The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-01-15
with my warm cheek. But never shall
INV heart be melted"

soldier was closely wrapped In his grea'
coat. while he carried his carbine In such
manner as to protect 1t from the damp
He did not even dream that death was
lowering so near him. "A moment alter
he turned, and then paused exactly mt the
place where the renegade was lying.
But quick as the lightning's flash he WAS
hurled to the earth. and the dark mon
ster was upon his breast. A sharp cry
arose. and then II became death wall
merging into groan and silence, FOR q
huge knife was plunged into the culver
ing breast Of the guard, and his life glisl-
ed forth with his crimson gore.
The murderer had clutched the throat
of his victim in order to prevent any out
cry from the dying man, and had only
partially succeeded. He now raised his
head and listened attentively. but no
sound gave indication that the vol 20 oi
the soldier had attracted attention. Rails
Ing the corpse In his arms the renegade
bore It some distance to the rear. and tie
posted It in the dead weeds. Doing so,
he exclaimed
"A good general always leaves an open.
Ing for retreat In case Of defeat, and
will do so by disposing of every guard In
this direction. There Is but one more tC
deal with | think, and he Is behind the
quarters of the general commanding"
Mad Leon crept forward rs before. and
soon the soldier referred to shared the
same fate as the first; but his cry was
louder aud was not entirely unheeded, fol
awindow where light had been burning
was thrown up, and voice asked:
"What Is the matter down there"
The dying man struggled hard to speak
but the renegade prevented, while hi
answered himself:-
"NCthing that am aware Of"
s.But heard cry"
$50 did l.; twas one of the prowling
coyOtes."
No further question was asked, ant
the villain saw that the light which h,
had before observed had disappeared
He knew that the strong wind had extin
guished IL Us the window was raised, ant
he muttered:
''May the devil favor me and leave thai
opening before he gets another light, fol
can then enter"
But the devil did not favor him. The
sash came down with q crash, and the
Jingle of glass told that some of the panes
had been broken by the fall. This was OI
some Importance, and the villain knew
IL.
The guard once quiet. Leon cautiously
mounted a shed and crept to n window
where he had heard the voice. Now he
could hear voices. for there were two per-
sons In conversation. Applying his eai
to one OF the broken lights, he listened
He ceuld hear every word distinctly, and
the blood ran like lightning through his
veins rs the sentences were understood by
him.
The voice Of woman exclaimed
through her sobs;
40, Harry Graham, Is II possible tina,
YOU tell me this; | shall die. Oh, can
not live. for yon no longer love me-"
~ only love you to deeply, Marianna,"
was the reply.
"Then why do you tell Inc that I never
can be your wifer'
IL cannot explain dare not"
"You must. II you would not see me
fall dead at your feet, or live and become
maniac"
"Marianna, 1 feel that you have right
TO demand an explanation, and this much
will tell you. Something which occur
red years ago renders 1t necessary that, rs
n Just ayenger, should kill your father.
Can do this and then wed his childy'
"why, then, did You ever win my
lover"
~ was only informed of the facts In re-
gard to you this day, and hasten at once
TO tell you as much as dare"
"IIarry, you must tell me all. / have
never known my father; and IL his crimes
have been so great that he deserves death.
/ cannot blame the hand that strikes.
For the love Of heaven, tell me all"
IL will. Your fathers name-so old
Brent. who has had you In his keeping
from infancy, tells me-was Paul Black
burn. lie became the most deadly foe OF
my own parents, and for no other rea-
son than that hc was rejected by my moth
or. He swore the most deadly vengeance,
but those who knew him did not believe
there was any danger. can well remem-
Der the night of that revenge, however.
The glare of the flames which consumed
my home Is before me still; and the yells
of the red demons, led by Paul Blackburn
are yet ringing in my ears. The ghastly
and bloody forms of my parents are be-
fore me; and even the eXultant words Of
the murderer are not forgotten"
"Oh, horrible! And my father was this
monster"
.He was; and this Is not ALL"
''Lct me know the worst"
AFTER my fathers marriage your own
also took wife. but his constant brutal
treatment of her proclaimed his hatred.
She interfcred TO save his victims. and
with single blow he struck her lifelcss
to the EARTH"
ale murdered his own wife-my moth
erg'
ale did"
.'But how were you saycd-how was l
savedg"
"Eere Is strange part Of my story.
was boy OF seven years, and you IN In
FAINT Of six months. l remember seeing
YOU fall from your mothers arms as she
was stricken down. l remember seizing
YOU In my own and crawling into place
of concealment by the rivers side. You
were taken from me some time after by
Old Brant, and although had forgotten
him and yourself. could not forget those
events. Only to-day, as before inform
ed you. the old man gave these particu-
lars"
'.Is that cruel father-that blood-stain-
ell man, yet alivey'
"Y.s, and have Just learned that, too.
must seek him out, for | shall never
seek rest until have met him face to
face. and met him rs the avenger or my
slaughtered parents and desolated home"
The candle had been re-lighted, but 1t
only east feeble ray about the apart
ment. Still IL shonc full upon the faces OF
the speakers. one Of whom was u young
officer and the other was a lovely girl Of
some eighteen years Of age. The villain
outside OF the window had gradually be
come more and more excited, and finally
extended his hand through the opening.
he pushed back the spring and raised the
sash. SO cautiously had this been done
that the lovers did not observe the lntr,i-
der until he leaned To their sides, his eye
blazing with an unnatural light, and his
almost bloody knife firmly clutched to
strike.
Upon beholtllng him the young officer
leapcd TO his feet and asked:-
''whO are your