The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-08-26

side the chest, for i'll spite Of Julia's weight
the lid was lifted, and then as the instinct Of
self preservationo vercame terror, lsprlng
to her assistance. Whom or what had we
caught? Imagine yourself holding down the
lid of a showman's box, with a boa construct
or writhng beneath; or keeping q cage-top
in its place by your weight alone, with by
ena struggling to tear his way out and de-
vour you. But we are not long in suspense.
IIorrid execrations, halfGerman, half-En-
glish, chilled our very hearts, and we knew
that there in the midnight only the lid Of an
old chest was between ourselves and Hans
Schmidt! At times it started up, and once
or twice his fingers were caught in the open
ing Then finding our combined weight too
much for his strength, it would become evil
dent that he was endeavoring to force out an
end of the chest. But he could not work to
advantage. Crampcd within such limits,
his giant power of muscle was not wholly
available; he could neither kick nor strike
with full force, and hence his chief hope
rested upon his ability to directly lift us lid
and all. Even then in the absolute terror
that might have been supposed to possess
her, a queer feeling of eNultation sprang up
in .Julia's heart.
|
won't think me fool now, will they? I
shan't be ashamed to see Harry Irving!''
! ''Poor Julia under the circumstances the
idea was really ludicrous, but nature viii
everywhere assert herself, and Julia hated 4
coward. Thump thump! thump! Lid and
side and end alternately felt the crampcd but
powerful blows. Then came the lift! the
steady, straning, desperate lift and Julia
chcered me when the cover shook and rose,
and trcmbled.
''IIe can't get out Mary! We are safe; on
| ly keep your full weight on the lid; and don't
| be nervous either; it is most mornngr She
knew it was not but one o'clock!
''But one o'clock came. How | wished it
was five! And two o'clock came, and three,
and we hoped that our prisoner, had finally
| yielded to a fate which must now appear to
him inevitable. A small aperture at one end
of the chest where there was a fracture in the
wood supplied him with air, and hence we
could not hope that he would become weak
through suf1ocaion. He was evidently rest
ing from the very necessity of the case, for
his cxcrtons had been prodigious, There
was 4 faint streak of morning in the sky, and
there upon the chest we sat and watched for
the CLEAN to broaden.
beneath us. as if the ruffian had concentrated
all his energies in q final effort. AT my end
of the chest there was u crash, and immedi-
ately the Germans feet protruded through the
aperture that they had forced in the board.
So horrible now appeared our position that |
uttered scream such as | do not think | ever
at any other time have had power to initiate
| did not know that | was about to scream, so
terrible was the fright of which this was the
Involuntary outbulst. TO get off the lid in
order to defeat the movement through the
I11,D I
struction; and therefore still bearing our
weight on the cover, we caught at the pro-
jjecting feet. In doing this, however, we par
TALLY lost our balance and q sudden bracing
up Of the muscular shape below so far forced
open the lid that the head, arms and shoulders
of Hans Schmidt were thrust FORTH and with
4 fearful clutch he seized Julia by the throat.
IIorri!ied by the spectacle, | threw myself
forward bearing down with all my might up
on his head as lay partially upon the chest
''Just then heavy crash was heard at the
door below, the foot tramps springing to-
wards us rs if some pcrson: We're tearing up
the stairway with the full consciousness that
this was an hour of need The dim daybreak
hardly revealed his identity, Us he rushed
into our room, but | had faint perception
that young Harry Irving had come to us in
our peril,
"Sometimc during the morning | had
found myself in bed, with Julia, and several
of the neighboring women standing around
me. Julia clasped me i'll her arms, and cried.
she was rcjoiccd that the fright had not
killed me.
eve arc safe, Mary" She said ''Harry
Irving was near the house all night. He re-
turned after seeming to 90 home. 1t was not
right, he said to himself, for us to remain
alone here all night especially rs my father
was known to have money in the house. Sc
he kept out of our sight, but remained near
The least scream he would have heard, Us he
al last heard yours, but am glad you did not
scream before, for now have had an OK
pcrience and know what we can do. 1t was
tedious, but | don't wish to be thought afraid
Of my shadow, and I'm glad we had to hole
the chest down 4 good while
CLANS Schmidt had evidently decided upon
the chest as a safer hidng-place than that il
which Julia first discovered him. Upon The
very morning on which Harry Irving STAINED
and secured the rut1an in our room the officers
Of justice were searching for the old IIessian
scoundrel, rs q supposed murderer, and he
was soon after convicted and hung
''Julia became the wife of Harry Irving
and a most excellent wife she was Magnan
mous and unrcvengcful, she was perhaps The
only one who felt no qualification at the fate
of old Hams Schmidt, but rather pity for tn,
F., Ignorance which had stepped him in crime ;
A FORTUNATE MEETING.