The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-09-20


shay, lot me stay all night" said
the woman. 'T'm foot-sore. l can't
get further without rest. I'll pay
you we'll. Let me stay. don't
want food-only lodging"
Tho woman hesitated, but money
was valuable to her; even few
small coins would be precious. She
gave grudging permission to the
woman to stay and holped her cary
in the pack.
"Is all that money in tho pack Z"
she asked, as sho did 30.
ut is there" said the woman,
"and every groshen my own earn
ings." And she looked kindly at the
old woman.
Sho, however, only frowned in re-
turn. Sho sat down on q low stool
aud stared at tho pack. There was
q fortune in it, according to her
views OF money, aud an awful grced
possessed her. Thoughts too terri.
bic for words filed her mind. They
came in this way ut first: "If this
woman would only die now No one
would know she had ever been
here. would drag her body to
the old bridge, aud throw it over,
and the money would be miue.'
1t was Satan who whispered. His
noxt whisper was this "Why
should sue not die hore -
The next: "Sho shall -
Meanwhile tho pleasant, smili ng
woman sat by the door looking out.
"How pleasant it looks here y
she said. II have seen pictures in
the houses where have lived at scr
vice OF places not 30 pretty as this
ARTIST gentlemen come here to
paint very often, said tho old wom-
an. "But from the bridge-you'
should see it from the bridge. Como
Ill show you
The woman arose and followed
her. She had no idea OF what was
going on in the old hag's mind.
She was happy and full Of life, and
never guessed that death drew near.
They walked down to the bridge.
"How pretty I" said tho woman {,
"and the Gear mountains far above
u.s."
"And the blue water under,' said
Bettina.
"Yes, as blue as the sky" said the
woman.
She loaned forward o little. to
look into tho stream that rushed boz
meath the bridge, and Bettina took
her opportunity.
There was a broken place in the
railing Of the bridge just hore, and
it was quite unguarded. As the
woman turned her back, Bettina
raised both hands, aud gave her u
violent push between the shoulders.
She had no need to repeat it. With
a shriok, and the Cry, "Mother !!
mother |" the poor creature plunged
head foremost into the water, which
covered her in an instant.
Another faint cry, and something
white swept along the torrent, aud
Bettina knew all was over. She
crept back to hor hut, shaking with
excitement, and with q hideous hor>
ror in her heart. She knelt down
by the pack and tore it open. There
were the gay clothes Of which the
poor woman had spoken. There, at
the very heart, the coveted money.
Bettina was rich in her own estima-
ton. She had more than she could
use, and she woud go where she was
not known aud spend it, and live in
comfort until she died. And, in a
kind of frenzy, the old hag huddled
herself in heap about tho pack
and kissed it.
As she did go there came o knock
at the door, which she had barred.
"Bettinar' cried the pastor
"Bettina, open to us !"
Bettina thrust the pack under the
bed, and, pale and trembling, OPEN
ed the door. There stood her pas~
tor and his wife, smiling as IL some
very good thing had happened.
"Bettina," said tho pastor, show
are you this evening ~
"But poorly, sir walk in," said
Bettina.
Eyes, yes, we will come in,' said
tho pastors wifo, 1--WE want to SEQ
tho woman who came to you this
evening."
mo woman came here" said Bot.
tina, beginning to shake.
"Here lies her blue handkerchief
on the -four" said the pastors wife,
STOPPING to pick up the object, which
her quick eye deserted.
"She must have dropped I'll!
|cried Bettina. "a woman did ask Q
nights lodging, but / refused 1t
She went on"
"Bettina," he said, "sursly your
daughter did not 60 on. 1t was
Lima who came to your door-Lina,
who after ton long years, has return
cd to care for her old mother. We
made her promise that il you did
not know her she would not reveal
herself until we came. Bettina,
what does this mean I"
But Bettina made no answer,
with an awful shriek, she flung hor'
self on the floor and began TO tear
her long gray hair.
;. She lived only . few hours, bul
before she died she confessed the
horrible truth. She had killed her