Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-09-03

be time to be going of on my beat, when
Young Tregarva burst in, with face as white
as sheet, and scarcely able to stand 'What
is the matter, man. said /; have you seen
ghost p but he staggered to chair, ana ZEN,
rather than sat, down on ii, holding MS race
between his hands, while the big sobs that
burst from him seemed to shake him from
head 70 foot, though not tear fell through
his fingers. stood by him for some httie
time INT he seemed TO grow worse instead OF
better and at last laid my hand on his 1
shoulder. Come, Ralph, be man; what is
all this about? He turned on me IKE, o |
tiger. Leave me alone, curse you DO
| YOU too mock at me 2 and, with one spring. |
| he was past me, and out at the door Ike
mailman. | followed in haste, greatly alarm
/ cd as YOU NAV suppose, but could see nothing
| of him. There was a mist rising, and any
one would have been invisible at any mod
| crate distance; and it was with deep lore
holdings that l went my rounds that hight;
When / returned to my cottage, noticed
a small niece of paper lying on the moor.
| II exnlained all. Il was letter from
4 Hendon to Kate, evidently written IN
hurry. and was all crumpled up as II II had
been clenched in the fingers. No doubt
1t had dropped from Ralph's hand, though
how he got it do not know. 1t left no room
| for doubt. He urged her to fly from the VII
lace before her condition became known, aud
promised that he would provide for her. Soon
after. heard more. That same evening Kate
i Polmarthen had disappeared. That morning
her bedroom had been found empty, ana she
was gone What surprised others, though not
me was. that her father made no search after
her-for he made none. He knew only too
well why she had gone. Hendon was still IN
the village, in order, suppose, 10 divert all
attention from himself, as he was not aware
1 had Ralnl i
each keeping our own counsel. What need to
nublish the certainty of her shame! We heard
nothing of Ralph for three days, when he re-
| turned and went about his work just as usual,
hnt resenting fiercely any mention OF the past.
| His manner. too was quite changed Oh! so
haggard and wild he looked, and with dog
ged kind of sullenness in place OF his former
| light-hearted gaiety. Even to me he never
spoke now, and one or two attempts made 10
draw him out into conversation were met with
, sucb bursts of rage that was obliged to leave
|, him 10 himself And now must come TO the
: ; most painful part of my tale. You see that
, the bay below is closed in high-tide, and
the sand gets quite covered. II was high
water about half past eleven on the September
E evening. when | was on my beat, and bright
NIGHT. lust like this. was walking along the
TOP of the cliff, just where we are now, when
: 7 thouoht heard a voice down below, on
. the beach. which was nearly under water.
Surprised at this, looked over, and L saw
that there was figure there, and that he
: was rushing about, and shouting up. could
recognize the voice OF Heldon, ana caiiee
! ont" Holloa, there +" "Help help " he
l cried. al am cut off by the tide. l can't
swim. Send boat. For Gods sake help
E me!n So it was. Sauntering along, he
: had, | suppose, waited there, and had found
; himself cut off by the rising tide, which
5 would have been the case an hour and halt
before saw him, so that he must have wait.
1 ed at least that time with the water grad
: ually rising higher and higher. But what
Z WAS to be done. True had rope, and in
' stinctively had taken it out, but 1t was only
i a short one. about a dozen yards long. l al
!. WAYS carry bit about with me. 1t often
|, comes in useful; but what good was it now
Y | could not descend the cliff, and if | left my
4 beat and went for assistance he would be
/ drowned long before l could return Even
: while hesitated, heard step behind me,
e and Ralph Tregarya stood by my side. II can
90 down that cliff,n said he, in the meas
If Hred. logged tone he had always used since
: then, though there seemed to be an express
e sion of savage exultatiOn in his tone
!, that night that made me shudder. 81
a will 60 Give me that rope" Good
e God - / exclaimed /" it is certain death
| While spoke, however, he had snatched
il the rope out of my hands, let himself over
IA the edge of the cliff, and was going down,
: Northumberland clutching at every little bush
9 ana every TUT of grass Ny head swan
} watching him. One slip, and he would have
a fallen, literally smashed on the rocks be-
# low; but he seemed to bear charmed life,
\ for still could see him going down, further
and further, crawling like a lizard, till he
e was ONLY some eight or nine yards from the
/. bottom. There he stopped. There is fiat
' ledge or rock there, and he lay down on it.
n IL was a still night, and l could hear him, as
5 plainly as could you, sir. Mr.. Hendon
he called out. oh, thank God, you are
% come at last = | heard Mr.. Hendon answer
d Here | am. How can reach you I"
% have a rope with me; if | throw it to you
it can YOU get up here - Yes, yes; be quick
be quick. The tide has risen up to my knees
W and / am half dead with cold Just so,
was the strange answer of Tregarva. Quick
20 quick do not trihe with we; / shall drown.
/ tYou will not drown for half an hour yet Mr.
ID Hendon, replied Tregarva, with a laugh
4. But such laugh! 1t sounded like tn,
e. laughter of fend. '0h, for mercy's sake
On be quick Mercy - echoed Tregarva
W Such as you have shown shall be shown II
you. Where is Kate Polmarthen?' Il d.
ne not know. | do not, indeed. Quick tn,
IN Ralph, needless of his agonizing entreaties
r. Il have ventured nav life to come here
At Did YOU think it was to save you: No; i
Nv was TO secure my revenge. Never shall yol
IN come up here alive. Listen to me. When
re heard of her fight, / was among the first t.
I'M visit her house. Her father found letter
a. from you, telling her where to 60, and tina
ID YOU would meet her. She had dropped it il
d. her hurried departure. But never shall you
rs meet her in this world. Liarl seducer
Your last hour is come. have but to throw
of you this rope, and you are safe. Your life
To is in my hands; but had l thousand lives
n. and were each of them cntwined in your one
e, l would give up all, all, to punish you.-
,e Again the scream arose" Mercy mercy y
Mercy" again echoed Tregarva. "Sucf
Dr. mercy as the. lion shows to his prey, sucl
,e shall you have. You shall die, wretch-die
a in your sins; and, as the water mounts high
IF er and higher, think of her whose body and
IF soul YOU have ered,-think of me, whose
4 peace of mind, you, in your wantOnness, have
N utterly wrecked, and then ask for mercy
If Never oh, that / could forget the fearful
!. scene that followed. The wretched Hendon
d as the water mounted higher and higher,
e while each wave almost tore him away from
d his frail hold on the projections of the rock,
, chung to the cliff shrieking out mingled pray.