Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-08-12

of manly beauty. The man whose life
blood is slowly ebbing away is John
Brocue, father to the one we have already
become acquainted with The son is the
lad who SO unceremoniously had become
acquainted, at the same moment, with
honor and blood The other parties, hav-
ing no further connection with our narra-
tive, we will not individualize And now
that we have seen the effect, let US inves-
tigate the cause.
Silas Wilson had won the love of a
maiden whom John Broone. then wido
wer wish one child was deeply enamored
with Broome was bold bad, and un
principled man, ard the success Of his
rival CALLED bin deeiAy. He lost no OPP
.pa..unity toqnarrel with him. and upon
one occasion sdcceeled in directly insnlt
ing him. Young Wilson could not brook
'his disgrace snd they sought to settle
the matter oy an appeal t. the code %
honor The result is known. and We will
now move onward in our history snnie
VENT Year
Slas Wilson is still an unmarried IN an.
for the fair object of the deadly quarrel
would not wed man whose hands was
stained with blood. He is still in his ma
tive place, however, having returned some
time after the affair, and is engaged in
prosperous business. To the same place,
and also in business, is John Broom4, sou
of the murdered man. A little time here
devoted tn the ana w ,tion Of his charac-
ter and purposes, will materially aid In
understanding what is to follow. Like
his father, he was an unprincipled man, and
scrupled at no sin t. aggrandze himself
But his whole life was guided Dy one
thought, which was even superior to his
love for money and that was-revenge.
In Silas Wilson he recognized deadly
enemy. and all his energies he devoted TO
his obstruction. 1t was not personal or
bodily injury that he wished to inhict, he
being to much of coward for that, but
rather to ruin him in business, and tenn
poral considerations, thus leaving his old
age and enfeebled form no place for shell
ter Silas Wilson knew that John Broome
was not his friend, but he did not dream
for an instant of the deep and damning
nature of his intentions. Slowly but sure
ly, however, he drifted within the grasp
of his enemy, in happy Inconsistencies
all the while, of the misery that over
Swallowed him. Silas was always of a
liberal nature and extravagant disposition
and although his business was good, he
formal obligations These, by some
means or other, invariable found their
way to the hands of John Broome. And
so matters went on, until by the uncon-
scious proGigacy of Silas the intriguing
Vaccinations of Broome. and general
depression in business one season, the af
fairs of Silas Wilson were indeed in a con-
diron of jeopardy. Now was the moment
of triumph for John Broome Forcing
the accumulated obligations of Wilson.
which he held upon him, in moment of
his olrest stress, he succeeded in accom-
piishing what he had so long desired hi>
suspension from business, and eventually
his total bankruptcy Aud now one
would have thought that his feelings OF
revenge were glutted with satisfaction -
But no-with hellish perseverance he
betook himself to accomplish completely
what he had so well begun.
Silas Wilson was so reduced in circum-
stances that he was obliged to retire al
most entirely from society, and lived
with but one attendant, IN "A small cottage
some distance from the town; which, with
small piece of ground on which it stool
we're the sole remnants of his property
fhis humble aud lowly retreat became
now the object OF John Broone's mnllc
inuS and tiendl,h hate. Some slight irrcg
nlariry or plan in the disposition anl as
>ignmnnt of Wilson's other property wa,
aow sriz Il upon 10y this devil incarnate,
and usleI by INN To wrest from he grasp
OF the broken hearted and dying man his
last and only means Of support. The
matter was contested in court. with wha,
result the reader knows. which brings us
once more to the scene our narrative
opened with.
The old man was indeed forced to live
by public charity. He obtained admis-
Sou W bIS dIIDS-uUuSt. WItIc Ills uCS-
troyer moved in society. wealthy and re-
spected. But do what he would he could
not blot from his memory the face of Silas
Wilson, as he stood in the courthouse
aud uttered those prophetic words =
Plunge int, what dissipation he would :,
the words of the injured man still rang in
his ears. and often woald he fluid himself
muttering, Il will yet, so help me God
meet you face to face )" and then he would
curse himself. and strive to drown the
memory of the scene In drinks.
And, after few years, as if there was
a stern retribution at work in his case,
his business commenced to ianguish, and
his ILL., gotten gains to vanish. He lost
heavily in several speculations. and it
was not long before the doom he had in
hicted upon another, became his own,
bankruptcy. And as he sank lower and
lower in the world, the demon of drink
obtained additional power over him. He
was now a nervous. debilitated man,
without home, haunted ever by the
memory of his evil deeds, and the face of
Silas Wilson, that no amount Of drink
could serve to drown. AS he lay in the
throes of mania a. potu it glared upon him
like the face Of 6end, branding in letters
of fire upon his memory the day he drove
hi in forth to destruction and death And
over and above all was the growing con-
vction that the old mans words were
true, and that sooner or later he should
meet him face to face. This, like hor
rid incubus rested upon mis- soul, and
haunted him day and night And now
we tiud him the lowest of the low, asso-
eating with dcpraved humanity Of all
kinds. and earning his daily drlnk-for
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