The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-04-11

T. The desperation of intense fear lent him.
strength to resist, but in vain for hisrown pres
ervation Slowly the struggling twain neared
the horrid brink, till they stood upon its direct
verge, when, desparing of future attempts to
save himself, Adrain Loretti fastened with
vice-like grip, upon the belt of his adversary,
whose last reckless effort precipitated both in
| to the dreaded gulf together!
: But they were not yet to die. A shelf in
teryened, at a short distance, between them
and the uttermost chasm, and here, bruised
but not stunned the struggle was continued.
'Who arc you? Rufian ,-robber-you
need not murder me. 1 will give You all I
| have BIT release me here, was the hoarse
Eexpostulaten of Loretti, as soon as could speak
But the iron knee of the Idiot was upon his
painting chest, and the fall on the occasion had
wrought magic change upon his reason, if
| not in his purpose. That reason had returned,
as .unciUuded as ever! and now while retaining
the advantage he had acquired, he looked into
the face OF his postrate foe, and spoke to him
in tones fearful, but well remembered.
adrian Loretti, behold in me the friend YOU
soughtto murder. This is ], Alonzo AndraviE
Ay, shrink, murderous traitor, for this is your
death-hour, and the tomb is impatient to re-
ceive you. What had done, O. falsest of
friends, that you should hurI me from the
mountain pass, even as now I shall hurl yon ?
What from me but too much kindness, had
you received, what but wealth and fair equality
of mPanionship-exalting you, as I did,
from poverty and friendliness? o viper how
treated you, how trusted you, to find, on
that last journey you meant it indeed to be
our last. What, what act was yours, when,
knowing yourself my heir, no kindred living
to dispute my kindness, you hurled me, as you
thought into the cold abyss of deathP Tin
now, it has seemed dream-both what YOU
did, and what God has done for me A
weight since then has been upon my BRAIN
A spell has bound me to these regions. The
memory of all that went before was lost to me.
and set my reason free. Strive not-slaye,
traitor, child your efforts are in vain. Die Z
Thus fling you to the death you designed
for me p ,,ss
Even as he spoke and while the first words
Of half formed prayer were upon the lips of
the struggling Loretti, Andravi loosened his
victim hold with giant blow, and then cast
him to the white eternity below!
The sharp scream of the falling man ascend
ed to the ears of his destroysrs some seconds
before his body fell upon the icy rocks hun
dred fathoms down. The dull sound reached
Andravi's hearing, and self-avenged, his reason
restored like one awakened from long dreamr
he turned away by winding path, and was
soon at his mountain home again.
Those who are familiar with the phenomena
nounce that the causes and cures of minds
distraught are often wonderful and unaccount-
able: nor, to such judges, will this sudden i'm
becility. and its sudden disappearance, 40
narrated. seen improbable in ,nature--eonver-
SAINT they are with far more remarkable cases,
to be found in the melancholy histories of the
insane. An avenging Providence might have
implanted mystic instinct in the mind of the
idiot. to bind him to those eheerless regions
till the honr Of retribution; or the simple grati-
tude of his reason might have detained him
among his rreservers, to become the restora-
ton and revenge.
Whatever the causes, Andravi soon amazed
his Alpine neighbors with his true history; and
their verdict upon the justice of his tragic deed
was mingled with but, ose regret-the regret
of parting with him.
The parting took place, though not
forever; for having regaiRed possession Of the
ample estates to which he made the fsse friend
the Leir, Andravi often visited the mountain
scenes of his madness, his exploits, and his re-
venge, and he did much for the lasting COM
forts of the friends of that period of his life
And to this day are remembered in admiring-
tradition, the brave deeds and benefactiens Of
the Idiot of the Alps. qsr "a