The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-03-18

OF nb i6ll Lazy SARAH Qulttoo ner olcos
ing room and ran in disordered attire
into the study, where she bsheld her hus
band dead and bloody upon the floor, and
Julia stand at the entrance of thepanel.
ed chamber with tho light of madness
and murder in her eyes Not long she
stood there, however, for seeing Lady
Sarah enter, the distracted girl threw
down the empty weapon, and ainging
herself upon her mother, grspsd her
throat with all the might Of her fren zied
being. Upand down the room they
wrestled together, two desperate women,
one bent upon murder and the other
battling for her life, and neither uttered
cry or groan, so terribly earnest was the
struggle. At length Lady Sarsh's power
gave way; she fell nnder her assailant's
weight, her face black with sutfocation
and her eyes protuding from the SWELL
ing sockets. Julia redoubied her grip.
She knelt upon Lady Ssrah's breast aud
held her down with the force and reso-
lation of fehd, though the blood burst
from the ears of her victim and filmed
her staring eyes; nor did he
pitless fingers relax until the murderess
knew her veng 5ance was complete.
Then size leaped to her feet, seized
Philips pistol from the floor, and with n
wild, pesling shrek, fed forth along the
gallery, down the staircase and out into
the psrk-out into the wind and driving
snow and the cold, her uncoiled hair
streaming in dishevelled masses down her
shoulders and her dress of trailing satin
daubed with stains Of blood Behind her
ran Virginie we'll nigh maddened her
self with horror, vainly trying to catch
or stop the unhappy fugitive But Just
az the latter reached the brink of high
precipice at the boundry of the terraced
lawn, from which the mansion took its
name of "Steepside," she turned to look
at her pursuer. missed her footing and fell
headlong over the low stone coping that
bordered the slope into the snowdrift at
the bottom of the chasD,
Virginie ran tn the spot and looked
over. The "steep" was exceedingly
high and sudden; not a trace OF julia
could been seen in the darkness below.
Doubtless the miserable heiress of the
Lorringtons had found grave in the
bed OF soft, deep snow which surrounded
its base.
Then, stricken through heart and brain
with the curse of madness which had
already sent her mistress red-hsnded TO
destL, Virginia Girsud fed across the
lawn through the park gates--oat upon
the bleak common beyond and was gone.
The Oldest priest hid sside the manu-
script and took fresh pinch OF rappee
from the silver snuttbox.
"Monsieur," said he, with polite IN,
clination of his gray head. Il have had
the honor to read you this history you
wished IT, hear"
Aud l thank you most heartily for
your kindness returned |. "But may
l, without danger OF seeming too qulsl-
tive, ask you one question more?'
Seeing assent in his face and smile
that anticipated my inquiry wrlnklng
the corners OF his mouth, l continued
boldly, "Will you tell me then, NJ.
Pierre, by what means you became pos
,essed of this manuscript and who wrote
is?'
at Is a natural question, Monsieur"
he answered, after a pause, "and have
no good reason for withholding the re-
plv, since everyone who was personally
concerned in the tragedy has long been
dead. You mutt know then, that in my
Younger days was cure TO little parish
of about two hundred souls in the prov
ince Of Berry. Many years ago there
came to this village strange old woman
of whom nobody in the place had the
least knowledge. She took and rented n
small hovel on the borders
az the wood about two
two miles from our church, and, except
on marke. days, when she came to the
village for her weekly provisions, none
Of my Pensioners ever held any inter-
course with her. She was evidently in
sane. and. although she did harm to no
body. vet she often caused considerable
alarm and wonderment By Ter eccentric
behavior. It is, as you most know, Oh
ten the case in intermittent mania that
its victims are insane upon some partlcu-
lar subject, some point upon which tneir
frenzy always betrays itscif-even when,
with regard to other matters, they con-
duct themselves like ordinary people.
Now this old womans weakness mani
Tasted itself in wild and continual de-
sire TO copy every written document she
saw. If on her market day visits to
the village any written notice upon the
church doors CHANGED TO catch her eye as
she passed, she would immediately
pause, draw out. pencil and paper from
her pocket ard stand muttering to her.
self until she had closely
transcri ed the whole of the
placard. when she would quietly return
the copy to her pocket and 90 on her
way.
"Thinking it my duty, as pastor Of the
village. to make myself acquainted with
this poor creature. who had mus become
one of my flock, | went occasionally to
visit her in the hope that l might pos
sblv discover the cause Of her strange
disorder (which suspected had It's origin
in some calamity O; her earlier days
and so qualify myself to afford her the
advice and comfort she might need
During the first two or three visits pad
her | could elicit hothing. She sat still
rs p statute and watched me su!!enly
when ! spoke to her Of the mysteries and
consultations OF our faith, cNhortlng her
yainly to mako confession and obtain
that peace of heart and mind which the
sacrament of penance could alone be,
stow. well, it CHANGED on the occasion
of one of these visits took with me, be-
sides nv PRAYER book, a small sheet OF
paper, on which mai written few pas
sages OF Scripture, such IS | copjectured
To be- most suited 10 her souls necessity.
I found her, as usual, moody and reserv'
ed. untll | drew from my misssl tho
trauscr bed texts and put into her hand
In an Instant her manner changed. Inc
madness cleaned in her eyes and she
began searching nervOusly for peach
al can do it, she cried. My writing
WAS alwavs like hers, for We learned to-
cetber when we were childres. He vii
never know l wrote ii; we shall dupt