Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-05-06
NUMBER IS,

ed from side 10 side about three feet |
above the bridge itself To any person |
with weak nerves. the crossing of this
rude bridge, which began 10 sway in an
alarming manner the moment YOU set
foot on it. was not unattended with dan |
ger. seeing that single false stepwould
serve TO precipitate you to the bottom.
and leave but little chance of your being
found alive afterwards; but such as il
was, it had served the family at the
Grange for many years, and was likely
TO last for many years TO come.
Marie stepped fearlessly on to the
bridge, and pausing when she reached
the middle of it, took hold of the hand
rope, and leaning over, gazed down in
TO the dim caldron at her feet. East
ward. the moon was rising over heath
erv hills. and the clouds fell away be-
fore it as it slowly clomb the great
azure plains. and little by little all the
wild features of the scene were lighted
up under the eyes of the madwoman.
She could see the black riven sides of
the gorge. looking as if they had been
torn asunder only an hour ago; she
could see the glinting ofthe white water
where it tumbled over ledge of rock
some twenty feet i'll height, and again,
As it seethcd and dubbed angrily
among the jagged granite teeth with
which its Intercourse was thickly
strewn: and as she gazed and listened,
the voice Of the water seemed TO sylla-
hlc itself into words intended for her
ear alone. Come to me, come TO me-
il seemed to say; here It's ever sweet
To bc-sweet TO be-" Nothing more
only those few words, over and over
again. in sort of murmurols sing
song, that awoke vague echoes in her
brain. The water spoke 10 her as plain
IN as She had ever heard human voice
speak The danger. and she seemed
to know it. lay in the perpetual itera-
iion of the words. Come 10 me- the
effect Of which upon her excitable
nerves was to work her up into sort
of dreamy ecstasy. which might not i'm
probably eliminate in her striving to
obey the invitation by leaping headlong
from the bridge into the gulf below.
She strove. however, to break through
her. dragging herself slowly and with
difficulty. a. though she were being
plucked at behind by invisible hands.
from the spot where she had been stand
lnr. to the edge of the ravine, and
stumbling forward on her knees the
moment she felt herself on firm ground.
"Sorceress. have escaped thee = she
cried aloud. II will not obey thy sum-
mons. Thy silycry voice would lure
me to destruction. But bark hear
another voice One whom knew well
il coming this way. and he must not see
me Hush -
Still kneeling, and with appraised fin
Ger in the act Of listening. all the pulses
Of her being seemed TO stand still for
moment. while she waited 10 hear again
the voice which had startled her. 1t
came again. and this time nearer than
before. There could tie no mistaking
whose voice il was and a. its familiar
tone, fell on Marie's ear, she forgot all
about the water-sprite's invitation
forgot everything except the one fact.
that the man whom she hated with all
:. lunatic's intensity of hate was close
tes.le her. and that there were now no
Stone -aAs- no iron bars between them
tWo. ~ she realised n.ai, >s.--~ 49,.
w. iutrel 50, great wave of fire
SEEMED !, sweep across her brain. aud
nth A. zee the moon looked bloS::-red.
a,,.3 me star took the same colour, and
her muscles seemed to harden. and
Ter fingers began to grope instinctivelv
fof the Aafl Of her knife There was A
thick clump OF underwood growing
close TO the spot where she was kneel-
lng. and partly oycrhanging the brink
OF the ravInc. She was only Just in time
ID reach the shelter of these shrubs.
when the head and shoulders OF a man
came into view above the opposite slope
Of the hill and the same instant the
handsome. crafty face Of Duplessis was
eYanescently lighted up by the blaze of
a fusee. a. the Canadian paused for
moment in the act of lighting another
cigar. As he did so. he spoke again
addressing himself TO Antoine, who was
tolling painfully up some distance be-
hind his master: Another little pull.
my cabbage. and we shall be on level
ground. and then half an hours brisk
walking will take US to the Grange.
An hour OF this exercise every morning
before breakfast. would soon bring
down that overfed carcass of thine
10 something like reasonable proper
tons.
Oh Monsieur Henri painted Antoine.
bat 1t Is cruel, my faith, 10 drag per
soIs OF delicate stomach up these prec-
ipIces Why wasn't the world made
without hills: 1t would have been
much pleasanter place to live in than
Il j. now The glowing tip of the CT
gar was coming nearer and nearer to
the madwoman hidden in the ,hicket.
But with regard TO la Chdfte Rowye.
continued Antoine. has Monsieur Civ
IN my proposition due consideration:
II is simple. it is safe. il is effectual.
Let Monsieur 90 to Paris and enjov
himself. and leave Antoine to clip the
claws ola Chatte.'
..Sce'erdt. y Kissed the madwoman
from her hiding-place. La Chatte
would like to drink thy hearts blood /"
The glowing tip was very close now.
Duplessis. with one foot on the bridge.
and one still on firm ground. paused
for an instant 10 answer Antoine.
Take care. my infant he said laugh
inglv. that she doesn't claw thine
eyes out in the process With that he
took hold of the hand-rope, and came
forward, step by step. slowly and eau
tiouslv. The frail structure bent and
swayed under his weight in a way
that might well have alarmed man
of weaker nerve. He had reached the
middle Of the bridge, when he looked
up suddenly, for the dry branches of
brushwood were cracking, as if some