Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-16

| self late one evening, at the end of the
same July, apparently the only living
creature to be seen. A canopy Of heavy
storm 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-
lief the chalk cliffs Astounding on the
coast, and the solitary whitewashed coast
guard station, standing on the highest
promontory. have strolled thither, after
my usual habit In such neighborhoods,
watching the effects of wind and weather,
| and making notes of the beauties that
strike me. The natural approach of twi
! light is fastened by the ever deepening
| gloom of the clouds; | shall barely save
| the daylight as it is, and, knowing there is
a short cut across the downs, | ascend a
| cliff-path which passes close by the coast
guard station. Exchanging a word or
| two with the man On duty at the lookout
about the coming storm, make straight
| oft for copse OF fir plantation through
which the way lies. Thus is scarcely
three hundred yards distant. but to reach
| it | have to descend into little cup,like
hollow of the hill, the bottom of which is
not it view until am close upon it. AS
| reach it, the first thing l see is my
artist friend, packing up his traps, and
|
homeward. He has been sketching, and
l 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 Iood
| together. The path almost Immediately
| becomes so narrow that there is no room
| for US to walk side by side. so we 90 on
in Indian file, he taking the lead, which l
have willingly accorded him. AS | do
not greatly care for his company, it is my
intention to drop well behind, but he
| proceeds so slowly that | cannot keep
much distance between US. | endeavOr
to stimulate his pace by suggesting that
we shall get wetting if we don't push
ahead, for large rain drops are beginning
which are now growing thicker and
thicker, lending additional gloom to the
place
He takes no notice of what say, and,
as now I cannot pass him, we jog OF as
we are for few PAGES. | know Lat
presently the wood viii open little at a
clearing; "then, say to myself, Il 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, etc. AS he en-
deav0ss to re-strap it, two or three small
articles fall out-a color box, brush
case, small pocket sketch book, a
sponge, a water bottle. Hastily picking
upthe two former, and examining them
back into the sack, he goes on without an
parently noticing the other things l
come upon them and pick them up. l
call to him.
g Bring them along" he replies, with
out stopping or looking back; put them
in your pocket; [ don't want them"
" Nonsense, my dear sir" l say, hurry
ing up hehind him; there's your book
and
Keep it, keep it," he hastily Interrupts;
" It will be Of use TO you, it's Of none TO
NE. There are some useful figures in it.
You are a dabbling amateur, and amateurs
are seldom good at figures"
Again / demonstrate; again he repeats
! something 20 the same effect as before;
and, as | can not get him to stop and turn
! round, l carry the articles a little way If
! TesOlute, and then, as some OVerhanging
| branches ObliGe HE to push them aside,
! drop the sketch-bOOk, etc, mechanically
! into my pocket, in order to get the free
use of my hand. In another minute we
ale emerging into the clearing, where
| there is more light, and am about to re-
/ new my Protestations concerning the
! book, thinking all the while how odd his
| manner is, when he, on a sudden, turns
around, faces me. and, with a jerk and a
! clatter, filings down his sketching appa-
ratus.
am not less startled by the abruptness
! Of this proceeding than by his strange
and wild expression. His face, always
/ long and thin, now looks horribly so, and
| CHASTITY pale, whilst his eyes, usually
! bright and piercing, have a cat-like glaze
! over them, and glitter rather than shine.
| The nasal and cheek bones stand out
/ with undue prominence; one OF the thin,
bony hands runs quickly through his
/ Wavy brown hair, pushing off his wide
/ awake his other, raised to his inner
! breast-pOCket, neTvously clutches what,
| to my horror, | see is the butt-end of pis-
! t0l. 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 Vii
! lain, blasphemer, periurer, that | am,
l viii not have my steps logged by you,
nor any one. Never again within these
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,
! tGrns the muZzle straight against his
heart, and, with the loud, ringing report
/ that follows, springs high into the air,
and falls face downward, at my feet,
dead.
With frant : impulse l turn the body
| over, and then, for the first time, as gaze
upon his agonIzed and distorted features,
l remember, with the suddenness Of a
lightning flash, where l have seen him
before.
1t was in the padded room of the Home
skirk Lunatic asylum.
Aghast, bewildered, unconscious Of
what next happens, 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, petty officer by his uniform,
/ addressed me civilly, but firmly.
This is a bad business, sir! l don't
know what you may wish to say about it;
but, if | may make so bold I'd commend
you to say nothing now"
Say nothing now? Why? What do
! You mean"
We'll, you see, sir, itmight complicate
matters. We should have to repeat what
you say, and it might be used against
you
Used against me?" said l, the truth
net yet dawning on me; "explain your
self"
well, my man here, who was on duty
at the lockout, saw YOU (here the coast