inious. At length 50
one cried out that Miss Libenhctm had Il
er day gone upon visit 10 friend, wh
house WAS fUrty miles distant in the forest
- "Ay" replied another, ' she had settled to
bu, heard that something had stopped he
The suspense was now Ut its height, and
for crowd passed from room to room. but found
trac.s uf Miss Licbcuhelm. At length they
cended the stair, aud in the very t1rst roof
=: small closet, ur Eoudoir, luy Margaret With
. dress socd hi,leously with blood, The first
precision was that she alst' had been murder
- but On a ueArer approach she appeared to be
wounded. and WIS nlauisest}y a!ise- L'tc
rot departed for her breath sent haze over ~
ror but it was suspended und she WAS !aboFln
~ some kind oi tit. The frss act fthe crowd VA
Af,n k.,,,. .,f limit he
site eidc Of the street, by which time medca
sistancc Ind crowded ta the spot Their atten
-. ! 10 Miss liebenhciul had naturally derauged
o's condition Of things in the littfeiruon but not
fore many people found time to remark that
of the MurdeFers must have carried her WILL
t bloody hands 10 the sofa on which she lar
!. water had been sprinklcd profusety oreE
face md throat, uud water was even pl
ready TO her hand. when she might happe
10 recover, upon low footstool By the side oi
sofa~
On the following morning, Aaximilian.
Lad been upon hunting party in the sorts
turned to the city, and immediately Learned
news. did not see him for some hours I
but be then appeared to me thoruu
aritated. for the first time / bad <,
bun to b. 10. ln the evening nns
perpIe1ing piece Of inselligence, trans
with regard to Miss Liebenhclna, Thieh n
afflicted every friend Of thst young lady. !
1llas she had been seized with the pains Of {
birth, and delivered Of = SOD, who, how
being born prenBsurely, did not live
70 hours, Scandal. however, wnsnot allowed
to batten upon this imag giuary triumph. for
. in two hours affcr the circulation Of This fir
mor. followed second, authenticated. AMI
chg that Maximilian had appeared With tn
:, fessor Of the Lirbenhcim fam5ly At the resi-
:" Of The chief magistrate aud there produces
-ot. i.factorv proofs Of his marriage With Miss
e@- euheim' which had been duly celeb
S ! though With great secrecy. nearly eight m
before in our CITY, as IN ill the cities {
couutrr, c!andestine marriages, witnessed
bans, by two friends only Of the part,e
81 sides the officiating priest, are exceedingly
# Wall mon. In the mere fact. therefore, tsEcn
atcly. there WAS nolhing to surprise Us, III
IN il, connection with the gcneral post
the parties, it did surprise us all; unr COT
91A"5 conjecture the reason for step apparet
NJ. slsn needless, For, that Maximiitan could
= IN thought it any point Of prudence or neces
r. G secure The hand Of Margaret Libenhe'n
private marriage. against The hnA oFpos1
her grandfather. nobody who knew II
ties, who knew the perfect love whlci
.ich tesscd Miss Liebenheim, the growing int
wh;ch Xaximilian regarded him, couit
moment believe. Altogether, the mat.
PAM ouc Of profound mystery. -
Meantime it rejoiced me ii etpoor Mar
'ostne1t name had been thus rescued from the Fl
the scandal. al.mongcrs These harples hi
nrry torn from them At the vety momen
th.y we're sitting down to the unha1owe
.a4 ~ uuet, For this rejoiced, but else there
1se p@a t}e subject for rejoicing in anything Viii
cetned poor Margaret. Long she lay IN
N ~ .ansibf,ty taking no notice OF anything