The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-12-07
BLOCK, LIBERTY STREET.

suspected il, but who, after fow leadin
questions, had in pity forborne to inquir
further, and who did not come to take he
place till some hours after her departure.
Before daylight, Jeanne, with her PR
cious burden sleeping In her arms, and ba'
ket containing the child's clothes and som
little provision for the journey, stole out {
the presbyterc, and through the garden wick
ct into the sleeping village, whose lengt
she had TO traverse before gaining the roa
to Montrogue. The moon had set, On
though some stars still twinkled, the nigh
was dcnsely dark--Trembling, listening
seeking to penetrate the obscurity. she pau,
cd an instant before the church to assur
herself she was unobservcd, ere she fairl
started on her way. At first oil was dea
silence, then she heard, fancied she saw
something that had been crouching by th
white wall of the garden, near the gate
stir and rise slowly. Like deer that sud
denly scents Its pursuers, she turned an,
fed, finding her way through the dark stree
and over tho rough, sharp stones rather b
instinct than by sight, stopping not till tn
npidity of her course had 30 exhausted he
breath that she was forced to pause to 10
gain 1t.
BY this time she was well out into tn,
open country, and the dim line Of the whit
road just sufficiently visible to her eyes nc
customcd to the darkness, to secure hel
against the danger Of losing her way. Their
she began to feel a little re-assurcd, and Il
try to reason away her last panic 1t nigh
have been fancy altogether, the effect OF ar
oyertircd brain; or, as the impression had
been 30 strong that she could quite not over
come 1t by any attempts to refuse the evil
dence of her senses, she persuaded herself
that what she could not deny she had seer
and heard was dog, goat, or some Other
animal that her footsteps had disturbed. Sc
probable, indeed, did this solution appear
that, her reason having nothing to suggest
to contradict Ii, she was fain to reasurc her.
self with such explanation, and, turning her
thoughts US well as her footsteps forward,
she began once more to rehcase the dreaded
scene Of confession with her mother, who was
utterly ignorant Of the events that were 50
suddenly to bo brought before her, and whose
alleged illness had been, Of course, merely a
prctext to make this escape.
BY the time that the june morning was in
in lis waking flush, Jeanne had got 30 far on
her way, without Immediately encountering
any one, that she now began TO feel there
was comparatively little risk of detection.
Still, she snid to herself, she must push on
and not think Of wasting moment Of the so
precious morning hours. But ero she had
gone much further on our way, she began to
feel that she was not in condition to travel
either very fast or very far, and she reflected
that it would be better TO husband her
strength before fatigue oyercamo it, than put
1t forth at once, and perhaps unfit herself
for the completion of her journey.
There was, she knew, not much further on,
q little wood, and she now resolved that
there should end her stage. She could find
shelter, rest and concaalment among the
trees, without going far from the road, and
this reposc, with some food, would she hoped,
quite recruit her to continue her Journey
by two or three easy stages, II she found she
could not mako the rest of it in one. So
she walked on bravcly, keeping q lookout
Tor the little wood.
Suddenly turn Of the road brought her
on party of men, women aud children,
half gypsies, half strollcrs, seated in q green
spot by the highway, round their fire. One
or two of them looked at her as she passed,
but took no further notice, and she contin-
ued her way until, some hundred yards fur
ther on, she perceived, at the foot ofa tree,
q woman whose general appearance seemed
to mark her Us ono of the party she had just
left behind, but whose attitude of grief, her
body crouched together, her head bowed
down on her hands, might sufficiently &c.
count for her thus isolating herself from the
rest.
Hearing o footstep she looked up, and
showed dark face, still young, but marked
with an expression of despair 30 intense, no
hopeless, and at the salnc;timc so sullen, that
Jeanne's quiet sense Of compassion for her
was tinged with touch OF fear, and she in
stinctiyely shrank from the long fixed gaze
with which the woman followed her. After
she had passed, she looked back, and perceiy-
ing she was still the object Of the same un-
comfortable scrutiny, thousand vague anx-
eties assailed her.
She tried to recall the faco, TO remember
where and how che could ever have seen 1t
before but her memory entirely failed to
bring before her any previous association
with 1t, and fancying that tho woman might
have been deceived by some mistaken identity,
sho tried to dismiss the subjcct from her
mind Shortly after, coming within sight
Of the wood where she proposed to rest, tho
sense of approaching relief turned her
thoughts into another channel. Turning
from tho road, she soon found spot that
seemed perfectly suited to her purpose q
couch OF thick moss, hidden from tho high
way, not alone by tho intervening trees, but
by bank, ovcphadowed by great gnarlcd
and hollow oak, and further cooled and
ircshencd by the now Of little brook.
Here she sat down, bathed her hot and
dusty face and hands, and having eaten some
Of the food she had brought with her. and
nurscd her child, sho settled herself for 70
pose. With tho murmur ofthc brook and the
faint, regular respiration Of her infant In
her cars, the soft green light, with here and
there little spot Of blue heaven, or o white
sailing cloud passing before her upturncd
face. In her eyes, the sense of all outward
things became confoundcd, and she fell into
the fret really profound and drcamless sleep
che had known for many weeks.
Then there came, stealing along with cat
like football and suspended breath, parting
the strong branches, stopping for o moment
to look and listen, then creeping on again,
the woman with the terrible face; far more
terrible now from the feline intensity Of greedy
purpose stamped in every limo Of it. A few
moro long, 1.-the, crawling steps brought her
beside the mother and child.
Noisclessly she stopped over them, pausing
and gazing, never for an instant relenting In
her purpose, but studying the best means To
execute 1t. The child lay claspcd in the fold
Of the mothers arm, and now 10 withdraw
it without disturbing her was at once the
woman's desire and difficulty. Plucking a
stem Of fcather-gras, she, with It's frinscd
tip, touched the backofJeinnes hand, ready
70 drop and crouch bohind her, 80 tha,
should tho sleeper be 30 far disturbed as tc
open her eyes, her tormenter might not b,
visible But IA thu latter srt,cs-o1 be,