The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-02-05
)MSBURG, PA, FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 1869.
COL. DEM. ---VOL. XXXII,...NO. 81.

to the poSt-house, where indeed his car
rlage stood waiting.
az thought you would come In and
drink parting glass Of punch with
me, which / ordered before / went after
you"
] accepted the invitation. The warm
room was very agreeable.
THE TEMPTATION. .|
The punch was standing on the table
when we entered. A stranger was
walking, moody and tired, up and
down the room. He was tall, meagre,
elderly man. Baggage was lying
around on the chairs. I noticed lady's
shawl, bonnet, and gloves.
AS we were drinking together, the
stranger said to servant who brought
in some baggage-"Tell my lady, when
she comes, that 1 have gone to bed. We
must start early"
determined not to return to the cool
summer-house, but ordered bed for
the night. The stranger retired. The
red gentleman and chatted together,
and drank the punch-bowl empty. The
brandy warmed and exhilarated me.
The Red-coat hastened to his carriage,
ard as I helped him in, he said-"We
shall see each other again" With this
The carriage rolled away.
When / went back into the room,
there was lady there taking away the
bonnet and shawl. AS she turned to.
wards me, 1 lost all self.possession. 1t
was Julia! my first love, upon an ex-
cursion to Italy, as afterwards learned.
She was no less startled than L.
"FOr heavens sake, Robert, 1t Is your
spirit?n ........ ...... ,... Xxx.
"Juliav stammered I, and all the
rapture Of first love awoke In ME at this
unexpected meeting. ........
] turned respectfully towards her. Her
eyes were full OF tears. / drew her to
my heart.
"This is not my room," said she,
drawing the shawl around her. "Come,
Robert we have much to say TO each
Other.h
She went; 1 followed her to her
room. "Here we can talk freely " said
she, and we sat down upon the sofa.
How we talkedp Again lived in all
the fevcr-tumult of an old love, which 1
had supposed was long ago extinguish-
ed. Julia, unhappy in her marriage,
treated me with all her former tender
ness. She was more beautiful, more
blooming than ever. She found me
handsomer too, as she was pleased to
say.
| There was a magic, which / cannot
describe, in Julia's words and in her
manner. All the past rose vividly be-
fore me. Our first acquaintance at her
sisters wedding-ball; the emotions
which filled us then ; our meeting again
in the garden of the ducal castle; then
the excursion upon the water with our
parents; then-but enough.
Suddenly the door opened. The tall,
lank man entered, with the question
"Who is this with you, Julia7''
We sprang up, terrified. The count
stood for a moment speechless, and pale
as corpse. Then, with three steps, he
strobe towards Julia, wound her long
chestnut locks around his hand, hurled
her shrieking to the floor, and dragged
her about NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. wo-
man false wretch ~
rushed to her aid. He pushed me
away with such force, that 1 tumbled
back upon the floor. AS / rose to my
feet again, he let 60 the unhappy Julia,
and cried out to me-"You pll throt-
tle!" In my desperation caught up a
knife from the table, and threatened 10
| plunge it into him if he did not keepstilI
But the frantic man threw himself up
on me and seized me by the throat.
lost breath, and brandished the knife in
all directions. thrust it repeatedly at
him. Suddenly, the unhappy man fell.
The knife was in his heart.
Julia lay sobbing on the floor beside
her murdered husband. stood there
like statue. "Oh !" thought I, "were
it only a dream, and / lay waking on
the sofa in my summer-nouse A curse
upon the Red-coat A curse upon my
pocket-book !-Oh, my poor children
Oh, my dear, unfortunate Fanny up
on the very threshold of my domestic
paradise, here am / hurled back into
hell, such as have never dreamed of !
I am murdereI~
The noise in the room awakened the
people in the house. / heard them STIR
ring and calling. Nothing was left to
me but flight, to escape discovery. l
siezed the candle to light myself out of
the house.
CONTAMINATION OF HORROR.
AS rushed down the steps, / resolv-
ed to hasten to my house, awaken my
wife and children, press them once
more to my heart, and then, like sec
ond Cain, wander forth in the world, a
fugitive from Justice. But on the stairs
l saw that my clothes were sprinkled
with blood. trembled at the thought
of being seen.
The street-door was locked. AS
turned to escape through the yard, 1
heard people crying and calling after
me from above. ran across heyard
to the barn; knew that thence could
get out into the gardens and fields out
side the town. But my pursuers were
close behind me. had scarcely reach
ed the barn when some one seized me
by the coat, With fearful desperation
/ tore myself away, and hurled the
burning candle into large haystack
near by. 1t suddenly caught fire; so i
hoped to save myself. / succeeded
They let me go, their attention being
diverted by the fire escaped into the
open country.
rushed blindly forward over hedges
and hillocks. The idea of seeing my
| Fanny, and Augustus and I.eopOld wa.