The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-03-12
Stlfrt Sturp.
HOW SHE LOST HER REASON.

we W6Te Ou UOotu tut StcaIutr v culu-
ra, which afterward went to pieces off
the coast of Monterey.
The Ventura was fne-looking steam.
.er and we'll manned, and piled between
San Francisco and the lower coast, car
rying freight and passengers,
do not remember how many of the
latter were on board the boat at the time
/ write; my recollection alone recalls
two persons~-a young girl Of seventeen,
or thereabouts, and man Of forty. l
remember the man very distinctly, and l
may say, vindictively, for he threatened
to kick me into the sea if T didn't mind
my business; and as for the girl of sew.
enteen-I remember her because she was
in company with this man, and wore
mourning, and was altogether very pref
ty and interesting.
Do not misunderstood me; she was
not pretty in the sense that other girls
are pretty; she was not bright, t,animated,
chatty on the contrary, she was cold as
an icicle; she never smiled, and scarcely
ever looked up; she was like person
brooding over terrible wrong Hef
black eyes had faraway look, as If try.
ing to pierce the gray hills, or when
turned on the water they seemed to faith.
ON The ocean yet I believe now that hel
mind was turned inward and she saw
nothing external. 7a
Probably you would like to know what
business had observing this young gir
so close. That is question I cannot ar
swer. l do not know myself, only thai
I was young and perhaps curious; not
only this, but very impressible.
AS have said, she was girl OF pecu
liar behavior and appearance; she look
ed like no one else l had ever seen, and
I began to wonder and think and con
lecture 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
Ihills, on the sky or at some creature o
her own fancy floating in the air.
| Had this big, black -whiskered man MOI
been constantly by her side, I would
lhave questioned her at once on the cause
lof her strange melancholy, but as it wa:
I merely kept my wondering eyes on her
all the while thinkihg,all the while build
ling around this mournful beauty thu
walls OF a terrible mystery. The frs
might l ever dreamed about her she wa!
1.-THE last person on deck, and I left he
still bending over the railing looking a
the foaming sea. / went to my room
and, retiring, dreamed that she was tn
daughter of the man who was CONSTANT,
watching her, and that he was a murder
Ter. I dreamed more than this-a dis
connected story, altogether lhprobabl
and wild; and the next morning, lon,
before any one else was up, l was o.
deck, ready to seize upon any new devel
; opments.
! I had no idea of finding or seeing an
thing of startling nature, bet did fin
and see just this and nothing more.
was simply thin strip OF paper tor
, from memoranum- book and covere
with elaborate writing, which when il
terpreted had this significance:
t "JEAN: The way to kill him is to CT
a off his head. Do it, and I'll give you
!. hundred dollars. MARGUREr."
| This was strange note, and woI
dered about itsmore than little. Icoul
scarcely believe that it was the work {
= the young girl in mourning, yet all th
circumstances Of the case tended tn;
: way.
But what did that note signify2 Ws
there dark deed of blood contempl'
tedp And who was "Jean,'' or for th'
matter, who was "Marguret ?"
/ still held the note in my hand as til
: young lady came on deck, but she di
= not see it nor did she see me, but passin
D to the PROV of the boat she leaned ov,
y the railing and fastened her eyes on Il
gray hills in the distance.
S | do not remember how felt at tn
n moment; / only know that ! steppe
o quickly forward, and with voice that
;. could not control asked the dreamer