The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-19
PHANTOM, PURSUED.

This wind that sings in the chimney"
----->ses--
Il PHANTOM, PURSUED.
/ Another i've years of restless wander.
ing up and down the earth, gathering NO
moss, trying every soil and taking root
in none, q scandalously unprod uctive
man, Of no use to myself or my fellows,
bound to them by no ties Of common
sympathy or service, I found myself
home again, where there was no home.
My fathers house had no place for me
my father repudiated and ignored ne
my mothers children turned their faces
from me.
lntemperate, possessed of q devil OF
drink-tnirst, eternal thirst, from my
rising up to my lying down-mad, irre-
spohsible to God or man--never premed-
itating, never foreseeing the result of
any word might utter, any deed l
might commit-liable at any time to say
or do that which would involve me and
others In common ruin--I rushed mad
ly along through life, like mad OK
In crowded street, only by some strange
the crash which all expected. Ny re-.
sources of an almost desperate charac-
ter-precarious, wholly accidental, de-
rived, at the moment, from the place
where l might happen to benny pow
ers. by sort Of cOnyulsive struggle, ex-
ercised to procure the absolute require.
ments OF the moment, the necessities OF
food, and drink, and sleep, no more
making no provision for the future,
hoping nothing from the next day, and
caring as little what evil thing the next
alone in New York-truly, In its most
| oCtuaI nd main fu1 Gpnan al0na.
Such q man Was !, when one evening,
l set out about dusk to loaf-that IL the
word-to kill time, to run amuck down
the narrow lane of q day-haying all day
drank fire in one .soalding stream.
/ reached Madison square. As
walked, the scene around me whirling,
upside down, In the same jumbled con-
dition IS my own mind, scarcely know
ing whittier my steps were tending, nor
caring much-strange and alarming sem
sations took possession Of me; yet not
tions OF the kind before, but never 30
forcibly.
| AS walked, men walked by my side; ;
or I encountered them as they stood in
knots On the corners; or they crossed
over from the opposite side Of the street,
always cycling me suspici0usly, threat
eningly-men whose aspect was danger
GUS, who had more or less of the cut
throat in their air-''roughs" and fight
ing men, who seemed to have some in
suit or outrage which l had commit
| ted, and they would resent.
AS they stood, by twos or threes, on
the pavement, could distinctly hear
them say, t'rhats our man"-skeep
your eye upon him." Occasionally they
! would cross the street, and meeting
others there, would interchange oommu-
nications with them, all the while keep
| ing their attention upon me, and fire.
uuently repeating my name; still they
followed mc--some on either side, others
before, others behind me, and even In
the middle Of the street. Again and
again, could hear them say, ''Don't let
him be out OF your sight q moment"
Not seldom they dispersed themselves,
mipgling with the throng Of pAssers In 4
manner to avod observation BY any but
imyself-myself painfully, intensely
aware of their presence, having marked
every man afar of.
employed many OF the tricks TO which
men resort in dangerous straits. Some
| times 1 stopped for a moment, but they
also stopped. When 1 would seem to
| be examining the windows OF shops,
they would stand at little distance,
| watching me from the corners OF their
eyes, and whispering mysterlously to
each other. When / turned back, they
also turned back. II | passed into q
shop under pretense Of purchasing
something, when returned to the door
! I still found them waiting for me, as be.
fore. l did not, for moment, miss one
of them, nor did ] dontt that was the
object Of their conspiracy.
| Frequently they drew nearer to me,
so near, indeed, that o0Ald plainly
hear them consulting together, and lay
ling their plan OF action. Then / pressed
steadily on; thinking il best to feign ig-
norance OF their pursuits Ny pace WAS
not hurried; l aimed to keep as much as
possible in the crowd, and In the glare Of
| light from shop windows. l carefully
avoided all dark places, and always
| crossing the street whenever l had to
pass spot where unoccupied houses or
buildings in the course Of erection made
a deep shadow In the midst OF the gener.
al brightness. l was careful to mingle
with knots and throngs ofpedestrians,
and especially did AIN, to keep within
the neixhberhOod OF women, pitifuliy
mindful OF the protection Of their com.
AZ last l hailed an omnibus, and eu-
tered it. At once two OF my pursuers
entered with me, while the rect took
ano tner, which Immediately followed us.
Seated opposite me, Ia the stage, was an
old gentleman, o lady. seemingly his
wife. little boy, and nay two enemies.
Hut they made no open demonstration
toward me, of threat or otherwise
though frequently they whispered to
each other, eyeinE me closely the while
with that same deadly glance, which, al
last, wrought me up to 90 high = pitch oi
fear that / could have screamed. Yet
this fear was strangely s0othed by de.
sire to penetrate the mystery, and to
learn what it WAS had done, that they
should seek my life; for that 1t was my
ilite they sought had been TO me from the
tlrst apparent. Indeed, that could moi
J have been palmer If had been con
: scious of the damning crime for which
was thus charged.
What may. here seem incoherent OF
vague in my story, was to me the mos
circumstantiat Of events. Presently tht
two men stopped the omnibus and alighr
, led, but immediately entered the 0thel
in which their companions were, charg
| iiig the driver, at the same time, 10 iol
! low closely behind my stage, and not Il
! lose sight Of it.
E As we rode on, / still preserved ,
/ l.utliet demeanOr, seeking to be appav