Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-03-23

thing drraulu! slncc they n"'. i...@,.-.. $50
sPrurk. His slumberins conscience WAS aw;l'
kened, and its pangs were awful
lii Il vuice sumbre and sinister, and full Of
impressive meaning, tho stranger aldrcsscd
his victim thus
Count Ludwig Paullcr," sail The stranger,
bending uvcr and fixing upon the awful face
of the man who hung suspended over the pro.
found abyss below, with n hope of being
save.l, his cold and mcrcilrss glance. 81 lave
vet little matter to relate to you and while
you can held un there, you can listen ur not,
Is you choose. proccc. The history which
[ trSt related tn you was one i'll which you
played the principal part. lon were lhr
ilater, the gambler, the aSsaSsn-'he slayer oI
the son, unI the DESTROYER Of the mother. Lo"k
ut me All! you know me nDE!-well, know
me now, | am the brother who Wis ahae:lt-
the son who returned aud found no mother to
embrace The yiliauy Of your conduct WAS
not yet completed, for there is yet 4 seqne'!
The man paused, nul pressed his h!nl
against his head as though TO still the thrub
bling of his brain. by The gha5tly expression OF
his countcnance it was easy to tell the strength
ghasllincss Of him who still, with the tenacity
OF despair ard mortal terror, yet cluag 10 the
car.
Mercy PITY! For The love ol tho bless.
ell Gud |! take me- in" he cried.
But the stranger gave his appeal no heed,
and, in measured wori;, went OIL
"In the same town lived fair and baauh-
(ul girl, cousin to him who WAS slain-cyrsin
to NE who have three lives to aveage, and for
which have gone through incredible 'lillicul.
ties to obtain. At last the hour comes This
beautiful girl YOU proposed to love-yon Sc
duced her. deserted her, ami killed her lou
had no pity, nU rcmorse, no lear. You bnsst.
cd Of your work-you exultcd in the ruin YOU
worked. Be brave, and eXulS still. Pray ID
God ior pardon, miserable wretch that You
are. If you can yet cling and save yourself,
do so. leave you to whatever fate Is point
ed out for you"
So saying, he rose, grand and mourntul
soIemnity ovcrshadowing his face, and seated
himsaf on the other aide, totally out OF sight
Of tue man on whom he was taking 50 terrible
rrveuge.
llown BIO ii, grey atmosphere, dsFkcnny
and glJo:1y, the blIopn ~ns atiil 'iessendlns,
Looking over, tbc stranger fund Tint he would
prpLuhy descend amnuI the rugged peaks Of
probably tlls must bold and lriSilttul n'oan.
tainom region. Pine forests wasel iar away
below. and ahpve them rose the white peaks,
crested with snow, looking like the he;sls OF
50 many grim and sibbcring ghosts:
All this while that awfitl rgice ffJii' without
the car rose i'll prayers and blasphemies, in
entreaties and reproaches, but all in vain.
The avenger had for many year taught his
heart to become stonc-crushed, one by one,
the slender impulses of human naturc--weaned
himself from loves and dships-doggcd,
day by day, and month by month, the steps OF
Count Ludwig, himself unseen, unknown
racicl his invention to discover one means OF
death more fearful than another; for, to shoot
or stab was to kill him ut once. Accident
had aided him, and lie was now killing him a
thousand times over. 1t is dreadful To COLI
template the suffering the wrctched Lndwig
must have undergone.
Collecting all his energies together, it ap
pearud that the count determined to make oiie
tremendous effort to save bims.lG BY the
frequent Jerking of the car, the avenger guess.
ed what his victim was about. A sum5re and
melancholy smile, but cold as q nuon-beam,
crossed his lips, but no word farther did he
say.
lie, too, Shook from head to foot, from u
sense Of uncomfortable horror, when all at
once Ludwig drew himself up, and the horrl-
Bile face, lined and dug as with chiscl, ex-
pressed how the passions had been working
within his breast. Friyhtul indeed were the
ravayes which few moments OF such tremen-
dous sdespaira as he had experienced had written
deeply on his features.
OIL the agony-ohl the anguish of that
last implorinr look. No words passed the