The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-05

and drew, rather than led me, to the foot
of the path. hesitated and nung PACK;
had Il on INV lips to decline positively
to 90 11p: but / found, with sudden alar IL,
that i was not able to control myself
against him. Talking incessantly to en-
courage me, and pulling me up as he
talked, he forced me along to the first
resting-place, a great rock fifty feet
above the one where we had been sit
ting.
We paused here for breath, and lean
ing family and wearily against it, I
looked down, and saw the figure of q
man, with q gun over his shoulder, dis
appearing around the face OF the cliff.
MY heart throbbed; and at that instant
/ wished that had accepted the school
masters invitation. glanced at the
man beside me; he was looking straight
upwards. and had seen nothing below.
Come /" he said.
His hand griped mine again his eyes
blazed with wild, unearth1y light and,
dragged unwillingly after him, ascend
ed the steep and crooked path. My feet
were cut and bruised against the rocks
that lined the way, my breath was fal-
ing, my throat was dry and husky, and
mortal fear took possession OF me.
With one wild, frantic effort, released
my hand from his grasp, and turned to
fly but my strength was all gone, and L
sank helplessly on the path.
He turned fiercely upon me.
stNo more-no more, MIR. Bartol,
beseech you !" was Any pitiful cry.
Please let me 90 home don't urge me
any further"
s'Not step backward !" he shouted.
tUp-up, till we reach the highest sum-
mit-no falherinU. no hesitaing.
made no answer. His face was ter
rible in its wildness to look upon his
eyes shone with frenzy, and the exercise
had brought vivid flush to his dark
face. / hid mine that l might not see
his.
"Comel'
He stamped his foot impatiently. The
next instant he seized me boldly,
and swung me to his shoulder, and ran
upward like an antelope along the path.
AS he held me In his arms, my head
overhung q frightful precipice, while
his feet trod close on the borders of it.
The terror was too much for mel
tainted outright.
A cool breeze blew over my face, and
brought me to life again. was lying on
the grass Bartol stood with folded arms
beside me, gazing out upon the prospect.
started to my feet, and single glance
showed me that we stood on the apex Of
| the cliff, hardly three yards from the
edge. At any other time my soul would
have been enraptured with the glorious
beauty of the spectacle that burst upon
my sight. Touched with the gorgeous
coloring of October, the country below
spread out before us, its Diversity of
| field, woods, and farm stretching away
for miles, until it lost itself in the
horizon looked, and wondered, and
almost forgot how I had come here but
the voice of Bartol quickly brought me
back to the full horror of my situation.
'sLook how glorious it is !" he cried,
seizing my arm with one hand, and wav-
ing the other with the full sweep of his
arm. F" How glorious-how beautiful-
how mighty! Look-look!" !"
The CLEAN of his eye was not now
casual and at intervals it was habitual.
He quiverea in every muscle with excite
| closely that it gave me intense pain
utter yacuity was in his face The ap-
palling truth was before me the man
| was maniac!
Had single moment been left me In
which to reflect upon the horrors of my
situation, think / should have died
with the thought but he gave me nc
time.
ssWhat more fitting place for bridal,
my beloved7" he exclaimed, laughing
| gleefully. '' You did not know, sweet
heart, why we came here it was that we
| might be welded here, and united be-
yond the chance Of separation. Don't
| you remember, sweetheart, the pretty
| story you told me of the lovers who were
united here, long ago9 So will we be
joined, and the world at our feet shall
witness our eternal betrothal. Come,
sweetheart 1 have chosen you GOMEZ
cast myself down at his feet, praying,
| imploring him to spare me. L might az
| well have prayed to the rocks around me.
Again he caught me in his arms and
strobe straight toward the edge of the
cliff. A word of prayer was upon my
ever upon the beautiful world loved &c
well ; I thought once of dear Aunt Janet
and murmured, "God have mercy
And then
My head hung forward upon hn
breast the prospect was inverted to my
eyes. Four steps more would launch N
both into eternity. At the instant,
light puff of smoke hoated out of thu
bushes far below the foot of the cliffs
far that could plainly see it over tbs
edge. Bartol took one step more, stag
BGTeu1 DEUuSnb his nRnu TO ms lG6rG VIII
q groan, and dropped me to the ground
A dreadful imprecation followed; h,
stumbled over me looked up, ant
found myself alone
Some horrible fascination urged me t.
look over the edge of the cliff. On m,
hands and knees crept thither, anc
grasping the bushes with tenaciou
fingers, gazed into the fearful yois
below. Far, far down, on the edge o
the rocks, lay all that remained of th
maniac and saw approaching it tn
tiny figure of man with something car
ried across his shoulder. I drew bacl
upon the edge the revulsion oveream
me /; all was dark again.
1 =
It was long before awoke that time
But, thank God, when / did, it W&s il
my own little chamber at home, with dea
Aunt Janet bending over me. The SUI
i of another day was shining In througl
the blinds the terror of the day tina
was gone came back to me only as
dream sat mp In bed, and smiled bac
recognition to Aunt Janet's anxious look
" Thank God, darling, Ii haan't craze.
you, she said, as she kissed me, once o.
the lips, and twice on each cheek.
M So There's some one (1oSxTl stairs VIII