The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-21
lowed the dying rattle, ending in dull and

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sullen moan.
I rose to my feet crossed over to the wall,
and, feeling along it, took walk with all the
speed my sinking frame would suffer me to put
forth. How long walked 1 know not. My
passage seemed interminable. The damp oi
the wall against which my hand constantly
pressed froze my blood. Now and then
stumbled over piles of rubbish lying grouped
against the side; and sometimes my cropping
was bewildered by my coming across recesses
into which my hands guided me.
| At length saw star, tremulous glorious,
in the distance. 1t was daylight; the aperture
of the tunnel, and pushed forward with in
vigorated spirits. 1 neared it slowly, for this
star seemed to maintain an inexorable distance,
and would not enlarge. How shall describe
my 10y as I gained the twilight of its reflection
as advanced and felt the pure air of heaven
upon my dry cheeks and burning Gps-I saw
the blue sky, and the dim vista of pale, green
banks
AS got into the light, a cry escaped my lips.
My trowsers were splashed with blood. There
was one ensanguined line, as if a fountain of
blood had played upon me.
ISseated myself to recover my strength,
could see that presented dismal and terrible
spectacle. My coat was torn, my hands were
black-so, too, judged, was my face-my col
lar had been torn from me, and the skin at the
ends of my fingers had been lacerated. After
reposing myself climbed the bank, and per
ceived % the distance of about mile small
station. made toward it, and gained it. A
railway official, who was standing looking at
two children playing in back garden, uttered
loud cry of alarm as he spied me. NARRATED
my story to him as coherently as could, and
then sunk upon the ground in fainting condi-
ton.
Of what happened after this have no re-
membrance. When 1 came to my senses dis
covered that had been taken to the house of
the station-master and carefully tended by his
wife. From him / learned the conclusion of
this singular incident in my life. Itseems that
after my story had been told, two men were dis
patched into the tunnel in search of my assail-
his legs cut clean off little above the knees.
They bore the corpse to the adjacent dead-house,
and an inquiry into his death brought out par
ticulars that are easily anticipated. The man
who so very closely resembled me at v
had seduced the betrothed of laborer, one
Theodore Vertot. This Theodore, reckless now
of life, and resolutely bent on vengeance,
swore to kill her seducer. Mistaking me for
his enemy, he attempted to shoot me- This fail
ing, he hung about the hotel, armed with a
stiletto, determined to stab me whenever l
should appear on the street.
Hearing, however, that was about leaving
for Paris, he perceived a better and safer means
of prosecuting his design, by stabbing me in
the tunnel through which he knew We would
pass, and then escaping in the darkness. Re-
Election had obviously taught him that revenge
would be none the less sweet because it did not
entail his destruction by the law.
Such is the simple but tragical story. My
prototype, who had been the means of twice
imperiling my life, have never seen since. l
confess to no wish to see him. Its bad enough
to have to bear the brunt of ones own follies
it is altogether miserable to suffer for the fol-
lies of Others Ever since the occurrence of
this small episode, have always thought there
is much wiser providence manifested in the
dissimilarity between man and man than our
philosophers suffer us to dream of-Gcntemen's Is
Muqazine.