The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-09-01
A JEALOUS WOMAN'S PLOT.

| n nelu poSsessloh Vi park OppOSlIo MS
residence, which the authorities of Elms-
wood had tried to purchase. At last law
suit which had been long pending, placed
this portion of the estate in the possession
of another, and from him it was purchased,
and the public Jail erected thereon, much
TO the disgust of the old General. had
been absent from the town quite awhile,
and was now on visit to the Generals
wife, with whom had long been intimate.
We chatted, and laughed, and lounged
till the cool of that summers day. At tea
the General made himself visible. There
were whittier hairs mingled with his grey
locks. his stern eye haG sunken, his fore
head high and bald, was thicklier traced
with lines, and his lips were not SO reso-
Lutte.
"You see we are still opposite the jail, I"
he remarked, and it was almost the first
thing he said, showing that under the
healed flesh, the wound festered little
still.
az live in hopes yet, he added, "that
my eyeso-e may be removed have pledg-
ed myself for two thousand if they will 10
cate the house over on the hill and convert
the ground into public park. live in
hopes" he repeated 80 and believe it
will be done before / die, too"
My chamber that night was the front
room on the second story did not retire
till late, and the moon flooding the apart
ment to its remotest recess rendered the
candlelight superfluous So beautiful was
the lustre of the night, so inky black and
we'll defined the shadows, that could not
think of sleep. l sat at the open window,
gazing out upon the road along which
could almost see the wild flowers grow
The soft masses of foliage in the distance
the gloomy walls where crime slept un-
easily upon it's hard palet-how strangely
they contrasted together the innocence
and the guilt of nature. AS my eye roved
from easement to easement, fanoed saw
white hand grasping the bars that Sc
cured the window exactly opposite where
1 sat. looked more eagerly, and soon the
outlines of figure, and then face with
flowing hair became cloudily visible. But
as fastened my whole attention upon the
object it grew more and more distinct, un-
til the features of a young girl, her head
leaning pensively against the side of the
frame, her eyes gazing upward, were plain
ly distinguishable. For many minutes she
stood thus, sometimes white and misty,
| o,,I in
beside me. But gradually her arm fell
down there was blank at the window
she was gone. / retired, but could not
sleep for thinking of the vision whatever it
was. l fancied, too, that imagination had
beguiled me into the belief that what saw
was young, OF had some of the attributes of
youth. Some old hag it undoubtedly was,
experienced in drunkenness, or theft, or
harlotry, whose conscience would not let
her sleep, or who possibly was contempla-
ting some means of escape from durance
vile.
In the morning 1 told my impression
that seemed rather like dream.
eyes, you saw Alice" said Mrs. Johns,
her smile vanished on the instant poor
Alice p
els she young Is she unfortunate
laughed at myself for supposing her youth
full" replied.
"Both young and unfortunate" return
ed Mrs. Johns, "and this morning we will
go over there. 'Tis sad, heart breaking
case. She is on trial for theft-that is,
she will be in months time. They have
tampered with her case strangely, but
hope in mercy. To make her situation
more distressing, she is under engagement
of marriage to young man, supercargo OF
the best ship that sails from here to Eng.
land, and he as yet knows nothing about
it. They love each other tenderly, and
fear it will be almost death blow to
him." l.
"But do you believe her innocent ?" ]
asked.
GAS innocent as am but come, sup
pose we visit her nowP / am the only
person admitted to see her, and am al
lowed to take in friends sometimes, and
you can easily go at this hour if you
wisb.n
need not say that did we crossed
the street. were admitted into the jail-yard,
and then into the Jail itself. Two doors
were locked upon us as we advanced, until
we entered room tolerably furnished,
where, seated at a table, sewing, sat a per-
son whom recognized Immediately as the
vision of the preceding night. Slight al
most to attenuation, with colorless cheeks
grey eyes, large and very sad, profusior