Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-04-08
ing his daughters heart, and ran on
q hn,,t lno,l ~, =. A.. 4, Il ,,.,..A .......As

|
bOrh0Od, h, showed Matthew marked
k,ndaess j in several ways assisting his
fortunes. He did not frequent the
house much-never saw Rose alone
but they were all better off sO- David's
coming.
Matthew watched Rose ike a lynx.
He could find no faul.
She attended faithfully 10 her duties,
stayed al home, and when David came,
n sver spoke TO him unless he spoke to
her. But he saw that her cheek grew
pale, her elastic step became listless, and
at night, when she believed him sleep
Ing, he would know that she was weep
ing.
"There is but one end for this" he
said.
There was ruined mill below one of
the mountain torrents. Ii was d low
structure, crumbling with time. He
gathelel fagots In bundles and stacked
them closely around the mill one day.
The next evening he met David nea-
the place.
David" he said to him, show clear
the air Is to-day. We are over q mile
from home, and have seen Rose hang
ing clothes on the bushes round my
house."
"Where did you stand ?" asked David,
quickly.
"0n top Of the old mill there"
David Instantly sprang off his horse,
and climbed on the mill.
"look-right over the mound of stones,
do you not see my house, and Rose
among the bushes in the gardeny" asked
Matthew.
IL can not quite make out. see the
house; but Is that Rose standing like
one detected under the trees y"
Course you-yes! And now look
nearer--down at your feet"
| David looked down, and saw volumes
of flame and smoke rising around him.
Observation-Disclosures" he cried; Il
shall be burned to DEATH"
II mean you shall be, and your bones
erisped. Ay, look at ROse-look your
fill. 1t will be the last time you will
see her mourning under the trees for
your
And springing upon his horse Matth-
ew galloped away from the burning
building. In moment he was beyond
the sound of his voice.
David stood in ring of rolling smoke
fAliO Ills OCSdu W
shrink from the heat, his throat to feel
parched, his breathingtO be diIl1cult. As
he lifted his eyes in agony to Heaven,
he saw the bending bough of a tree lean
ing towards him. With an effort he
grasped it, drew himself up on it until
he gained firmer bOugh, and so crept
out of his living grave.
Matthew rushed home at full speed,
rushed into the house, and flung his
arms around the neck of his wife.
What is the matter, Matthew ?" she
cried.
"You are mine nOw," he exclaimed,
hOurishing his arms around like deli
fious OF drunken man. You are mine
for eae rest of your lie"
"That may nOl be very long, Matthew
she replied quietly. "See how thin my
arm is; land l am so weak l can not lii5
The milking pals when they are but hal
full, or put half a pile of fagots at once
upon the IRE"
But Matthew did not heed her; he |
Went ABOUT, acting so strangely that she |
,hOugnt he was drunk
"Matthew," she said, at last, "will you |
bring in some more fagOts? l want TO
cook your supper"
He went OGt of the door into the
darkness. As he stood at the wOOd-heap, |
a hand was laid upon his arm. He start |
ed and looked up into face, Olack with |
smoke and set in stern lines, out of |
which cleaned David MelnOtte's accu-
sing eyes.
"A wraith" he cried, dropping the
fago,3, and springing away inGo Ine
dai SnesS.
Tie ,ali figure followed him with swift |
strides.
W.tn scream Matthew leaped the |
gaTdel wall, aud fled across the common.
The figure pursued closely. GaIheringt
ter or III eveiy sep, be seemed to be /
flyi0g. But dvenglng s,eDS kept pace |
with as own. He lett the common;
ne cleared the locks and fallen trees,
win f. ante bounds; he fell, but scTam-
bled 10 again. On ne ran, breathlessly, |
every moment expecting to feel again
that dreadful grasp upon his shrinking
snouldeT.
".t0Dl" painted the voice behind him.
With leap, which only man insane
vi ish rrignt would have taken, he clear
ed a av ne, erasping at the bushes upon
che otDer side TO assist his fOOtnOld
lAC oGOuCo anu lOOoC
ed til. One broke-he graSped another;
0ut is % tore out from the damp
soil, ana cluiching frultlessiy at the air.
ne yeeled, and swayed back into the
steep depths of the ravine. 1t was
nearly D. moment before his fall sound
ed among the jagged ROCKS and rushing
water.
As David Melnotte bent over, the
moon came out, showing the body of
Mathew Burns broken heap upon the
rocks, with the water gurgling around
il.
He went 10 the neighbors for assist
ance ana lelp TO carry him home. As
he supposed, he was quite dead.
1t was pi6iful sight to see his wife.
She tainted with horror; and then she
lay for weeks as weak as babe. All
thought she would de. A new beauty
seemed given her-tne exceeding loveli-
ness of great suffering patiently borne.
She was bolstered in an easy chair
upon the hearth one day, when David
came in. He came straight and knelt
down by he chair, and took her in his
arms rs il she had been u child. And,
indeed, she was little more in size-She
had wasted 50. She took his face be-
tween her fragile hands, and looked
81, al. int into his eyes.
david, tell me the truth"
II will"
"Did you murder my husbandg" L.
"Never."
sac class ped her hands and raised her
eyes 20 heaven win murmur OF
thanksgiving.
Resting upon his breast, she heard the
whole dreadful story. No legend Of the .
wild place familiar to her childhood's
day was as dreadful us this; but time re
comedies all things; and to-day she is
placid, healthy old wife, with grand
children a,ound her; but they never
hear the tragedy from her lips. IL Is y
record of 100 much suffering 10 be re-
read by her,