The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-30

the river whose shining smooth dark sur
face reflected every star above. If
only dared to take the plunge They,say
the Umbra here has no bottom, at least
none that has ever been sounded. Night
after night have come here-how many
times-how many times; but have never
had the courage to take that plunge! What
does the poet say?
Who would not choose
The leap attaining the repose:
Oh, but I cannOt-I cannot! Oh. for one
brief fit of madness to give me courage To
end it ALTO end it all with me-who am
afraid to die, and more afraid to live. The
demon has driven me TO this rivers brink.
night after night, but he has never driven
me into it. AH-H-Hr' she suddenly cried,
starting to her feet. What is thatF So
It was the noise of the rushing express
train from the north, gaining force and
volume as it sped EDWARDS, its thunders
caught up by the echoes of the rocky cliffs
on each side of the river, and hurled back
and forth with an overwhelming uproaE
that filled the valley, and seemed to threat
en- with humiliation every living creature
in it, :,
The girl. standing up, gazed, GREATNESS.
upon the rushing monster, whose tireN
eyes and believing breath wpTe almost up.
on her. a
She pressed her left hand upon her
heart, and bent forward, her lips apart,
her eyes dilated to their utmost capacity,
and blazing tiercely as with the suddenly
kindled fires of madness.
Another instant, and with frenzied
veil she threw her arms on high, and,
swifter than al arrow from the bow, she
shot downwarIs from the bank and threw
herself headlong upon the track, under the
very heat of the rushing engine
But swifter than the arrow was the arrl
of love, as the watcher sprang forward
and flung her off both falling back from
the impetus clear of the track, just as the
express train Numbered onward, shaking
the solid foundation of the mountains as it
passed.
At last there was silence. "a
Both girls, motionless, exhausted, half
paralyzed, lay together where they had
fallen. The elder, with every vein and
artery throbbing, as if they would burst
with intense excitement, still clutched the
younger in her arms and, held her as in d
death grip. Both were panic-stricken,
overwhelmed and speeches..
The deliverer was the first to recover
herself.
Were you mad?' she whispered In q
husky and almost inarticulate voice.
''Yes-mad." moaned the other, after
pause.
''Oh, acAy did you do it?"
Il have told you'll was mad"
There was silence for few moment,
and then the elder spoke again, gravely
and tenderly.
"Bevvie what drove you to despera-
tion?"
I 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 Bevvie.
'"All over!n
YES. yes yes, yesr walled the girl rock
should have been out of all my misery
Ora! Ora! WY did you follow me? Why
did you interfere with me?"
Il have watched you for weeks; have
followed you for days, I am responsible to
the Lord for you; / was in duty bound to
save you, even if | had not loved you as /
do. ungrateful childr
''Oh, if you knewLIf you knew Oral
All why did you interfere? ! would have
been all over now, and ] should have. been
past all my troublcsr' walled Bevviee
you say that again. And it is false!
All ovcrY Past your trouble? Foolish
girl! you would have been before your
Maker for elf-murderi You would have
temporal grief for eternal woew
exclaimed the elder, in a tone of intense
emotion.
'tOh, no, hope not! for aoas mad then,
Oral ] 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
nproar of the echo, the fiery eye, the fam
ing breath, the vision OF swift and sudden
death. all fascinated, maddehod me as /
stood alone in the dark, and drew me dawn
TO the destruction from which you snatched
meP' ~
And yet yoI seem deeply to regret be-
ing saved and you bitterly reproach me
Tor saving you! You are inconsistent |
Bevvie! But that too is a symptom of an
lnsound mind, Come with me! | do not |
znow-I cannot even hazard conjecture |
IS to the nature of the grief that has I'M
Iettled yon. You have steadily refused to |
ell me. But tonight / am determined to /
know! for l am in the place of mother to
you, Bevvie, and am responsible to the |
Lord for your well being Can yosl walk
up the steepT" ca |
'Oh, yes, 1 can walk" sighed the
girl i
Take my arm, then. and do nothesitate
% lean on it with all your weight" said
Ora, lifting the heavy shawl from tbs
yronnd, where Bevvie had cast it. wrap.
ping and pinning it carefully around the
girls form. and then tenderly supporting !
ler steps as they left the spot
And SO the foster mother of twenty-one
md the adopted daughter OF sixteen re
lscended the mountain path to their
A.
which had driven Bevvie to temper
Try madness was to be revealed The
above is the opening chapter of Mrs.
5outhworths new story-''A Leap in the
Dark which is begun in this weeks New
York Ledger The story rs the reader 1