Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-06-22

nho" "hiSu, VI Sdit beh : A0u pldy
either part to perfection can be
man or woman, just as you please"
"Of course you can, said "a man
of your genius must be equal to any
thing"
'lt is so fortunate that we have
mel" said he; land now I'll tell you
just how | look at things. This life
is all mockery and vain show, and
everybody is more or less wretched.
| killed my wife because l loved her
and did not want her to be unhap-
py-killed her this way''-he drew
his hand across his throat-"I killed
her to save her from going to the dev-
IL! He was after her at a hard gal
lop, and he'd have got her! He's a
cunning fellow, the devil is, and not
in the habit of failing 10 anything he
sets Epon- And now Fm going to
kill you for the same reason that
killed her! Look off there See how
far it is, and think how easy you will
die J 1t won't hurt you a bit mot
half so much as it would to have a
tooth pulled! am going to throw
you over! y
He seized me round the body, and
strong and wiry as | was, | was but
a child in his hands | fought des-
perately, but it was of no avail inch
by inch | was drawn toward the edge
of the root, and | could not help my
self! He slipped at last to the gut
ter and swung me out over the black
abyss. The instant he loosed his
grasp | clutched at the caves, and
held on until my strength returned.
sufficiently to admit of my raising my
body again to the roof This act of
mine seemed to madden him. With
a fearful oath he sprang upon me,
missed his footing, and toppled over,
but with his huge bony fingers he
clutched at the gutter, and there he
huag suspended! 1t was terrible to
see him thus: and knowing, as | did,
that it was his life against mine,
could not sit there and see him go to
destruction. | reached out my hand
and drew him back to safety. Thus
did he repay me. Dashing upon me
he seized me once more, and dragged
me to The fatal place where | seemed
doomed to meet my death. We both
went over, but again | grasped at
sOmething-thiS time it was the light.
ming rOd-and in a moment | was
safe And what of him? Again
saw his hideous face appearing above
the ca.cs. He, too, had seized on the
ROD, and in an instant the struggle
would begin again.
As | gazed at him my eye took in
the Lommer that had dropped in my
first surprise at seeing him. | seized
npon it, and if L did wrong may Heav
ell forgive me There seemed no 9th
er way, and life was sweet to me !
And as he rose above the gutter. Glib
bcriug at ne as stood there, | struck
him.
Oh, Heaven =! there are times in 81
lent mldnights, when | wake from {
troubled sleep and think thar | heal
again that dull, terrible thud. and the
wild, gurgliDg cry which burst from
those livid lips as his face sank ou
OF my sight in the darkness! !
When | came to myself, was "
ing IN chamber at home, and Min
ME dear face was bending over me
anu her soft hands were holding mine
"Oh, Minnie r cried out in hor
ror, remembering everything instant
ly, aud hiding my face in her bosom.
"Hush, Dick" she said gently, "yol
did just as any man would have done
under the circumstances and He, wht
knows your extremity, will forgiv,
, you" Then she kissed me, and some
how it seemed to me just as if pardon
came to me with that touch of he
pure lips.
When was stronger, they told III
the little there was to tell. John See
ly was an incurable patient-he haC
: murdered his wife, and his case wa
hopeless. He had managed to ge
out of his room, and made his way t.
. the roof Of the building by my ladder
When his body fell into the yard be
low, the attendants had at once sus
picions that there was somethin,
. y wrong, and the finding of the ladde
y thrown down confirmed them. The
had asCended to the roof and foun,
me in a dead faint.
5 Mr.. Seely's brother, in oonsidera
tion | suppose Of the fright l had SUI
4 iered and the long illness which ha'
4 followed, made Minnie a present o
9 the Ferrill estate, and We were MAJ
i led as soon as | was able to g
V about. But to this day the sight o
= St. Mary's Asylum makes me fee
: faint and giddy.-Nea0 York Weekts
J. I'll TAKE WHAT FATHER TAKES
There is food for the thought i
d the story that is told of a young lac
|