Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-27
L" A LEAP THE DARK. -
A MAD ACT.

There waving ali with greenwood spray;
Here trees from every th,r cssnCs rssnsbs
And there, all splintered and uneven,
The shivered rocks ascend to heaven.
It was q clear, bright night, in the
depths of mountain wilderness.
There was long, deep, narrow valley,
running north and south, for many miles,
Hanked east and west by towering noun
tains.
The range on tho east was called Cata.
mount Cliffs, that on the west, Panther
Peak.
Deep down in the bottom of the valley
ran a low and narrow river called the
Cmbra.
On this night not sound disturbed the
awful solitude of the wilderness not
living creature appeared in sight.
Human life seemed far away.
Yet had there been light enough, hu-
man form might have been seen on the
eastern range.
1t was the figure of q young girl, wrap
ped in dark shawl that covered her from
head to foot, gliding slowly, slowly down
the winding mountain path, now passing
out of sight behind clump of trees, now
coming into view again as the path turned
in and out in its descent.
Sometimes she paused and leaned against
a tree, as if for momentary support, and
then the faint light Of tho moon fell upon
an upturned, lovely young face, pallid with
despair.
And now another figure appeared upon
the scene, another and a taller young girl,
enveloped in a long water proof cloak,
whose hood was drawn over her head.
She glided silently down the same path,
-ame manner, keeping her eyes upon
1 c1, c1,
~ ,.aS S.~ ruaJoo.. iced she was.
;,m,, herwas ;n,. md her sinuOus way
The first pirl wo, =" the very foot of
down the mountain side. er' between
the ridge and edge of the RI. "a very
.-S,;ci, and herself Law the tracks U. ice
recently laid railroad, whose trains, t"
a dav awoke the awful echoes Of the tow |
cring rocks.
Here she sat down Oh i fallen boulder,
let her shawl drop from her form and lay
in a heap around her, clasped her hands |
uuon her knees, and turned her weeisi
voung face up to the starlit heavens,
as ifGelp for hidden grief were there.
Then she scocked vaguely at the little
crescent of the .ohc1, that was sinking
slowly behind the cedar crowned summit
of the western ridge. Sic watched it out
of sight. and then let her lssance slowly
drop to the river at her feet. C''hihg on
the low river, she began to mutter to see-
self as only the crazed or half crazed eVe7
do. ,,
"IfI darcd-if dared" she whispered,
her eyes dilating as she gazed down upon
the river, whose shining, smooth dark
surface reflected every star above. IL
only dared to take the plunge. They say
the Umbra here has no bottom, at least
T. 1>oo
after night have come here-how many
times-how many times but l have
never had the courage to take that plunge
What does the poet say?
.Who would not choose
The leap attaining the repose "
o., but 1 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. IAN H"' she suddenly
cried, starting to her feet. "What is
that 90
1t was the noise of the rushing express
train from the north, gaining force and
volume as it sped onward, its thunders
caught up by the echoes of the rocky cliffs
on each side the river, and hurled back
and forth with an overwhelming uproar
that filled the valley, and seemed to
threaten with annihiliatiOn every living
creature in it.
The girl, standing up, gazed, breathless,
upon the rushing monster, whose fiery
ewes aud believing breath were almost
upon her.
She pressed her left hand hard upon heI
heart and bent forward, her lips apart, her
eyes dilated to their utmost capacity. and
blazing fiercely, as with the suddenly
kindled fires of madness.
Another instant, and with a phrenzicd
veil she threw her arms on high, and,
swifter than an arrow from the bow, she
shot downwards 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 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, motionless, exhausted, hall
paralyzed, lay together where they haG
fallen. The elder, with every vein ant
artery throbbing, as if they would burst
with intense excitement, still clutched tht
younger in her arms, and held her rs in a
death grip. Both were panic-stricken
overwhelmed and speechless.
The deliverer was the first to recover
herself.
"Were you mad - she whispered, in 4:
husky and almost inarticulatc voice.
"Yes-mad," moaned the other, after
pause.
'Oh, achy did you do it?"
81 have told you'll was mad"
There was silence for few moments
and then the elder spoke again, gravel!
and tenderly.
"Bevvie! what drove you to despera
tion?''
"I cannot tell you! Oh, csn neve
tell YOU wish you had not stopped me
1t would have been all over by this time,
moaned the girl called Bevvie.
''An Over!'
eyes, yes; yes, yes ~ walled the cir
rocking herself back and forward-'' for
should have been out OF all my misery
Ora Ora Why die you follow me? wa
did YOU interfere with me p
"I have watched you for weeks hav
followed you for days, am responsible
the Lord for you; was in duty bound t
save you, even if I had not loved you as
do, ungrateful child"'
"Oh, if you knew If you knew, Ora
All why why did you interfere It woul
have been all over now, and should hav
been past all my troubles !" walled Be,