The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-02-10

tracted attention. Raising the corps
in his arms the renegade bore it som
distance to the rear, and deposited il
j. in the dead weeds Doing so he ex
claimed:
! "Good General always leaves al
opening for retreat in case of defeat
and will do so by disposing of ever!
guard in this direction. There is bu
one more to deal with, 1 think, and h,
is behind the quarters of the General
commanding"
Mad Leon crept forward as before
and soon the soldier referred to shared
the same fate as the first; but his cry
was louder, and was not entirely un
needed, for a window where a light
had been burning was thrown up, and
a voice asked:
"What is the matter down there p
The dying man struggled hard to
speak but the renegade prevented,
while he answered himself:
Nothing that am aware Of"
"But 1 heard cry"
$50 did 1 ; it was one of the prowl-
ing coyotes.
No further question was asked, and
! the villain saw that the light which he
had before observed had disappeared.
He knew that the strong wind had ex-
tinguished it as the window was rails
ed, and he muttered:
"May the devil favor me, and
leave that opening before he gets
another light, for / can then. enter" %
But the devil did not so favor him.
The sash, and the jingle of glass told
that some of the panes had been bro
ken by the fall. This was of some
Importance, and the villain knew it.
The guard was quiet. Leon eau
tiously mounted, shed and crept to
the window where he heard the voice.
Now he could hear voices, for these
were two in conversation. Applying
his ear to one of the broked 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 woman exclaimed
through her sobs:
80, Harry Graham, is it possible
II at you tell me this? 1 shall die.
Oh, cannot live, if you no longer
love me-"
"I only love you too deeply, Mari
anna was the reply.
"Then why do you tell me that ]
ccn never he your wife p
81 cannot explain-I dare not"
'@Y GU must, if you would not see
me fall dead at your feet, or live to
become maniac. ~
mariana, l feel that you have
right to demand an explanation, and
this much will L tell you. Somethine
which occurred years ago renders il
necessary that, as just avenger, ]
should Kill your father. Can I dc
this and then wed his child ?"
q" by then did you ever win my
10, ?"
II was only informed of the fact.
with regard to you this day, and ]
hasten at once to tell you as much al
L dare"
Harry, You must tel me all. ]
have never known my father and i.
his crimes have been so great that he
deserves death, I cannot blame the
hand that strikes. For the love O.
heaven, tell me ALL"
"I will Your fathers names
old Brant, who has had you in hi.
keeping from infancy, tells me-wa>
old Paul Blackburn, He bcclme tn,
most deadly foe of my own parents
and for no other reason than that he
was rejected by my mother. He
s" ore the most deadly vengeance, bu'
those who knew him did not believe
there was any danger. can wei
remember the night of the revenge.
however. The glare of the flame.
which consumed my home is before
me still and the yells of the red de
mons, led by Paul Blackburn, are yet
ringing in my cars. The ghastly and
bloody forms of my parents are be
fore me and even the exultant words
of the murderer are not forgotten"
"Oh, horrible ! And my father
was the monster?"
s.He was And this is not all.
Let me know the worst"
"After my fathers marriage, your
own also took a wife, but his constant
brutal treatment of her proclaimed his
hatred. She interfered to save his
victim, and with a single blow he
struck her lifeless 10 the earth"
ale murdered his own wife--my
mother"
"He did |
"But how were you saved-how |
was I saved ?"
"Here is strange part Of my sto |
ry. I was hoy of seven years, and |
you IN infant of six months re
seeing you fall from your
mothers arms as she was stricken |
down. / remember seizing you in |
nv own arms, and crawling into a
place of concealment by the 1iver's |
side. You were taken from me sone
fine after bv old Brant. and alt thouah |
had forgotten him and yourself ] !
could nntforget those events. Only |
to-day. as before informed you, tie
old man gave these particulars
-"Is that cruel father, that blood |
stained msn. yet alive r.
eyes, and I have just leerned that |
too. must seek him ont. for I shall J
never seek rest until / have met him |
face to face, nnd met him as the aven-
ger of me slaughtered parents and
desolated home" 1 /
The candle had heen re-lighted, but |
- l