The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1870-05-26

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cry Of surprise and terror, for the maj
was really fearful to look at.
HIS face was pale, anil the cheeks
were sunken. His eyes glared wildl,
upon her, and his hair, long and mat
ted, hung down unco.nbsd over biz
forehead. His clothes were torn and
stained, with briers clinging to him
here and there, and in each hand he
held pistol.
For a moment he did not speak, but
looked sternly and savagely upon the
poor girl, who. frightened beyond
measure, tried to scream, hut was una
BILE to utter sound. Then he said:
"Helen St. Orme, have come Ia
you to again plead my cause"
Mr. Montgom. rie, the answer
gave to you last Spring, l give you
now. Nothing will induce me to mar
ny YOU"
mot even this ?" inquired the mad
man, touching one Of the pistols sig,
nifcantly.
"Not even that" she managed to re-
ply, although her limbs trembled be-
uea.h her, and she could scarcely artic.
ulate the words.
II may as we'll come to the point at
once" he remarked. "Helcn St. !Orme,
you see this pistol. In its barrel is a
bullet--a death dealing hullet--and as
sure as the sun now shines that bullet
shall 60 through your brain, if within
five minutes" he took out his watch
and opened it, "you do not consent to
marry me. am desperate man, and
I shall do desperate thing, for mean
what I say. The other pistol is for
myself, should you prove obstinate.
A suffocating feeling came over Hell
en-; was she to die9 She was so
young, and life was very, very sweet to
her just then. Yet she could not mar
ry that mailman, Oh, for help!
"Spale me-" she CRIED, in broken &C
cents, falling on her knees before him !;
"you surely will commit no murder y
"Helen, once knelt to you, and do
you remember what You said to me ?
You told me it was an attitude fit only
for the boards of theater. Ha! ha !
ha! Your actions and your words are
not in keeping, madam"
"But ! am pleading for life
$50 was l, for you We're life to me-"
and, relentless as fate he calmly count
I'd the minutes.
Observation-Disclosures! Her
time had come. He shut his watch
and returned it to his pocket.
"Your answer9" he savagely de.
Helen clasped her hands imploring-
ly. She tried to say "no," but the
word seemed fastened in her throat.
and only dry, husky sound issued
from her parched lips. He shook her
"Speak. l am in haste"
She made another effort, and feebly
gasped mo"
Then die" he Kissed.
The pistol was cooked and leveled.
his hand was upon the trigger. Helen
murmured u prayer, and closed her
eyes. As in dream she heard the re
port, blt felt no hurt. Wonderingly
she looked up. Harold Montgomeric
lay on the grass foaming with rage,
while over him, holding him tightly
down, knelt Reginald Prescott. The
prolonged strain upon her nerves re
Taxed. Gropin. feebly with one hand,
the light faded from her eyes, and she
fell back unconscious.
When che regained her senses she
lay in her room at the hotel, and her
father, who had been telegraphed for
from New York, where he lad been
called on business, sat by her side.
For an instant she could not recol-
lect what had happened, but suddenly
it all came to her. The ,pic-nic-her
wandering oE-Harold Montgom,rie
pistols and death--and Reginald Pres
colt
20, papa, where is he now9" she in
quired.
Safe and sound, my dear. on his
way to the lunatic asylum. But, my
you are to be quiet, for DR..
Grey says your nerves have been fear
fully taxed, and that you must not
have the least excitement for three or
four days"
So, although she was almost dying
with curiosity to know what had &C.
CURED after she tainted, she was forced
to wait the length Of time before she
heard anything more than what her
father had told her.
Then. entirely restored to health,
seated costly in a large arm chair, she
hazard the whole story.