New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-28

StIect VI Tie uCtlc Town, anu, apparently uc"
termined that l should not forget him, he
then, seeming to alter his mind, he gave me
a sullen scowl and passed on.
"Confound the fellow" thought, "what
does he mean by following me? l wish /
could remember where / have seen him be-
FORE" After this l saw him but once again,
but that once was sufficient for life time.
Far away upon the lonely, desolate shore
which stretched for miles to the west of the
little fishing-town, find myself late one
evening at the end of the same July, appa-
rently the only living creature to be seen. A
canopy of heavy st6rm-clOuds, which have
been yelling slowly up from the south for
several hours, has now obscured the summer
sky as with pail, bringing into ghostly re-
and the solitary whitewashed coast-guard
station standing upon the highest promon-
tory. have strOlled thither after my usual
habit in such neighborhoods, watching the
effect Of the wind and weather, and making
notes of the beauties that strike me. The
natural approach Of twilight is Fastening by
the everdeepening gloom of the clouds. 1
shall barely save the daylight as is, and
knowing there is "a short cut across the
downs, I ascend a cliff path which passed
close by the coast-guard station. Exchanging
word or two with the man on duty at the
lookout about the coming storm, l made
straight off for a copse or fir plantation
through which the way lies.
This is scarcely three hundred yards dis
tant, butte reach it have to descend into a
of which is not in view until am close upon
it. As reach it, the first thing see is my
artist friend packing up his traps, and evil
IDENTIFY on the point of starting homewards.
He has been sketching, and come up with
him unavoidably, as he is just singing his
haversack on to his shoulder, and after an
awkward sort of recognition, we ascend the
further side of the little valley, and enter
the woods together. The path almost inn
mediately becomes so narrow that there is no
room ror us to walk side by side, so we go
on in Indian file, he taking the lead, which
have willingly accorded him. AS I do not
greatly care for his company, it is my in
tentiOn to drop we'll behind, but he proceeds
so slowly that I cannot keep much distance
between us. l endeavor to stimulate his
pace by suggesting that we shall get wet
ting if we don't push ahead, for large drops
are beginning to patter sOlemnly among the
trees, which are growing thicker and thicker,
lentling additional gloom to the place.
He takes no notice of what say, and as
now cannot pass him, we jog on as we are
for a few PAGES. 1 know that presently the
wood will open little at clearing; "then,"
Isay to myself, II will go on independently"
just before we reach this spot his haversack
slips, and appears to Inconvenience him,
laden as he is with easel, camp-stool, three
small articles fell out-a color-box, brush
case, a small pocket sketch-book, a sponge,
a water-bottle. Hastily picking up the two
former, and examining them back into the
sack he goes on without apparently noticing
the other things. come upon them and
pick them up. 1 call to him.
Bring them along" he replies, without
stopping or looking back; 'put them in your
pocket; don't want them"
Nonsense, my dear sir" say hurrying
up behind him, "here's your book and ~
"Keep it, keep it," he hastily interrupts
'it will be of use to you, it's of none to me.
a dabbling amateur, and amateurs are seldom
good at figures"
Again I demonstrate; again he repeats
something to the same effect as before and
as cannot get him to stop or turn round, l
carry the articles little way, irresolute, and
then, as some overhanging branches oblige
me to push them aside, 1 drop the sketch
book, etc., mechanically into my shooting
coat pocket, in order to get the free use OF
my hand. In another minute we are emerg-
ing into the clearing, where there is more
light, and am about to renew my protesta-
tons concerning the book, thinking all the
while how odd his manner is, when he, on a
sudden, turns round, faces me, and with a
jerk and clatter filings down his sketchine
apparatus.
I am not less startled by the abruptness
of this proceeding than by his strange and
nv Iso al, avSl
thin, now looks horribly so, and CHASTITY pale,
and his eyes, usually bright and piercing,
have cat-like glaze over them, and glitter
rather than shine. The nasal and cheek
bones stand out with undue prominence; one
of his thin, bony hands runs quickly through
his wavy brown hair, pushing off his wide
awake his other, raised to his inner breast
pocket, nervously clutches what, to my hor-
ror, l see is the hutt-end Of pistol. There
is a clammy crust of foam around his thin,
beardless lips, as he gasps out in his hollow,
grating voice, "You are right; we have met
before but we shall never meet there again
Villain, blasphemer, perjurer though am, l
will not have my steps logged by you. or any
one. Never again within those walls shall-''
He is drawing the pistol out now, and am
on the point of rushing at him, when he steps
briskly back pace or two, turns the muzzle
straight against his heart, and with the loud
ringing report that follows, springs high into
the air, and falls face downwards at my feet,
dead!
With frantic impulse I turn the body
over, and then for the first time, as l gaze
upon his agonized and distorted features, I
remember with the suddenness of light
ming fash where have seen him before.
1t was in the padded room at the Homes
kirk lunatic asylum.
Aghast, bewildered, unconscious of what
next happens, I only know that some little
while later am surrounded by small group
of people, two or three coast-guardsmen, and
a farm-laborer. One of the former, a petty
officer by his uniform, addressed me cvilly
but firmly:
''This is bad business, sir! don't know
what you may wish to say about it, but if l
may be so bold, I'd recommend you to say
nothing now,"
"say nothing now? whys What do you
mean Y'
swell, you see, sir, it might complicate
matters. We should have to repeat what
you say, and it might be used against YOU"
used against ?" say I, the truth not
yet dawning upon me; "explain yourself"
swell, my man here, who was on duty at
the lookout, saw you and'' (here the coast
guard gives jerk with his thumb over his
shoulder) sand the young gentleman that
was making the draft come into the wood to-
gcther. and q few minutes after he hears the