The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-03-25

WIN MS crimson gore.
The murderer had clutched the throat
ofhis victim in order to prevent an out.
cry from the dying man, and had only
partially succeeded. He now raised his
head and listened attentively, but nc
sound gave indication that the voice Of
the soldier had attracted attention
Raising the corpse in his arms, the rem
egade bore him some distance to the
rear and deposited him in the dead
weeds. Doing so, he exclaimed
"a good general always leaves an
opening for retreat in case of defeat
and l will do SO by disposing of every
guard in this direction. There is but
one more to deal with, think, and he
is behind the quarters of the general
commanding"
Mod 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 window, where light
had been burning, was thrown up and a
voice asked:
what is the matter down there?"
The dying man struggled hard to
speak; but this therenegade prevented.
while he answered himself:
Nothing that l am aware Of"
"But l heard cry"
$50 did l; 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.
lie knew that the strong wind had ex-
tinguished it, as the window was raised
and he muttered:
"May the devil favor me, and leave
that opening before he gets another
light, for L can then enter" But the
devil did not SO favor him. The sash
came down with crash, and the jingle
of the glass told that some of the panes
had been broken by the fall. This was
of some Importance and the villain
knew it.
The guard once quiet, Leon cautious
ly mounted shed and crept to the win
dow where he had heard the voice.
Now he could hear voices. for there
were two persons in conversation. Ap-
plying his ear to one of the broken
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 female exclaimed
through her sobs:
80 Harry Graham, is it possible that
you tell me this? 1 shall die. Oh, 1
cannot live, for you no longer love me-"
81 only love you too deeply, Mari
anna" was the reply.
"Then why do you tell me that can
never be your wife ?''
81 cannot explain-I dare not"
"You must, if you would not see me
fall dead at your feet, or live to become
a maniac"
Mariana, feel that you have a
right to demand an explanation, and
this much will tell you. Something
which occurred years ago renders it me-
cessary that, as a just avenger, should
kill your father. Can / do this and
then wed his child?"
"Why, then, did you ever win my
love?"
81 was only informed OF the facts
with regard to you this day, and 1 has
ten at once to tell you as much as I
dare"
Harry, you must tell me all. have
never known my father; and if his
crimes have been SO great that he de-
serves death, l cannot blame the hand
that strikes. For the love of heaven,
tell me all.
81 will. Your fathers name-so old
Brant, who has had you in his keeping
from infancy, tells me-was Paul Black
burn. He became the most deadly
foes of my own parents, and for no 9TH
er reason than that he was rejected by
my mother. He swOre the most deadly
vengeance; but those who knew him
did not believe there Was any danger.
can well remember the night of that
revenge, however. The glare of the
flames which consumed my home is be-
fore me still; and the yells of the red
demons led by Paul Blackburn are yet
ringing in my ears. The ghastly and
bloody forms of my parents are before
me; and even the eXultant words of
their murderer are not forgotten"
"Oh, horrible! And my father was
this monster?"
IN ic l., oil
"Let me know the worst"
"After my fathers marriage, your
own also took wife, but his constant
brutal treatment of her proclaimed his
hatred. She interfered to save his vic.
Tins, and with single blow he struck
her lifeless to the earth"
"He murdered his own wife-my
mother"
"He did"
"But how were you saved-how was
saved ?"
"Here is a strange part of my story.
was boy of seven years, and you an
infant of six months. / remember see
ing you fall from your mothers arms
as she was stricken down. l remem-
ber seizing you in my own. and crawl
ing into place of concealment by the
rivers side. You were taken from me
some time after by o'd Brant, and al
though ! had forgotten him and your
self, | could not forget those events.
Only to-day, as | before informed you,
the old man gave me these particulars"
"Is that cruel father-that blood
stained man-y ct alive?"
"ies, and have just learned that,
4 la e.