The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-09-05
The Money Maniac.


Help! help! for the love of God,
h rlp!"
Family born on the fierce, shrieking
wind ola bitter New Years Eve this cry
rung out weirdly over vast Western
plain, whose winding-sheet was white
sparkling carpet Of snow, under the
moons pale light.
And Tom Lisle, the young son of a
veteran border trapper, was crossing the
lonely white tract on this night, home
ward bound from the settlements, and
heard the supplcation for aid-recOg-
nzing the voice as thatsof man, and
urged on his pony with a chirp, while
he rubbed his nose and ears vigorously
IN order to keep up the circulation, tor
the air was keen and frosty.
"G'lang. old boy cheer Up yer spirits
ter it's not many miles further we've
got to travel this Orful night" spoke
the young hunter. "IIellO! what was
that? II cry Of distress, ana in a mans
voice, way out herey Jupiter? it's a
mighty poor place for lost coon out
on Big Flats, duped ifit amt. G'lang
faster, Jack, old boy, and let's see what
ther rumpus is about"
BY .Ihe use of voice and spurs the
jaded!pon was induced to strike into
faster trot, though very little head
way was to be made in the deep snow.
With all his senses on the alert, Tom
Llsle listened for repetition of the cry,
that he might obtain bearing. Butt
came not, thought the wind caused
weirdly-mournful sounds in its fierce
flight across the plains.
On-on-On the steaming pony flOun-
dered, while the youth strained his
gaze ahead through the dim starlight
over the surface of the winters white
shrOud.
Then, all of sudden, the animal
feared abruptly upon its launches,
with a terrified snort, and would have
darted away, but Lisle's strong hands
held the reins in firm grasp.
"Whoa January what ails We now?
Ha! by Jupiter, think l see!"
He was out of his saddle in twink
ling, and waded around through the
snow to wherea dark object was distin-
guishable, lying half-buried from view.
1t was mana wild, haggard, saw
agc-loOkng specimen of humanity,
more resembling some wild beast, per-
haps, than ought else. A horrible leer-
ing face, terribly furrowed and Scared;
eyes that burned with the fascinating
fire of insanity !; hair and beard heavy,
matted, snarled, and the form clad in
ragged, tattcred garments.
SO much it was that Tom Lisle saw,
and then he knelt beside the PROSTATE
form, and producing flask from inside
his hunting-shirt. he poured quantity
of liquor between the parted lips, that
revealed row of cleaning teeth, more
like the ivories of wolf than-of man
kind. The liquor went rioting through
the lost travellers veins; his eyes shone
with increased brilliancy; words, at
first scarcely audible, but growing stead
lily in volume of sound, came to his relief
"Why did you rouse meP" he spoke,
clutching the snow, wildly. "Pm a
raving mailman, boy, at times. came
out here to die, but the furnace of hell
is not quite to white heat yet. Ha! |
fancy see the old Satan frying me, and
seasoning my spirit with birthstone.
Yes, an mad. | had furious fit
awhile ago, an fit myself. They call
me the Money-Maniac, because ! love
gold. went to California fifteen years
ago, and.dug for gold. got it-l got
it; great bulks of the shining scales of
Purgatory's walls. | was overiOycd.
rhep say Ii drove me mad mad But
what care r.? All of it shall not buy
me from the devil Gold gold gold !!
Oh! how Il have worshiped at thy
SHRINE u
Then a sudden rift of white passed
over the mans face, and he seemed
more like a sane person, though his
eyes burned tiercely.
"What is your name?" he asked,
watching the young hunter sharply;
"tell me your name, for l have some
thing important to say. Hurry, for |
would tell you'before | get mad again
mad mad !"
my name is Tom Lisle, stranger"
the youth replied, neryously, forhe had
never before encountered maniac.
"Tom LisleW repeated the other,
thoughtfully-"Toln Lisle. will put