River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-02

ored to discover the spot where the carri-
age he had occupied had fallen, and to
retrace his steps (quite to the rear of the
train, by the way to the place where he
found himself lying after the catastrophe.
By this time he had made known brief
ly to some officials that a woman was
missing who had been in the carriage
with him, and one or two of them followed
him in his quest. Presently he realized
pretty well where he had been thrown
he all but identified the spot. Then he
scrambled through the hedge, and there
on the opposite side, on the sloping bank
of ditch, he beheld, lying quite still,
her dark, unmistakable form.
He ran forward, and, bending over her
and looking down upon the marble, up
turned face, saw at glance that there
was nothing dangerous about her now
those terrible eyes were closed foreverl
Except for slight wound on one temple,
whence little blood had trickled, and
the distorted, but now rigidly closed
hand, which had been so lately at his
throat, she looked as calm and uniDjured
as if she was merely sleeping, while death
had restored for brief period much of
| that beauty, the traces of which struck
him when her veil was first lifted
One of the surgeons here came hurry
| ing up in answer to summons.
ssGood heavensl' he exclaimed, "here
she is then, at last Why, she must have
been in the train, how ON earth did she
manage itl''
'Who is she7" inquired Jack, earnest
| ~, with a strange return of the old mex
pllcable sensation. Who is she? You
appear to know her. Pray tell me-"
"Oh, one of our inmates; she got away
yesterday morning, no one knows how, y
was the answer.
"You are from Longmoor, then. How
long has she been there2 What is her
"Oh, she has been there upward OF
twenty years, believe; long before my
time"
''And her Names
Upon my word, at this moment can
hardly" went on the doctor, mechanical
ly passing his fingers over one of the
pulseless wrists before him, and with q
) calm hesitation, which contrasted strong.
" with Jacks earnest, impetuous man.
ner, II can hardly remember. / think
she was committed for the murder of bel
own little girl. 1t was very sad case,
know. All her name; have it" went
on the doctor suddenly; her name was
Pallant-Rachel Pallant."
, Jack sprang from the kneeling posture
in which he was, as If he had been shot
Why, that was his own dead mothers
, name! But pshaw! what of that
Well, it was rather startling colnci
a haA oil A Init oil
Indeed no.
! The inquest led to revelation. Tha
r inquiry fully explained what had beer
, the nature of the influence which thu
t weird pale face and strange presence hat
upon my friend.
The strong but subtle link which NJ
time or absence can vuite sunder existing
between mother and son had made itsel
s felt the instant those two sat face to face
for the unhappy woman was indeed n
other than Jacks own motherl
: He had never been told in fact it ha
!, been carefully kept from him. Why III
q the risk of cloudiug for life that brigh
. and happy temperament He was onl
four years old when the dreadful bushes
happened; hence he had scarcely know
mothers care-she was lost to him, t
the world, as completely as if she ha
died. Nay, death would have been
. mercy by comparison, and it was genel
ally assumed that she was dead; only
: few intimate friends knew the truth.
+ The poor lady's mind had given wa
suddenly after the birth of child, whic
9 dld not live. Within week the hom
= cidal mania possessed her; by the meres
q chance she had been prevented from CON
;. hitting some frightful outrage upon he
: little boy, my poor friend Jack; and r.
4 straint not having been put upon her i
time-for her malady had hardly bee
suspected. so unlocked for was its az
, pearance-she consummated her deadl
: propensity upon her eldest child, gi
= fifteen years of age-killed her, in
= word, as she lay asleep.
= And here, after lapse of twenty year
= was the climax and end of the TRACED
Il as dreadful as anything that had gon
!. before. The order for release, when
y came, brought with it as much sufferin
Ito all but oRe) as had the order for cal
. t1vity. No wonder that Jack was an a
: tered man. have never seen a smile 0
: his face since--though trust that tins
: with its healing influence, may at la:
| soften thn plOv