Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-09-30

Il
+, have been alive in John Danforth's heart
then, and prompted the stealthy, creeping
pace with which he followed his victim,
on, on, over rugged paths, watching the
boyish form, til the sudden, blind impulse
OF revenge grew into a settled purpose
till the sure, relentless hand seconded the
/ murderous plans OF the heart.
Halfway down the winding, rocky road
a deep chasm runs parallel with it for a
little distance, then with an abrupt turn,
takes another direction toward the coast.
John, breathlessly logging the footsteps
/ OF the boy-he is but little more than that
-chucIled with savage delight at the
I thought of misstep, which might plunge
| his unconscious enemy hcadlong down the
abyss to a frightful death on the sharp,
jagged rocks below.
AS he reaches this point in his journey,
the youth pauses a moment turning his
! back to the fierce blast, which has been
! blowing steadily in his face all the way.
John is beside him in a moment.
/ "VillainW He grasps the boy by the
/ shoulder fiercely, with an oath Kissed be
/ tween his shut teeth, and there is q strug-
/ glc-uncqual, short decisive
/ Unequal, for the youth is but as babe
! in that fierce, strong grasp, and over
I powered, he shouts with all his might for
help.
I "Robinaw
That name, wrung from him in his ago
! nizng fear is his death-warrant A
/ thousand demons rage in the heart OF
/ Danforth, as he holds him for a moment
over the abyss The, moon, shining
! through rift in the clouds, show him two
\ blue eyes gazing with wild, bcseeching
1 fear into his; TWO white hands tossed
/ helplessly in the air; llutter of yellow
/ curIs, and then something goes crashing
over jagged points Of rocks and rolling
stones below.
MurderW
The bowling winds, as they sweep
past, shrek the word in his ear, then
away, TO bear the cry still further on, leav-
ing him sitting helplessly alone and weak,
staring vacantly around and listening to
the rush and roar of the increase" tide,
as it murmurs in hollow tones, Murder y
Gone now the blind rage and madness
! OF the moment before, only the anguish
and the remorseful despair remain.
His brain is in "A confused whirr ;.only
half conscious o. what he is doing, he
/ rises to his feet aud endeavors to stagger
onward, in vain. A yawning abyss opens
beneath his feet; a roaring sound in his
ears lights fash before his eyes he sinks
in utter uncCns2iousn SIS.
A million OF devils caught him into their
strong arms and were forcing him over
precipice. He fought he struggled, he
prayed for mercy, but only derisive
laughter answered him, and the torment
was. redoubcd. They picked his flesh with
! sharp needles; they burned his brain with
hot irons. AT one moment he seemed
/ plunged into burning lake; the next, he
! wandered through interminable fields of
ice and snow--nothing but the fierce glare
of the sun lpon blocks and mountains of
polar ice met his aching eyes And every
where, whether he wandered over burn
ing desert sands or sailed in phantom
| ship amid the icebergs of polar-sea, q
I blood red banner Tapped before his eyes
inscribed with the word MURDER
At last Il ere cane day when the ban
ner no loager flar ped in his ears, and he
tloated upon an odorous summer lake
sweet with the perfume of lilaCS. He
reached out his hand to grasp them, and
human touch met that hand He opened
his eyes, and was conscious that he lay in
Widow Dantorth's best bedroom, whose
moreen curtains Tapped in the soft spring
air, which bore to his bedside the odor OF
early flowers.
A sepulchral sigh sounded in his ear
/ and Widow Danlorth bent over him, the
old time mothcrly look ON her wOe-hegone
face as she turned her blue eyes to his,
"What am doing here"
She lillcd one of his thin, wasted hands,
which lay upon the coyerliL, and held il
before his eyes,
lie drew long breath, His memory
was coming back, bringing the old sting
pain to his heart
"Where is Robina? ~
No answer
lie burst into passion Of childish tears.
His mother tried 10 soothe him as one
would soothe tretfll child,
"Whcrc is Sheg"
"She has worn herself ont watching
over You, One night, when you We're
raving in delrium, YOU said something
which frightened her 50 that she haSnever
been herself since Dr. Gray thinks that
her mind was in weak state. She
mCurned a good deal for her brother who
was not killed in the army, as was sup
posed bur came home a few days before
you did. and wandered oil the edge Of
the deep cut on his way to the village,
and was dashed to pieces, the same night
that you came So near freezing TO death
on your way to Eagle Crag.'
Her brother The only tie of relation
ship she had ever known-the brother
whom she had loyed with such idohtry
Escaped from death in India, and seek
ing the sister who mournod him rs dead,
only to be stricken down by the Jealous
hate Of one who should have been his guar
dian and protector!
He turned lis face 80 the wall with a
groan that seemed bursting his heart
From that day he failed rapidly; and
one bright morning, when the flowers
hlaomcd and the birds sang hlithely, he