National Republican., 1881-04-27
"k LEAP IN THE DARK"

The cliffs that rear their naughty head
jJigh DER the rivers darksOme bed
Wore here all naked, wild and gray,
There waving all with greenwood spray;
Here trees from every crevice grew,
nd a. .T the CTlgSS their branches threw,
And there all spliutered and uneven,
The sliycTed rocks ascend 10 Heaven.
II WAS a clear, bright night, in the
dephs of the mountain wilderness.
There was a long, deep, narrow valley, running
north and south for many miles, fanked east and
west by towering mountains
The range on the east was called Catamount
cliffs that on the west Panther Peak.
Deep down III the bottom of the valley ran a low
and narrow river, called the Umbra-
on this night hot sound disturbed the awful
solitude of the wilderness; not living creature
appeared in sight.
Human life seemed far away
Vet had there been light enough, q human form
might have been seen on the eastern range.
II was The figure of q young girl, wrapped in
dark shawl that covered her from head 10 foot,
gliding slowly, slowly down the winding mountain
bath now passing out ofSight behind clump OF
trees, now coming into view again as the path
turned in and out i'll itsaescent-
Sometimes she paused and leaned against a tree,
rs if for momentary support, and then the faint
Young face, pallid with despair.
And now another figure appeared upon the
scene, another aud taller young giri, ehVeioPed
in a long waterproof cloak, whose hood was drawn
over her head.
She gIidcd silently down the same path, in the
same manner, keeping her eyes upon her prede,
she was
The first girl wound her sinuous way down the
mountain side to the very foot Of the ridge ana
edge of the river, between which and herself lay
the tracks of very recently laid railroad, whose
trains twice day, aWoke the awful echoes OF the
towering rocks.
shawl drop from her form and lay in Il heap around
her. clasped her hands upon her knees and turned
her woeful young face up to the stariit heavens, as
if help for her hidden grief were there.
Then she looked vaguely al the little crescent OF
the moon that sinking slowly behind The
cc,iar-crOWned summit of the western ridge. She
watched it out of sight, and then let her glance
slowly drop TO the river at her feet. Gazing on the
low river she began TO muter 70 herself as only
the crazed or half craZed ever do.
'IfI dared-if / dared" she whispered, her
eyes dilating as she gaZed down upon the river,
whose shining, smooth dark surface reflected
every star above. IF | only dared 10 take the
plunge. They say the Umbra here mas no bottom,
a. least none that has ever been sounded. Night
after night have come here-low many times
how many times; but have neyerhad the courage
10 take that plunge. What does The poet say?
Who would not choose
The leap attaining the rcpOse?
Oh. bat cannot-I cannot! Oh, for one brief fit
Of madness TO give me courage to end it alto end
il all with me-WhO am afraid to die and more
afraid 10 live. The demon has driven me to this
rivers brink night after night, but he has never
driven me into il. AH.H-H!' she suddenly cried.
starting TO her feet What Is that?
1t was the noise of the rushing express train
from the north, gaining force and volume as it
sped onward, IFS thunderS caughtup by the echoes
Of she rocky cliffs on each side the river, and
hurled back and forth with an overwhelming up
roar that filed the valley and seemed 10 threaten
with annihiatiOn every living creature i'll it.
The girl. standing up. gaZed bTeathlcSs upon the
rushing monster, whose fiery eyes and believing
breath were almost upon her.
She pressed her left hand hard upon her heart
and bent forward, her lips apart her eyes dilated
to their utmost capacity and blazing hcrcely, as
with the suddenly kindled fires of madness
Another instant, and with frcnzied yell she
threw her arms on high and, swiferthan the arrow
from the bow, she shot downward from the bank
and threw herself hcadlOng upon the track, under
the very heat of the rushing engine.
But swifter than the arrow was the arm of love,
as the watcher sprang forward and flung her of.
both falling back from the impetus clear of The
track Just as the express train thundered onward.
shaking the solid foundations Of the mountains as
it passed.
At last there was silence.
Both girls, mOtiOnlcss, exhausted, half parnlyZed
lay together where they had fallen The elder
with every vein and artery thrObbing as if they
would burStwith intense excitement, still clutched
the younger in her arms and held her as in death
grin. Both were panic-stricken, overwhelmed,
and specchlesS.
The deliverer was the first 10 recover herself
We're you mad?" she whispered, in a husky
and almost inarticulate voice.
"GeS-mRd,' mOancd the other, after pause
"Oh tchy did you do it?
have told yOu-I was mad
There was silence for few moments, and then
the elder spoke again, gTavely and tenderly.
BeYvie! what drove you TO deSperation?'
u cannot tell you! Oh, 1 can never tell you
wish you had not stopped mel 1t would have
been all over by this time" moaned the girl called
Bevvie.
"AIl over!"
YES. yes, yes, yes" walled the girl, rocking
herself back and forward" for should have been
ont of all my misery! Oral Ora! Why did you
follow me? Fhy did You interfere with me-
81 have watched you for weeks; l have followed
You for days. am responsible TO the Lord for YOU
was in duty bound 10 save you. even If had not
loved you as do, ungrateful childr'
oh, if you knew!-If You knew, Ora All,
why did you interfere? Tt would have been all
over now and | should have been past all nv
troubles" walled Beyyie.
"YOusay that again! And it is false! All over%
Past your trouble?' Foolish girl! You would have
been before Your Maker for selfmurder! You
would have exchanged temporal grief for eternal
woe!' exclaimed the elder, in q tone of intense
emotion.
"Oh no: l hope not? for l iros mad then Ora
I was mad them indeed was. had not thought
of doing that act one minute before l did it! But
the rush of the engine. the thunder of the noise
the uproar of the echo. the fiery eye, the flaming
breath, the vision of swift and sudden death ali
fascinated, maddened me as l stood alone in the
dark, and drew me down to the destruction from
which you snatched me-"
And yctyOu seem deeply to regret being saved
and you bitterly Teproach me for saving youi You
are inconsistent Beyyie! But that too, is a symp-
tom of Rn unSound mind! Come with me! do
not know cannot even hazard s. conjecture. as
tG the nature of the grief that has unsettled you
You have steadily refused to tell me- But TO- night
mother 10 you, BeYvie, and am responsible to
the Lord for your we'll being. Can you walk up
the steep?"
oh, yes; can walk" sighed the younger girl.
Take my arm, then, and do not hesitate TO lean
on il with all your weight, said Ora, lifting the
heavy shawl from the ground where Bevyie had
cast it, wrapping and pinning it carefully around
the girls form. and then tenderly supporting her
steps as they left the spot.
And so the fOster-mOther Of twenty lone and the
adopted daughter of sixteen reascended the noun
tain path to their home. where the dread secret
which had driven Bevvie to temporary madness
was 10 be revealed. The above is the opening
chapter of Mrs. Southworth's new story Leap
IN the Dark which is begun in this weeks New
York Ledger. The story, as the reader may see
from this specimen Ofit is a very powerful one. 1t
IS narrative of events that occurred in Maryland
and Virginia many years ago, when everyday life
was wild and romantic in the mountain regions Of
those States. Mrs. Southworth has written many
good stories but she herself thinks that this is one
of her very best. Ask for the Ledger dated NAY
which can now be had at any news Office or book
store.
a Russian Contractors.
Poleiaief is the name of Russian con-
tractor for Iyhom tho Cars rolina o,o bao,, ll-