The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-12-05


80 tlis was the story that the OF
) man declined to tell knew now VII,
he did not care to relate the same
himself. And il told its moral too
the old moral to the old, old story
that one false step from right msy b,
! !eaping into a gulf from the depths oi
? which there is no rescue. I could not
| sleep after its nRrTatiOn-I was pain
fully wide awake, and the least noise
Jared upon my nerves, and made me
restless. The woman at the table was
a basilisk from which l could not dis
tract my gaze. I felt that she had
been an eager listener, and that she
alone of all the world might possibly
be able TO add further details. This
fancy took so strong a hold upon me,
that l began to grow anxious for 3
sight OF her white face again-fOr a
chance OF studying it in search of that
lost beauty that had been her utter
ruin. Was il speculative romance. or
a strange coincidence? Had /, in
deed, been witness at the ferry TO
the silent meeting between those
whom crime had parted twenty years
ago? Twenty years sand the wo-
man had gray hair now, and the face
of a hag-erime had changed her
more than time, if she wers Jenny
Wisford.
remember that night setting in
wet, the heavy drops pelting against
windOw-glass, and the wind suddenly
rising and whirling wildly round the
house. / remember listening to the
rain, and the signing of the wind, till
the American clock struck two, then
three, and the fire burning hollow
and collapsed, and the landlord fell
asleep with his IN his pipe mouth, and
his arms folded, bravo fashion, on his
chest.
Suddenly I was reused to my feet,
and the pipe frightened from the
landlords lip into the fender, by an
exclamation from the woman, who
had so long retained her sleeping pos
ture.
81 can't stop here! 7 shall go mad
! If I stop here I"
She raised her head from the table.
on which she had smitten her large
hand passiOnately.
"HallOO here! What's all this
noise about " exclaimed the land
/ lord.
unlock your door, and let me be
going on my way. 1 have many
miles to travel before sunrise"
I ''D0n't you hear the rain, lass ~
said the landlord.
"Tm tramp, and rough weather
( does not frighten me. I've roughed
/ it many years now, and I am not
afraid Of catching and dying of it. No
such luck for one sick of life as I am.D
''But you have had no rest" I sug-
| gested; "there Is q small room up
stairs, and am sure our landlord will
allow me to defray-"
81 want no mans charity" said
] the woman rudely, as she snatched
her bonnet from the floor. 'Unbar
| the door and let me out into the night.
Don't you hear, must be gone ~
'Ohi don't mean to keep YOU
against your will" said the landlord,
becoming warm in his turn "onIy,
as you have had shelter here for hours,
called for nothing, would have tried
and kept civil tongue. This way,
marm.N
"You mustn't mind me-" said the
the woman, in a milder tone owe
seen trouble, and am hRsty-like.
Thank you for your kindness, though
wish 10 pay IOr II"
She began fumbIing in the pocket
of her tattered gown, as she rose to
her feet, but the landlord told her to
keep her mOney-he wanted none Of
it, and he had no charge to make for
hOuse-rOom.
care you going far ?" I vsntured to
inquire.
"Baek to London. I've walked
from London every step, on the faith
of a FOOLS dream-but hen I'm a
mad fool, and a whim leads me any
where. But oh that dreamW with
a shiver sit was like call to be pre-
pared-a warning that there was one
chance left me even yet But Pm
mad-stark mad ~ ~ the ram IKE THIS
lord. the iSliu
The woman made no answer but
followed the landlord TO the door,
which was unbarred and open for her
egress. Without bidding either Of us
goodnight, she stepped across the
threshold, drew her shawl round her,
and stood for q moment as if doubt
full of her way. The landlord had
not closed the door, and l was look
ing over his shoulder at the strange
woman who had ventured forth in
such rough weather, when the clear,
sharp report of a pistol rang suddenly
thrOught the air. As the landlord
caught me by the arm, and gave vent
to an exclamation of surprise, the wO-
man flung up her arms, and came,
with a wild scream, back upon US.
"The dream the dream! Oh! my
God, it's true at last, and he is muir
dered! saw it all a week ago-his
white hair dab5led with blood, and he
living on his face on the wet grass out
side. OH is there no one Lere to
help ." she cried, wringing her hands. 1
was about to assert that at present
there was little reason for her excite
ment, when there was walled family
from the distance q word that
blanched ali cheeks, and paralyZed
all US for a moment with It's awful
Meaning" Murder ~
An instant, and then the woman
was running down the lane barehead-
ed, her bonnet in the roadway; and
the landlord had seized a stick and
nat from the passage, exclaiming,
ssThere's mischief abroad tonight.
Will you follow, Sir"
I ran into the room for my hat, and
the landlord of the "LiOu" and were
Fastening down the lane after the
woman, who sped swiftly on before
US, and whom there was no Overtak-
ing. As we hurried toward the ferry,
voices of people awakened in the vii
Iaoa sOunded- in the rear ana q dOs,
6reeaking from its sleep in the coach
ward, came bounding by our side. !
have said the distance was not far to
the ferry-hOuse; the bend OF the lane
brought il once more to view-a dark
blot near the waters edge, scarcely
| distinguishable from the darkness of
the night. As we neared it, a pierc-
/ ing scream from the woman once
more echoed in our ears; and, reach
ing the place at last, we could distin-
guish her bending over PROSTATE
I form, lying on its face on the grass
/ before The ferry house.
Murdered v' gasped the landlord.
tsThis is q strange and awful night, TO
be remembered by Us both"
"Ayew
"AIight al alight-dOn't be standing
prating there ~ cried the woman
i.He is not dead II thank my God
/ he is not dead ~
The landlord ran into the ferry
/ house, and I stopped over the wound
ed man, and felt for some signs Of
/ life about his heart. Something in
my manner appeared to suggest my
/ profession to the woman.
"You are q dOctOr?' she asked, ca
gerly.
"Yes."
"Wnl he live, Sir: Do you think
| there is hope for him even nOw?'
SIT is impossible to say at present y
The landlord had a flint and
steel, and was busy, inside the hut,
striving hard to obtain q spark from
them, when one villager, then anoth-
er, arrived in breathless haste.
When the ferry-man's lantern was
casting a sickly gleam on the wound
ed father, and the daughter bending
over him, the number Of those awaS-
ened from their sleep had increased
to eight, three ofthem shivering, anx-
ious, inquisitiYe, sympathetic women,
ready 70 offer assistance, or get wet
through, or speculate upon the mo-
tiyes of the crime, as circumstances
might OCCUR.
/ Jacob Wisford was laid upon his
bed in the ferry-hOuse at last; an old
lamp, half filled with oil, was dis
covered on the mantel-piece, and
I Ts.L.o1. fba man and uvOuoau raunf