The Morning herald., 1877-10-25
with which. as we know. he was already 40

I4udlHGeQ.
> 81 don't want anybody to mind the child
l can take care OF him mysel-you be off !!
|, bawled the rufIian:
1t was in vain that the woman endeayors
to expostulate with him, he would not hea,
her, but drove her from his house, forbiddin,
her ever to return thither.
when this woman was gone, Adam Bur
ford looked around for Arthur, and saw tn,
poor little fellow crouching terrified be
hind large chair, in O corner of tn,
room.
"Stay there till I want you !' Burfori
SAID, threateningly, to the child, and ther
quilted the house.
When, several hours afterwards, Mistress
Calnelford's agent returned to the cottage
ne was considerably more tipsy than wher
he left it. It was dark night without
and total darkness within the cottage, and
very cold, for during Burford's absence the
fire had died out.
he lighted candle, and then saw little
Arthur still crouching in the corner where
he had been left, but now fast asleep.
The poor child had cried for his mother.
meaning Margaret Burford, but not she
nor any one came to him. It was past his
usual bedtime, and he continued alone in
the darkness, and at length, quite exhaust
ed, tell asleep amidst the sobbings, to be
awoke by Burford, who, pulling him rough
ly from his corner, said, "Come along.
young un, J. want you, now !"
"She is not far off, and 1 am going TO
take you to her" hiccoughed the drunken
villain.
And as he spoke, he lifted Arthur in his
arms, and with his ample cloak entirely
concealed the poor boy.
Little Arthur cried and struggled, and
his captor struck him with no very
gentle force, and with horrible threat.
The boy ceased crying, and Law mute
and trembling in the arm that held him
like a vice.
Burford staggered from the cottage, and,
skirting the village, came to stone bridge,
which on one side conducted to it. and
which bridge crossed a river, the late
heavy rains and boisterous winds had rem
dered swollen and turbulent.
Arrived at the center of the bridge, Bur-
ford placed the boy upon the ground, and
the moon, Tor moment, emerging from the
clouds which had till then obscured it-and
as if to warn the murderer that heaven was
watching him in:the crime he was now about
to commit-little Arthur caught glimpse
OF the river below, the roar of whose
waters had already terrified and appalled,
him.
The poor child had understood the fate
that WAS intended him, for, uttering scream
after scream, he attempted to fly from the |
brldge-of course vainly, for with stride |
Or two, and with loud and horrible impre-
cations, the drunken monster again seized
little Arthur, and holding him aloft, ap-
preached the parapet Of the bridge-the
last despairing cry which the child had
commenced was left incompletely uttered,
and suddenly he was silent.
As Burford, standing close beside the
oarapet Of the bridge, was about to hurl
title Arthur away from him, and far down
nto the angry waters, a loud "Halloa there,
1alloa p and which seemed almost beside
1im smote upon his ear.
The sudden sound caused Burford vio-
emily to start; the arms which had been
bout to hurl Arthur away, relaxed, quilted
heir hold Of him, and Rosalie's boy
ell and disappeared from his assassin's 5
light.
The villain stayed not to hear the splash
the child's body as it reached the water;
indeed, it is doubtful if on so wild Il night
uch sound could have been heard; but
mped away, with all the speed he could
luster, from the bridge, and as q matter
course, by the opposite way to that from
'hich had proceeded the shouts that had
, alarmed him.
When Mistress Cameford's agent had
1T the bridge a considerable distance be- =.
ind him, and found that he was not pur-
led, he chuckled, and said to himself
eyes, that's safely over: the young ones ,
srcase will never rise up from the river =
evidence against mel"
The man, whose shouts had alarmed Bur. .
rd, arrived hurriedly on the bridge, and :,
svlng reached its centre, stopped and
oked about him as well, and as far as in >,
e darkness-for the moon was again OBJ =
ured WAS possible to him. !
"It was from somewhere hearabouts," u
is man muttered to himself, 'that pro- =
eded those strange cries, which sounded ~
re nothing | had ever before heard and =,
was about here that in that one moment l.. u
len the moon shone, caught sight of l.
lat appeared to me, in that single 3.
impse got of it, to be the figure Of ti tI
IN" u
He placed his back against the parapet W W
the bridge, and listened, and waited and 81 81
vtched for a few minutes; but he saw no w
e, heard nothing, save the moaning of -
Q wind, and the roaring Of the angry ". w.
tiers. III
leaning, as we have described, he felt 81 81
ddenly very slight touch upon his coat; W W
rtled, he hastily carried his aSm down to So Sc
side, and his own broad palm came in III
ltact with very, very little hand, around ags ag
ich his own fingers mechanically and WI
y firmly fixed; then he turned himself MI