Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-03-06
How She Lost Her Reason.

NOW Shc LOST btE hcaoou.
We were on board the steamer Ventu-
IA, which afterwards went to pieces of
the coast of Monterey.
The Ventura was q fne-looking
steamer, and well manned, and piled
between San Franciosc and the lower
coast, carrying freight and passengers.
do not remember how many OF the
latter were on board the boat at the
time | write; my recollection alone re-
calls two PERSONS young girl of
seventeen, or thereabouts, and a man
of forty. L remember the man of forty
very distinctly, and l may say vindict-
lively, for he threatened TO kick me into
the sea if L didn't mind my business; !;
and as for the girl of seventeen, L re-
member her because she was in compa-
ny with this man. and wore mourning,
and was altogether very pretty and in
teresting.
Do not misunderstood me; she was
not pretty in the sense that other girls
are pretty; she was not bright, anima-
ted, chatty; on the contrary, she was
scarcely ever looked up; she was like 4
person brooding over terrible wrong.
Her black eyes had a far-away look, as
if trying to pierce the gray hills, or,
when turned on the water, they seemed
to fathom the ocean; yet, / believe now
that her mind was turned inward, and
she saw nothing external.
Probably you would like to know
what business had observing this girl
so close. That is question L cannot
answer; do not know myself, only
that was young, and, perhaps curious,
not only this, but very impressible.
As have said, she was girl of very
peculiar behavior and appearance; she
looked like no one else had ever seen,
and l began to wonder, and think, and
conjecture who she was, where she
came from, and whittier she
was going. She was on the forward
deck in the morning. and at noon and
at night, all the time looking at the
water or at the distant hills or the sky,
or at some creature of her own fancy
floating in the air.
Had this big, black-whiskered man
not been constantly by her side, would
have questioned her at once on the
cause of her strange melancholy, but,
as it was, 1 merely kept my wondering
eyes on her, all the while thinking, all
the while building around this mourn
full beauty the walls of a terrible mys-
terry. The first night even dreamed
about her. She was the last person on
deck, and as / left her still bending
over the railing looking at the foaming
sea, l went to my room, and, retiring,
dreamed that she was the daughter of
the man who was constantly watching
her, and that he was murderer. |
dreamed more than this, disconnected
story, altogether wild and improbable,
and the next morning, long before any
one else was up, l was on deck, ready
to seize upon any new Developments.
had no idea of finding or seeing any
thing of startling nature, but L did
find and see just this and nothing more.
1t was simply thin strip of paper torn
from a memorandum-book and covered
with elaborate writing, which, when
interpreted, had this significance:
jean: The way to kill him is to cut
of his head. Do it and I'll give you
hundred dollars"
"MARGURET."
This was a strange note, and Won
dered about it more than 4 little. l
could scarcely believe that it was the
work Of the young girl in mourning,
yet all the circumstances of the case
tended that way.
But what did the note signify? Was
there dark deed of blood contempla-
ted? And who was Jean, or, for that
matter, who was Marguret?
still held the note in my hand as
the young woman came on deck, but
she did not see it, nor did she see me,
uut, pds>iAS " Tic piON vi Tic DOdl, Shc
leaned over the railing aid fastened her
eyes on the gray hills in the distance.
do not remember how 1 felt at that
moment; / only know that l stepped
quickly forward, and, with voice that
could not control, asked the dreamer
if she were not afraid of falling into the
water. Then, like flash, she turned
her eyes on me and said:
"Afraid of the water? You do not
know me, it seems, am afraid of moth
ing. Who are you?"
81 told her my name, but she did not
appear to comprehend my words; but,
with her black eyes still upon me, spoke
again:
"Are you going far?"
$50 Los Angeles" replied.
''Do you live there?''
"No; do your"
"Yes, when they will let me. have