The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-04-13


! " mounted shed and crept to the win
dow where he heard the voice. Now he
could hear voices, for there were two in
conversation. Applying his ear to one
of the broken lights, he listened, He
could hear every word distinctly, and the
blood ran like lightning through his
veins, as the sentences were understood
by him. -
The voice of q woman exclaimed
through her sobs:
80, Harry Graham, is it possible that
you tell Inc this ! l shall die! Oh, |
cannot live, for you no longer love me-"
Il only love you too deeply, Marian
na,' YVES the reply.
"Then why do you tell me that 1 can
never be your wife p
81 cannot explain-I dare not"
You must, if you would not see me
fall dead at your feet, or live to become
q maniac"
"Marianna,I feel that you have a right
to demand an explanation, and this much
| will tell you. Something which oc
cured years ago renders it necessary
that, rs just avenger, | should kill
your father. Can I do this and then wed
his child -
"Why, then, did you ever win my
love-" ..
Il WAS only informed of the facts with
regard to you this day, and / hastened
at once to tell you as much as l dare
"Harry, you must tell me all. have
never known my father and if his crimes
have been so great that he deserves
death, | cannot blame the hand that
strikes. For the love of heaven tell me
ALL" If.
II will. Your fathers lIame-so old
Brant, who has had you in his keeping
from infancy, tells me-was old Paul
Blackburn. He became the most deadly
foe of my own parents, and for no other
reason than that he was rejected by my
mother. He swore the most deadly ven
geance, but those who knew him did not
believe there was any danger. l can
well remember the night of the revenge,
however. The glare of the flames which
consumed and laid in ashes 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 form Of my parents are before
me, and even the eXultant words Of the
murderer are not forgotten"
"Oh, horrible, and my father was the
monster ?"
'He was And this is not ALL"
"Let me know the worst"
"After my fathers marriage, your
own also took wife, but his constant
brutal treatment Of her proclaimed his
hatred She interfered to save his vic
tim, and with single blow he struck her
lifeless to the earth"
ale murdered his own wife-my
mother ?'' -
..He did" Isl
"But how were you sayed-how was l
saved ?"
"Here is a strange part of my story.
| was boy of seven years, and you an
infant of six months. l remember see
ing you fall from your mothers arms as
she was stricken down. | remember
seiaing you..in my own, and crawling in-
to 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 informed yoa, the old man gave
these particulars"
us that cruel father, that blood-stain-
ed man, yet alive"
"Yes, and l have just learned that,too.
| must seek him out, for / shall never
seek rest until | have met him face to
face, and met him as the avenger Of my
slaughtered parents and desolated home
The candle had been relighted, but it
only east feeble ray around the apart
ment. Still it shone full upon the faces
of the speakers, one of whom was a
young officer, and the other a lovely girl
of some eighteen years of age. The
villain outside the window had gradually
become more excited, and finally extend
ed his hand through the opeLing; he
pushed back the spring and raised the
sash. SO cautiously had this deed been
done that the Others did not observe the
intruder until he leapcd to their sides, his
eyes blazing with an unnatural light, and
his already bloody knife firmly clutched
to strike
Upon beholding him the young officer
leaped to his feet and asked:
WHO are you?"
II am known as Mad Leon, the Rene
gade," was the firm response.
''And what do you want here p
II came for single purpose, and l
find that I have double one"
Then explain, and.quickly, too, or l
will call the guard"
Il will explain. Not, however, be-
cause l fear your guard. l came for the
single purpose Of carrying away this girl
to my mountain home. But find that
l must kill you.'
''The game Of death is one that two
can play at, you shall find"
And young Graham leaped toward the
table upon which were lying two revol-
vers. But single shot was fired by the
ruflian and the officer fell. As he did so,
the Renegade seized the girl and cried:
$50 to those whom ] sent to their
graves years ago, and tell them that Paul
Blackburn sent you there, for ] am he"
He sprung through the window, with
Marianna in his arms.
Here, however, he met his mortal foe,
old Brant The fainting maiden was torn
from his grasp, and single blow with
huge knife sent the polluted soul of the
Renegade before his Maker. As the
blood gushed forth the monster uttered
few bitter curses, and then fell from the
roof by the side of the murdered guard.
This was not the only work performed
by Brant. He had discovered the sava-
ges, and a single volley which blazed
out on the night air sent portion of
their lumber to the "happy hunting
ground, - and Others yelping like wolves
from the fort Graham was only woun-
ded, and he recovered to make the or
phan girl his wife. -7.H