The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-03

paling; and mad not oeon po' w.
success in the struggle with the lnkeePei
think they would have struck Win leal;
rhev were bright with magnetic light, ana
[ could see that the yellow ring was inc
brightest Of all. For an instant l was mo-
,ionlcss, fascinated as / was by TINS re,
markable gaze, and in that instant thiro
fash of lightning lit up her savage counte,
nance. As she stood where she halted
when l turned upon her, the iientnlns
flashed through the window full into her
face. 1t was horrible. >.
Suddenly, as the light leaped back, as IL
were. through the window, she rose to her
full height and darted upon me-. The
lightning had not entirely gone OUT Oelore
saw that she carried in her hand, not q
coarse knife, but long, slender. dagger
which threw back the brightness, from o
surface of the highest polish. In the dark
ness that followed I saw this weapon gleam
over her head, and her eyes rivalled IN their
brilliancy the fash that had shown US TO
each other.
To my establishment, just as | was pre-
pairing for the attack flor it was Impossible
for me to be the attacking party in TINS
easel, she dropped her arm, and suoduing
her voice to savage persuasiveness, e1-
claimed, "Stranger, ye be bold man
Live here, and we'll get rid OF the olt'
one! !"
AsI look back on the strange scene l
am convinced that her singular action was
the result of one of those sudden changes
which come over women of her stamp, as
they do over the savage race, she having
seen as much Of me in that brief illuml-
nation as many would in lifetime. her
comDanion in crime was nothing more 10
her. and in the reaction of her feelings the
man who slew him was to her OF greater
mower. There was no love between them,
and was the one left, whose action, II not
appearance, was satisfactory to her Tear
less nature.
saw that I am convinced that such was
her feeling when she paused and spoke
those words to me, though | leave my
readers to form their own opinion on the
matter.
Whatever may have been her thoughts
and feelings, it is certain that l looked
upon this change of movement as bit Oh
strategy, and acted accordingly.
It accomplished one object agreeable &c
me it saved me from attempting the life
of a woman, which, under those clrcum'
stances even, was not an agreeable act O.
necessity.
NV answer vas prompt, and its prompt
ness was what probably took her OF hel
guard. I sprang forward, and hurting mel
against the WALL rushed by, and ere she
could recover from her surprise, was on
of the door which they had opened by
some process best known to themselves
and down the stairs. ! lost no time il
preparing my horse for continuance o
my Journey in the still raging storm.
Ipushed my way along till morning, anc
then at the first settlement related my ad
venture. could not spare time to go back
with the party who started for the inn
neither did I believe their errand woulc
amount to anything. | afterward Learned
that they found the inn in ashes, with the
charred remains of the landlord among
them. Either the woman or the lightning
had done the work. AS the woman ha'
never been discovered, the whole affair L
still enshrouded in mystery.