Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-28
CLEVELAND. FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1859

The weight of his heavy frame dangling In
the air by one hand only, his violent efforts the
pressure of the tight-drawn-knot, occasioned the
villain intense torture the joints of his arm
cracked and began to part; the blood oozed out
under the rope from the lacerated skin, and
trickied into the sleeve of his cloak; while that
OF the rest of his frame rushed from the extrem-
tiles to his head. Every moment it seemed as
if the hand would be torn off. He even wished
that it might, His anxiety lest the people of
the house should return; his dread of being ia
ken in this predicament impatience, rage; the
thought of his misdeeds, of his punishment; all
his guilty life; all this possessed his tumultuous
imagination, and brought his dark soul to dis
pair. Cold sweat broke from his forehead. In
spite of his tiger-like endurance, cry of agony
burst at last from his iron bosom.
Dnna, petrifed, and thinking Of death, had
hitherto looked on in idiotic Indifference. For
long time she did not understand what he was
doing, and made no attempt to understand it
True, she was still standing upright like living
thing, but living she was not. The involuntary
cry Of the murderer walked her, however, from
her trance. She saw him bleeding, as if it were
half dream: she saw the blood on the floor,
hideous gaping mouth, with great mis-shaPed
teeth, red fiery eyes starting from the socket;
she read his anguish in his ghastly distortured
features, and guessed at last what had happen
ed. Hope animated her; she began to think of
deliverance.
fAvdotyal push the table nearer" said the
robber, in altered, but still harsh and command
ing accents, that terrified her again, and COM
PEELED her to blind obedience. Once more she
lost her presence of mini, and pushed the cor
ner of the table towards him. The villain reached
it with the toes of one foot he raised himself
up a few lines. 1t was for him moment of
heavenly enjoyment. Never in his whole life
had he known one like it-not even after the
most successful murder. His agony was less
intolerabIe; be drew breath again; but his left
hand, which he tried to use to free his right,
was benumbed and poyerless. The knot, too,
had grown too tight; the reprobate felt that he
could do no more without aid
"Avdotya YeremeyeTnai-kind fnend!-good
girl do me the favor jump upon the table
unite my am-pray do will not kill you
l only meant to frighten you. Oh how my
head swims %
The .miscreant's torture touched the kind
hearted girls soul. The feeling of compassion
not unfrequently extinguishes in woman the
thought of their own danger. What woman
thinks with her heart has been said thousands
of times since the invention of printing. In
Dumas bosom compassion prevailed over fear,
and stihed the voice of selfpreservation. She
sprang upon the table, and labOred long and hard
at the knot. She could not undo it.
"Do me the favor, sweet, sweet Duna Fetch
a knife-cut the cursed rope-I am dying with
painP'
The girl jumped off the table and ran to the
pantry. Poor creature she little knew the re-
turn the red-nosed guest was prepared to make
for her kindness of heart. She found knife
she hurried back she was on the threshold of
fha of forf1ra rubap he tab1 nh
the robber rested his foot, turned over with a
loud noise. He had upset it IN endeavoring to
change his feet. Once more be was swinging
with all his weight in the air. A piercing yell
told the sudden renewal of his former tortures
Duna stopped short at the door His hideous-
ly distorted face struck her with involuntary
horror; she thought it was Satan's own features
she beheld The sight riveted her 70 the spot
where she stood she shuddered, and dared not
move step forward.
She looked round and saw a window open.
The thought flashed upon her that she might
avail herself of the circumstance. But be suf-
fers so dreadfully! How frightully he scresmsl
The rope must be cut. Duna advanced few
stse ssttsI4eu Bbdhgat Bbdgatt, ana ahnarEa RaRRR JdgR
what she did, she raised herself to the win
dow-ledge, and dropped from it into the court
yard.
When she was in the courtyard, she knew
not what she had done, or what she had to do.
She had escaped the sight of that ferocious Sa-
tanic mouth, but not the influence of her tor
mentor. He had fascinated her. He was still
lord of her life. Her knees trembled; she dared
not withdraw from the window.
"Ha you young jade :" howled the miscre-
ant savagely "yoU have done cleverly. I'd
have slit your throat like a chicken's.t
These words uttered in unspeakable agony
and despair, suddenly rallied the girls energies.
She ran to the gate. The monsters horid jest
had proved his horrid punishment. Could he
have supposed that he tied the knot for himself
| Could he have supposed that that awful mo-
men., in which her foot hung over the grave,
should be the moment of deliverance to the in
nocent, and of exemplary punishment to the
guilty! Here was the finger of Providence
| 1t is everywhere 1t is falsehood to maintain
that vice and crime alone prosper in this world.
She ran, and ran, till her strength was nigh
exhausted; no one was in sight. IShe further,
her breath failed; her limbs tottered; she dared
not look round, lest she should again see that
fearful mouth, lest she should again fall into the
hands of her prosecutor. Nowhere living
soul
She struggled up rising ground,
All there is our butler; and there is Vaska;
and Procher. All he too is with them"
He, the wit. the Incompatible Ivan, the gov
ernor's valet They were all returning home
together from the brandy shop, careless and
happy, singing love songs, cracking jokes upon
their masters, with their caps set jauntily on
one side, and tacking along the road in easy ziz-
zags Duna ran towards them, pale, with
staring eyes and flying hair; herneckuncovered
her wits bewildered. "Come along. quickp;
she screamed. "He is hanging! hangingl hang
ing!-the villain is hanging! fasteri fasteT!"
"Hey, darling little dove of the woods; they
all cried to her,with laugh; ''who is hangingl
Where is he hangiugl Give US a kiss, Dun
ushka. 'Iis merry world"
"He is hanging, tell you! Don't laugh
Run to the house. Take forks, hatehets, guns
"a thief-a murderer, with great moustaches
and red nese! He said he would slit my throat
like chicken's-that he'd hang me!''
They hastened their steps, armed themselves
as well as they could, broke the house door
open and went into the parlor. They robbeT
had tainted; blood streamed from his mouth and
nose. They took him down and bound him
After the return Of the master and mistress o.
the house, he was conveyed the same evening
TO prison and delivered info the hands ofius