The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-06-29

to those of the beautiful Kate Gin.
ton.
'Oh!' thought lie, 'she's been playing
little trick, to surprise me. She has
slipped in under the river bank and
while | am rushing to and fro in search OF
her, she is, no doubt, standing in the
shadow of a hemlock, and quiteIy laughs
ing at me,
Yielding to this conjecture, he once
more piled his skates, and went rapidly
back down the river-keeping close along
side the bank, and scanning every spot
overshadowed by the dark fronts of the
hamlocks.
But no Kate Clinton was there, either
in moonlight or shadow; nor was there
any score made by skates upon the in
shore ice
1t nov occurred TO him, that be might
discover where she had gone, 10y getting
upon the track Of her skates, and follow
ing it up. With this intent, he FASTENED
to the spot where he had left her stand
ing.
On reaching it,a cold thrill shot through
his frame, as If the blood had suddenly
became frozen within his veins. In ad-
dition to the two sets of skate tracks, left
by himself and the young lady in their I'D
and down excursions, he now saw third,
whose bold scores upon the ice showed
them to be from the feet of man
There were confused curves and zigzag-
ings, as if there had been a struggle, or
some slight difficulty at starting but. be-
yond that point, there were two sets of
straight continuous furrows, running pa
ralel, and -de by side, as if the skaters
had gone away with joined hands
The direction was down the river
toward home.
Alta glance, Frank Hill recognized the
thin, tiny score left by the slender steel
blades on the feet of Miss Clinton. But
the man who had gone skating so close to
her side-who was he
A painful su-picion shot through his
brain He remembered that, shortly af~
ter leaving the house, they had passed n
man upon the ice, who was also on skates
They had brushed so near him as 10 see
who he was, and in the moonlight had be-
held countcnance bearing "A mCa SIMS
ter cast. 1t was the face of Charles Lans,
ing, whom Frank knew to he "A rival sui.
tor for the hand Of Kate Clinton.
This man made his appearance in the
neighborhood some three months before /;
coming, no one knew whence. In fact,
there was nothing known of him. except
his name; and this might easily have
been an assumed one He put up at the
principal hotel OF the village appearing
to have money, and to be gentleman )f
high birth and education Was Charles
Lansing the man who had come to Miss
with him 1t could be no other; for
Hill now remembered having heard the
ring of skates behind, as they were com
ing up the river from the place where
Lansing had been seen, and slorily after
they had passed him.
The first thought of Kate Clintnns lover
was one Of most painful nature. 1t was,
in fact, a bitter pang of Jealousy. Had
the wole thing been pre'arranged, and had
she willingly gone away with this stranger,
who. though stranger to others, might
be better known to her 2 Lansing, if moi
what might he called a handsome man,
was good-looking enough to give cause
for jealousy.
1t was fearful reflection for Frank
Hill but, fortunately, il did not long en-,
dure, 1t passed like a spasm; annther,
nearly as painful, taking its place. II,
recalled n rumor that had been for somi
days current in the neighbnrhoJd---of ,
strangeness observed in the behaviour o
the hotel guest. that had caused doubt,
J about his sanity. And forcibly came back
, to Frank Hills mind, what he had hear(
that very morning-how Lansing hac
presented himself at the house of Ms,
Clinton's father, proposed marriage to her
and, when refused, had acted in such q
strange manner-uttering wild speeches
and threats against the life of the young
lady that it became necessary to use fore,
in removing him from the premises.
Could this be the explanation of III,
disappearance Was the maniac now il
the act of carrying out the menace he ha,
maie-some terrible mode of vengeanc,
under the wild promptings of insanity!
The thought came quick, for this who'll
series OF surprises and conjectures did no
occupy three seconds of time. And will
the last of these, Frank Hill threw all hi
strength into a propulsve effort, and sho
off like an arrow down the river.
A bend was SOON passed, beyond whicl
there was a stretch of clear ice extendin,
for more than mile. Away at the farthc
end, two forms were dimly discernable
and upon the still frosty air could be hear,
the faint ringing of skates, at intervals re
peating their strokes.
Frank Hill had no doubt about one O
these being she of whom he was in search
and, nerved by the sight, he threw fres
vigor into his limbs, and flew over tn
smooth surface like bird upon the wing
On, past rock, and tree, and hill, an
farm houses sleeping in silence on, i
long sweeping strides his eyes flashing
but fixed upon the two forms, every me
ment getting more clearly dscernabl
as the distance became lessened by h
speed.
And now he was near enough to Sc