The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-07-18

chamber, but it was past midnight when awokt
/ from what must have been kind of swoon, anG
found myself lying on the floor.
: The wind was still raging bowling through
the trees outside, tearing down branches, and
scattering the dead leaves like fakes of frozen
e snow upon the ground. Every door and win
dow shook throughout the old house, and the
Wild moaning in the chimneys came, startling
like the cries of tortured beings. Confused and
J, glddy l rose up out of my trance, stiff with
cold and scarcely conscious. But as my brain
grew clearer it grew also feverish, and | knew
there was no rest for me tonight. My hearing
began to be distressingly acute, and every pain
tut thought and circumstance of my life to rise
up before me with the force and vividness of
living scenes actually present to my senses. 1
, paced my room for some time in a state of des-
pair, wringing my hands and sobbing violently,
but without tears. By degrees little calmness
came to me, and determined to go down stairs
for book l would get some quiet, calm, re-
: ligious book, which would soothe me like a
spiritual opiate, and take me out of the abyss OF
| misery into which I hand sunk What friend
indeed, had in the world, save the Great Faith
err above US all
As opened the door 1 fancied 1 heard a
stealthy step along the passage. I held my
breath to listen, shading the candle with my
hand / was not deceived; there ecas a step
passing over the creaking boards in the direc-
ton of Master Georges room. l shrank back
into the doorway Yet there was nothingto alarm
me; quiet football at midnight might be ca
silly accounted for; why should it affect me
with distrust and dread? and why should l
| feel this oyerpOwering impulse to go toward
the sound 1 scarcely knew what 1 expected
to find, but something stronger than myself
seemed to impel me to the discovery of some
thing horrible, and placing the candle on the
floor l crept noiselessly along;the passage every
nerve strung to its utmost tension.
| Master George slept in room at the end of
the back-stairs gallery, which ran at right an
giles to the passage in which my room was sit
uated. My door faced Mr.. and Mrs Brands
Master Georges faced the kitchen stairs, and
was properly the servants room, but she had
| been moved 10 a small closet near me Mr. Brand
not approving of her holding SO large a cham
Der to herself, neither willing to allow the boy
anything of better class. When l stood by
my door, could see Mr. and Mrs Brands
room; but it was only by going the whole
length of the back stair gallery that could get
to Master Georges. l could see now, however,
along the staircase wall, and l could hear his
heavy snoring breath And l heard another
sound. | heard mans step in the room;
heard the boards creak and the bed clothes soft
| ly rustic; heard an impatient kind of moan
as of some one DISTURBED in his sleep, and then
heavy blow, stihed groan, mans deep
drawn breath, and the quick sharp drip ofsome-
thing spilled On the floor. Dumb from terror 1
stood in the doorway of the boys ROOM Pale,
heavy mot:onless on the bed lay the youth, his
large limbs carelessly flung abroad in careless
ness of sleep, and his face as calm and quiet as
il still dreaming The sheets were wet with
blood-red-the light Of the caudle glistened
upon a small red stream that flowed over the
bed on the floor beneath. At a little distance
stood Mr.. Brand wiping knife on handker-
Chief. He turned and our eyes met. He came
up to me with an oath, caught me be- the throat
and Drew his knife across my hands. Ircmem-
Der no more until l found myself in the broad
daylight and in the midst of crowd gathered
around nay bed
Curious eyes stared at me; harsh voices mock
ed me rough hands We're laid upon me, and [
heard myself branded with the burning name
of Murderess. Red tracks, made by q woman S
naked teet-made by mig feet-led from the
boy room to mine each track plainly printed
on the bare, unexpected hoor-tracks of a wo-
mans feet and of none other. There was no
explaining away these signs of guilt. Who
would believe me--a half-mad lonely stranger
with such a family history as mine, and, accord
ing to popular belief, at any moment liable to !
make murderous attack upon anyone offend |
ing? Had not this unhappy youth notorious
y offended, aud had | not only that very even |
ing, openly defed and threatened him Escape
was impossible To all the evidence heaped up |
against me with such art and cunning, | had
bat an unsupported assertion which would be
set down as maniacal rawlings and would only
deepen tue case against me.
All day lay there all that weary, sobbing, |
winters day +; and when night came they fas-
tened me with cords and left me once more
alone. | was so well secured--bound hand and |
foot, and trebly bound-that it was not thought
needfu TO watch me and they were all too
much excited and overweight to wish to re-
main through the night with a lunatic murder
er, as was called So they went, and Mr..
Brand locked the door saying las he turned away,
We must have no more such dangerous fits OF
madness, Miss ElfuIt = with a sneer on the
word.
l was too hopeless and desolate to think of
any plan OF escape, feasible or not. The Teac-
ton had set i'll and was content to lie there in
quiet, and to feel that 1 had done with my life
forever. 1t had not offered to me so many joys
that l should grieve to leave it, and for the
shame-who cares for shame i'll the grave p
No, was content to have done with all that
had weighed upon me SO long and heavily. Il
had no one to mourn for me, no one to love me,
with broken heart and sorrowing talth was
alone-aione-and might as well d e out at
once, and sleep TRANQUILITY in my murdered
grave. And was not unhappy, thinking all
these things. Perhaps my brain was slightly |
paralyzed SO that [ could not suffer However
it might be, it was merciful moment of calm
1t was nearly three o'clock when l heard a
light hand upon the door. The key was turned
softly IN the lock, and, pale and terrible like an
avenging ghost, the poor bereaved mother gil
ded into my room. She came up to my bed and
silently unfastened the cords. She said no com
forting word, she gave me no kind look, no pit |
ying touch, but in a strange, weak, way,
she unbound me limb by limb, until | was free.
Go, she then said, below her breath, still
not looking at me; | do not love you, and he
did not; but l know that you are innocent,and
90 not want your blood on my head. My turn
is to come next, but do not mind now he has
gone Go at once; that sleep will not last longs
| made it come for you
! Without another word, she turned from the
room, leaving the door open l got up as sac
babe me- Without energy, without hope,
quietly dressed myself and lett the house, going
forth into the darkness and desolation more be
cause had been hidden to do so, than to eS
cape a greater peril l wandered through the
bye roads aimlessly, nervelessly; not shaping
my course for any goal but simply going for
ward to wherever chance might lead me. A
poor woman gave me some milk and l slept,
believe, once under haystack. | remember
lying down there and finding myself again after
many hours, In timeI cannot tell you how
or when or how long had been ont in hefields,
but 1t was evening and the lamps were lighted.
I was in London, reading a description of my
self posted up against the walls. l saw myself
described as a murderess and maniac. and a
reward offered for my apprehension; my dress,
my manners, appearance, gait voice, all were
so infinitely noted as to render safety impossible.
Seized with terror, l fed l fled like wild be-
ing hunted and pursued, and have never rest
ed since.
The THIRD REGIMENT UNIFoRNfED.-The Sd
regiment were marched down town by COM
panies, on Saturday last, and received their
uniforms. They differ somewhat from those.
of the 1st regiment Instead of coat they
/ have a roundabout. The pants are all one
:! color. and the roundabouts Of another, the
former being light blue and the latter dark
gray. The material from which they are manu-
factured is good, and an improvement on that Of
Il the LIST regiment.-Fond du Lac Commonwealth.