Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-06-11

IOrccu uSF OuVatu VIII iuSiSHsoa 'cIOSi-
ty.
was coming after. The silver light Of
the moon, falling upon her face, showed
an expression of sadness suddenly
changing to hope; and raising her glow
ed hand in the air, she sent back cry
for help.
1t was not needed. That wan face.
seen under the soft moonlight, appesling
to Frank Hill for protection, was enough
to nerve him to the last exertion of his
strength: and he kept on, without speak
ing a word, his whole thought and soul
absorbed by the one great desire to over
take and rescue her.
From what? From the grasp of a
maniac, as the behavior of Lansing now
proved him to be.
Merciful Heaven! What is that
sound heard ahead, and at no great dis
tances
Hill lid not need to ask the question.
He knew it was the roar OF water-he
knew that cataract was below. And
near below; for one sweeping round an
other curve of the river, aad the black,
smooth water could be seen rushing rap
idly forth from under the field of ice,
quick whitened into froth as it struck
against the rocks cresting the cataract.
The pursued saw it first, but soon
after. the pursuer.
"My God!" gasped Hill, in a voice
choking with agony, "Can the man
mean to carry her on--oyerP Stop,
mailman!
Lansing heard the. call. and looked
back. The moonlight, falling full upon
his face revealed an expression horrible
to behold. His eyes were no longer
rolling, but fixed in terrible stare of
determination, while upon his features
conId be traced smile of demoniac tri-
umph. He spoke no word; but raising
his unemployed arm, pointed to the cat
aract.
There could be no mistsking the ges
ture; but what followed made still clear
or his intent. Giving loud shrek, that
ended in prolonged peal of laughter,
no faced once more toward the edge of
the ice. Then, throwing all his mad en-
efgy into the effort, be shot straight fer
it, dragging the young lady along with
him.
The crisis had now come. A moment
more, and Kate Clinton, struggling in the
arms of a mailman, would be carried over
the cataract, down to certain destr uction
on the rocks below.
With heart hot, as # on fire, her
lover saw her peril, now proximate. and
extreme. But his head was still cool,
and at a glance be took in the situation.
By bearing direct upon them he would
only increase the momentum of their
speed and force both over the edge OF
the ice. His only hope lay in making
one last vigorous effort to get between
them and the water. A grand sweep
might do it; and, without waiting to re
fleet farther, he threw his body forward
in the curve Of parabola.
With hands and teeth both tightly
clenched, with eyes fixed upon one point,
and thoughts concentrated into one great
purpose, be passed over the smooth sur
face, like an electric fash, ending i'll a
shock, as his body came in contact with
that of Lansing A blow from one arm
already raise,l. sent the latter staggering
off upon the ice, at the same time de
taching his grasp from the wrist of bis
intended victim. II was instantly seized
by her rescuer, who. continuing the
sweep thus intercepted, succeeded in car
rying her on to a place of safety.
In vain the madmon tried to recover
himself. The momentum of his own
previous speed. increased by the pow
erful blow from Hills cIenched fs;,
sent him spinning on to the extreme
edge of the ice, where he fell fiat upon
his face.
Perhaps he might still have been saw
ed, but for his own frenzied passion.
AS the skaters, following along the
curve. swept close to where he lay, the
skate of the young lady almost touching
him. be made an effort to lay hold OF
her ankle. as intending to drag her owe
the cataract along with him. Fortunate.
ly he failed. but the movement was fatal
to himself. A piece of rotten ice on
which he rested, giving way under his
weight, broke off with loud crash ;
and in another moment the detached
fragment. bearing his body along with
it, swept ouer the falls, to be crushed to
atoms in the seething cauldron below!
The lovers, now safe from all danger,
stood for time silent, with arms cross
ed, and listening. But, after one wild
appalling shrek that rose from the ma
MACS lips, as for moment his body
balanced upon the combing of the cat
a,act, they heard no more--only the
hcarse monotone of the waters, to be
continued to eternity Onaoard Masa
zine.
Eg A London letter speaks of the
Empress Carlotta as "a frail and geutle
beng, beautiful as dream of spring."
n- III En,n.oss Euoon;a bos eat