The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-07-26

uneasily her dress brushes the face Of
that unseen foe, and his eyes glare up
into the innocent, watching face, with
murder in their depths, noting every
varying expression there. and only
waiting his opportunity to grasp her
slight, powerless form in his muscular
arms and hurl her into eternity.
Suddenly the radiant light breaks
again over the lovely face, brightly
Illuminating every feature like the
light Of the moon bursting from a
cloud upon a clear fountain. He
knows now that he has seen her, has
signalled to her, has passed again from
her sight-his opportunity has come.
He waits only for her to pass; she
turns and takes swift step forward,
only to be caught up from her feet
and crushed so close in an iron grasp
that no breath is left her to cry out or
offer resistance. Her head falls back,
her eyes are starting, her face ghast.
", blue-white in its paleness; in her
terror her senses are fast fieeting away,
but they are brought back with a rush
like surging waters when the words
are Kissed into her ear
"Marion Seaton, the hour for your
death and my revenge has come! 4
promised-I vowed--that one Of you
should taste death, and | heard you
tell him that you would gladly die for
him, so ! now allow you to redeem
your empty, foolish words by choosing
you in preference to him, and of
course il gives you great joy to give
your life for his, almost equal to mine
at being able to complete my revengel
This, then, girl, is the revenge !
take!"
He raised her in his arms above his
head-the wild, murderous light in
his eyes, the strength Of steel and
brass in his sinews--and with fiend-
ish laugh flung her slight form far
over the side Of the bridge into the
swift, dark waters beneath.
The rush Of cold air revived her
sufficiently to give one wild, agonized
shrek, which cleft the air like knife,
rousing the slumbering echoes far and
near, and then she struck with dull
splash in the dark waters which open
ed to receive her.
, Miron fremont, nearly mile ~
the river beyond the bend, hal seer
his betrothed upon the bridge and sig
nailed her joyfully, and with renewed
energy bent to the oars. and with the
aid of the swift current sent the boat
flying through the water like wing
ed thing, anxious to tell her the new;
which divided his mind between griei
and joy, for that morning his old faith
er had passed painlessly away to the
better land, after giving his consent
10, and his blessing upon the union he
had at first opposed; and now. as Lord
Miron, Of fremont, he was coming at
the appointed hour to claim his bride.
Impatiently he rowed on until he
rounded the turn, and then the sight
which met his eyes caused his face to
turn pale and great drops of agony to
stand forth upon his forehead; he saw
the form Of man, which he rccog.
nized as that of Marion's rejected suit
or, Gustave Harvey, spring from the
shadow Of a great beam on the bridge,
raise her in his arms, and holding her
there for the space Of a minute. du-
ring which the boat was propelled
through the water with the speed of an
antelope, while his senses reeled and
his brain seemed on fire at sight of
the peril of his loved one; he then
hurled her over the side of the bridge
to the river below.
Who can tell of the agony of a
whole lifetime of misery spent in the
torture chambers of the inquisition
crowded into those few moments of
wretched suspense, when the boat
leaped ahead with bounds under the
stroke. of the bending oars which
dashed the water into foam on either
side, while Lord Miron, bending to his
work with the strength of a giant,
born of excitement aud despair, strain.
ell his eyes to see that loved form rise
above the dark water after that one
despairing shrek rent the air. II rose
for the first time much too far away
for him TO rescue her-so near and
yet so far--and even while he gave
what seemed to be the last stroke be-
fore he had her in his arms, she sank
again from his view. With one wild
cry he flung the oars aside and leaped
into the water, determined that if he
could not save her to die with her.
One--three frantic strokes he gave,
then his head struck the stone pillar
that supported the bridge. lie was
half stunned for moment, then pass
ed his arm about the pillar and in
desperation and despair waited but one
beat of the throbbing pulse of time