Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-04-04


a knife-I know he carried one; but, on the
brow of the hill, John turning, saw that he
was followed, and marched back upon his fol-
| lower Even in the faint starlight he recog-
nizsd Willy by bis wide fore gn cloak, and
said, with strange, grave earnestness IN his
voice:
az have bad news for you, Basset; | would
rather you learnt it from some one who is less
hateful to you than an-why, l cannot tell
i never wronged you in any way"
Never tampered, l suppose, with my in
tended wife Never tried to lure her away
! from me? Never came to her Ike thief in
the night? Never 'pjtied the poor fiddler as
one would pity maimed eur p
"'You are very hot about it, Basset; but
you shall know all to morrow morning"
Il insist, sir, upon knowing all to night;
tomorrow you may be busy dischargng your
bales at the pier-head'
John felt the insult but still, very stub
bornly, very nobly, held down the passion that
was rising in him Willy-for rage had blind
ed him-mistook this silence for timidity and
went on, rapidly, tauntingly, till at length
John answered:
al went up to Mary Lee to night, if you
will have it, to tell her that johnson, the
Bristol banker, has absconded, aud that you
are beggar =
when q hoarse shrek Basset leapt upon
him and struck him in tue face. And taen.the
suppressed rage of years concentrated into
one single blow, John lifted his huge arm and
bea: him down. 1t was a terrible blow; the
passionate artist lay stretched like dead log
upon the ground-senseIess. Suddenly the
moon shoae out large aud full. The light fell
through the thick hedgerow trees, right upon
Basset's face John knelt down, and saw that
it was bloody lie groaued with shame, the
big John that he should have struck one so
fral but at last, Basset's eyes slowly opened
and John still kaelt by bis side, weeping ike
a babe.
What made him leap up, and then stag
ger back, as If knife had struck him TO the
heart This: as be kneit 10y the artist, and
watched him return to consciousness. he ex-
pected to hear a curse from his lips he heard
instead, low, feeble, chuckIinS laugh. 1t
was the laugh Of al idiot. Willy Basset was
insane.
Three mouths afterwards | followed Mary
Lee to her grave; and wheu the clamor and
the noise of the affair had died away, John
Hamlyn took the mad artist to his home, aud
has supported him since.
Willy Basset has lost all recollection Of
that terrible night. He wauders about harm
.e>sIy. quietly the villagers, who will call him
the Mazed Fiddler never modest him; and at
times be will take his violin and play SO sweet
" and so we'll. that the few strangers who
visit Coombetown will hardly beiieFe e when
| tell them lie is mad"
III WHAT FOLLOWED
However 'lebly the old schoolmaster had
told bis tale, there had been something iu /,
which had rigeted the attention Of his liste D.
er. The two men sat for awhile silently, smok-
ing and thinking At last as the evening
closed in. the Schoolmas;er was rising to light
ais lamp, when be heard q tap at bis door
In auother minute John Hamlyn entered
The L0ndOner gazed II him with Interest
There was nothing romantic or picturesque in
his appearance. He was simply a big seacap-
tain, with prema.ureiy gray hair and Mid
eyes for the res: he wore q rough pilots
Jacket, and smelt strongly o. ca7eud.sh iobac-
60. H said, quietly:
j have been down t. the pier, sir; the
Sarah Jane has Just come in; and now l End
that poor Basset has lef: the house | an
going to. look FOR him. Would YOU Ike to come
with .-e, sir ? There's g widish look about
the SKY 10 night. and l should be Ioa,h to
have hin caught in the storm tLa: is rolling
up ~
Il suppose we shall Sud hia ia the church
yard ?" said lie schoolmaster.
Most Ike, mos. Ike, sir | always notice
that Oh nights Ike this be steals asay there.
Poor :eiloS it can't be helped now. But
would rather lose my right hand than use il
as ! did one night. ~
The schoolmaster sighed: and after fe~
words with the L0udodsr al .hree set out to-
getber for the churrhyaSd
John Hamlyn had been right enough when
he said tha. storm was coming The day.
as have hinted, had been one OF intense heat
and now there was not breath Of air stirring
As they walked oa, ;hey felt oppressed by the
close, sultry deadneSs OF the night. Their road
lay uphill, through thick, deep lane, sgch
as every Devonshire tourist knows; and ere
long the utter silence OF the place grew almost .
terrible Not q leaf moved above them; and
when, after half al hours walk, they reached
an open space from which the sec was visible,
they were still more struck with the gloomy /.
look !: wore. \ dull, heavy, leaden look-noS
and then there vas little white fash below
them, when larger ware than usual rolled
slowly in and broke upon the rocks-ba. there
vas 10 life 10 the sea, 50 10 speak.
As they paused at The little churchyard
gate, they heard the sound Of the violin
Willy BaSset, standing by The grave Of Mary
Lee, was playing Sseh requiem as never yet
musician has expressed in notes. requiem
Of such depth Of lamentati7a, sach bitterness
wiihal, that the thFe men almost vept as
theJ listened, and not another sound was heard
save the magical tones with which the Mazed
Fiddler mourned over his dead love They did
NOT iara 10 inter-nn- him. hrt e. Lanvth The