The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-04-29
NEW SERIES---NO. 262

younger in her arms, and held her as in a
death-grip. Both were panic-stricken,
overwhelmed and speechless.
The deliverer was the first to recover
herself
Were you mad2' she whispered, in a
husky and almost inerticulate voice.
"Yes-mad," moaned the other, after
pause,
"Oh, why did you do it9'
II have told you-I was mad.r
There was silence for few moments,
and then the elder spoke again, gravely
and tenderly.
"Bevvic what drove you to deperahon9"
~ cannot tell youl Oh, can never tell
you! wish you had not stopped me! 1t
would have been all over by this time"
moaned the girl called Bcvvic.
"All ovcrrn
Yes, yes, yes, yes!" walled the girl,
rocking herself back and forward-"for I
should have been out of all my misery
Ora Ora Why did you follow me9 Why
did you interfere with mel"
II have watched you for weeks; | have
followed you tor days. am responsible
to the Lord for you: was in duty bound
to save you, even if | had not loved you as
DO, ungrateful childm
"Oh, if you knew If you knew, Ora
All! why did you interfere2 It would have
been all over now, and should have been
past all my troublcs." walled Bevvie.
"Yor say that againl And it is false
All over'' Past your troubleT Foolish
girl! you would have been before your
Maker for selfmurdcr! You would have
exchanged temporal grief for eternal woel"
exclaimed the elder, in a tone of intense
emotion.
"Oh, no, | hope not for was mad then,
Ora | was mad then; indeed | was.
had not thought of doing that act one
minute before | did it, But the rush of
the engine, the thunder of the noise, the
uproar of the echo, the fiery eye, the fam
ing breath. the vision of swift and sudden
death, all fascinated, maddened me as |
stood alone in the dark, and drew me down
to the destruction from which you snatched
mem
aud yet yon seem deeply to regret be-
ing saved, and you bitterly reproach me for
saving you! You are inconsistent, Bevve!
But that too is symptom of an unsouud
mind! Come with me! do not know-I
cannot even hazard conjecture, as to the
nature Of the grief that has unsettled you.
You have steadily refused to tell me. But
tonight am determined to
know for | am in the place of mother
to you, Bevvie, and | am response
BILE to the Lord for your wel-being. Can
you walk up the steep?"
"Oh, yes, l can walk" sighed the
younger girl.
Take my arm, then, and do not hesitate
to lean on it with all your weight" said |
Ora, lifting the heavy shawl from the
ground, where Bevvie had cast 1t, wrapping |
and pinning it carefully around the girls |
form, and then tenderly supporting her
steps as they left the spot.
And 80 the foster-mother of twenty one
and the adopted daughter of sixteen re-as-
cended the mountain path to their home,
where the dread secret which had driven
Beyvle to temporary madness was to be
revealed. The above is the opening chap
ter of Mrs. Southworths new story-"A
Leap in the Dark"-which islbegun in this
weeks New York Ledger, The story, as
the reader may see from this specimen of |
it, is very powerful one. 1t is a narrative |
OF events that occurred in Maryland and |
Virginia many years ago, when everyday |
lite was wild and romantic in the noun.
tain regions OF those states. Mrs. South |
worth has written many good stories, but
she herself thinks that this is one of her |
very best Ask for the Ledger dated May !
7, which can now be had at any news office |
or book store.