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

pack ana go
"Nay, lot me stay all night" said
the woman. 'T'm foot. sore. can (
|get further without rest. I'll pay
you well. Let me stay. I don't
want food--only lodging.
Tho woman hesitated, but money
was valuable to her; even O fow
small coins would be precious. She
gavea grudging permission to the
woman to stay and helped her cary
in the pack.
ais all that money in the pack Z"
she asked, as sho did 30.
"lt is there" said the woman,
''and every groshen my own earn
ings." And she looked kindly at tho
old woman.
.Sho, however, only frowned in re-
turn. She sat down on q low stool
and stared at tho pack. There was
fortune in it, according to her
views OF money, aud 40 awful greed
possessed her. Thoughts too terri.
bio for words filed her mind. They
came in this way at first: "If this
woman would only die now No one
would know she had ever been
hero. | would drag her body to
the old bridge, aud throw il over,
and the money would be nine
1t was Satan who whispered. His
noxt whisper was this "Why
should she not die here I"
The next: "Sho shall !"
Meanwhile the pleasant, smili ng
woman sat by the door looking out.
"How pleasant it looks here -
she said. II have seen pictures in
the houses where have lived at scr.
vice OF places not so pretty as this"
Artist gentlemen come here to
paint very often, said tho old wom-
an. "But from the bridge-you'
should see il from the bridge. Come
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 |" 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 leaned forward o little. to
look into the stream that rushed boz
meath the bridge, and Bettina took
her opportunity.
There was a broken place in the
railing Of the bridge Just here, aud
it was quite unguarded. As the
woman turned her back, Bettina
raised both hands, and gave her a
violent push between the shoulders.
She had no need to repeat it. With
shrek, and the cry, "Mother
mothor !" 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 her hut, shaking with
excitement, and with a hidoous 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 and spend it, and live in |
comfort until she died. And, in O |
kind of frenzy, the old hag huddled
herself in heap about tho pack
and kissed il.
As she did so there came knock
ct the door, which she had barred.
"Bettinaw cried the pastor
"Bettina, open to US I"
Bettina thrust the pack under the
bed, and, pale and trembling, open-
cd the door. There stood her pass
tor and his wife, smiling as il some
very good thing had happened.
"Bettina," said the pastor, show
are you this evening 7"
"But poorly, sir walk in" said
Bettina.
"Yes, yes, we will come in," said
the pastors wife, 1--WE want to SEQ
the woman who came to you this
evening""
mo woman came here" said Bet
tina, beginning to shake.
"Here lies ner blue handkerchief
on the four said the pastors wife,
STOPPING TO pick up the object, which
her quick eye deserted.
"She must have dropped itl"
cried Bettina. "a woman did ask
nights lodging, but l refused il
She went on"
"Bettina," he said, 'surely your
laughter did not 60 on. II was
Lima who came to your door-Iina,
who after tan 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. Bettins,
what does this mean I"
But Bettina made no answer.
With an awful shriek, she Aung herr
self on the Aoor and began TO tear
aer long gray hair.
She lived only . few hours. but
before she died she confessed the |
truth. She had killed her
affaOkionaka dannhfar. for tha aaka of