The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-01-05

uttie iorWafu, tne falling Drown hair,
the shining. truthful eyes, this had been
the brightest, because the dearest of all.
She was thinking of him, perhaps,
little dreaming OF the happy surprise
In store for her in his unsuspected re-
turn.
Ayl start, John Danforth, and reel
as If struck by a sudden blow. Is this
the wife you have seen in doting dreams
for whom you have kept your soul pure
and unstained, that 1t might hold en-
shrined her sacred image?
An inner door is opened, a quick
manly step upon the floor, and man, :,
muftied with coats and wrappings of
fur, Is beside Robins chair. She looks
up in his face. How we'll John Dam
forth knows that loving smile and
though the wind prevents their words
from reaching him, she seems from her
gestures to be urging remonstrances
against his going out In such storm.
lie shakes his head laughingly. the
boyish curls glancing in the fire light.
and stoops down beside her. She filings
both arms round his neck, presses her
lips to the smooth cheek, innocent of
beard or razor, and he lays his hand
upon the latch, slowly opens the door.
and in moment more is out in the
stormy night.
The heart of Captain Danforth sink.
ing down, down like lead in his bosom
with the weight of his loss, leaps and
burns with all the fury of a savage as
he hears the footsteps of his rival beside
MIN, SO close that if he should stretch
out his hand he could throttle him in
moment.
He looks at the darkened sky and
starts on the road to the village.
The village road That way is long
and rugged few travellers ever tread
the lonely way. Revenge, revenge!
1t is said there is a drop of tigers
blood in every human heart. 1 think
1T must have been alive In John Dan
1orth's heart then, and prompted the
stealthy, creeping pace with which he
followed his victim, on, on, over rugged
paths, watching his boyish form, till
the sudden, blind impulse of revenge
grew into a settled purpose--till the
sure, relentless hand seconded the mur
derous plan of the heart.
Half way down the winding, rocky
road deep chasm ran parallel with it
for little distance, then, with an alb
rupt turn, takes another direction to-
ward the coast.
John, breathlessly dogging the foot.
steps of the boy-he is but little more
than that-chuckled with savage de-
light at the thought of a misstep, which
might plunge his unconscious enemy
headlong down the abyss to a frightful
death on the sharp, jagged rocks below.
AS he reaches this point in hi. Jour-
ney, the youth pauses moment, turn
J ing his back To tho feroe hI-~., ,.,I.ie,.
mas been blowing steadily in his face
all the way. John is beside him in a
moment.
"Villain" He grasps the boy by the
shoulder, fercely, with an oath hissed
between his shut teeth, and there is a
struggle, unequal, short, decisive.
Unequal, for the youth is but a babe
In that fierce, strong grasp, and over
powered, he shouts with all his might
for help.
"Robina!'
That name, wrung from him in his
agonizing fear, is his dtath warrant,
"A thousand demons rage in the heart
OF Danforth, as he holds him for a mo-
ment over the abyss. The moon, shin
ing through rift in the clouds, show
him two blue eyes, ga zing with wild,
beseeching fear into his; two white
hands tossed helplessly in the air; a
f1utter of yellow curls, and then some
thing goes crashing over jagged point
OF rocks and rolling stones below.
"Murder!"
The bowling winds as they sweep
past, shrek the word in his ear, then
away, to bedr the cry still further on,
leaving him sitting helplessly alone
and weak, staring vacantly around and
listening to the rush and roar of the
increasing tide, as it nurmurs in hollow
tones, "Murder!"
Gone now the bird rage and mad
ness OF the moment before, only the
anguish and the remorseful despair re-
main.
| His brain is confused whirl; only
half conscious Of what he is doing, he
rises to his feet and endeavors to stag
ger onward, in vain. A yawning abyss
opens beneath his f ct; a roaring sound
in his ears; lights flash before his eyes;
ne sinks in utter Inconsistencies.
A million of devils caught him into
their strong arms and were forcing him
over pfecipiece He fought, he strug.
gled, he prayed for mercy, but only
Gerisive laughter answered him, and
the torment was redoubed. They
picked his flesh with sharp needles (;
they burned his brain with hot irons,
AT one moment he seemed plunged
into a burning lake; the next, he wan
uered through interminable fields of
Ice and snow-nothing but the fierce
glareof the sun upon blocks and noun.
tains Of polar ice met his aching eyes
And everywhere, whether he wander
ed over burning desert sands or sailed
in phantom ship amid the icebergs of
a polar sea, blood red banner tapped
before his eyes, inscribed with the word
"Murder."
AT last there came day when the
banner no longer tapped in his ears,
and ho fl Dated 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 Daniorth's best bed
room, 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 Danforth bent over him,
the old time motherly look on her woe.
begone face as she turned her blue eyes
to his.