Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-26
THE EVENING STAR.
TUESDAY........... April 26, 1871.
q A LEAP IN THE DARK"

And there AL splintered and unevep.
| The sh vered rocks ascend TO heaven.
1t was clear bright night Ia the depths of
| the mountain wilderness
There was long deep, narrow valley, run
ming north ane south, for many miles, flanked
east and west by towering mountains.
The range on the east was called Catamount
Gifts, that on the west, Panther Peak.
Deep DOWN In the bottom or The valley ran /.
| low and narrow river. called the Umbra.
on this night not a sound disturbed the awful
| solitude OF the wilderness: not living creature
| appeared ia sight
Human life seemed far away.
Yet had there been light enough, a human
form might have been seen on the eastern
| 1t was the figure OF young girl. wrapped In
| dark shawl That covered her from ne Al to
Ioot, gliding slowly slowly down the winding
MOUNTAIN path, now passing out OF sight be-
| hlhd q clunp OF trees now coming into view
again as the paIa turned Ia and out Ii It's
| descent.
Sometimes she paused and leaned against a
.ite as II Tor Eloalentary support, aud Thea the
| ialht light OF the moon fell upon an upturnei
| ioEely cuns face, pailid vita despair
And now another figure appeared upon the
| scene another and taller young girl envel-
| Oped Ia long waterproof CLOAK whose hooi
was drawn over her head.
She gli3ed silently down the same path. IN
| the same manner, keeping her eyes upaa her
| Predecessor, as II she were ''shadowlig" her
| indeed she was.
Tne nrst girl wound her sibuous way down
the mountain Side TO the very foot OF the rid ge
aud edge OF the river, between which ana her.
self lay the tracks OF very recently laid rail-
read, whose trains, twice a day. aHoke the
awful echoes OF the towering rocks.
Here she sat down on a fallen boulder, let
her shawl drop from her form and lay Ia
heap around her. claSpe1 her hands upon her
Knees. and turned her woeful young face up TO
grief were there
Then she looked vaguely at the little crescent
OF the moon that was sinking slowly behind
the CEDAR Crowned summit OF the western
ridge. She watched 1t out Of sight, and then
let her glance slowly drop TO the river at her
feet Gazing on the low river, she began TO
mutter TO herself as only the craZed or half
CraZed ever do.
"If dared-if dared" she whispered. her
eyes dilatiDg IS she gaZed down upon the river,
whose shining. smooth dark surface relle ctei
every star above. III only dared to take the
plunge. They say the Umora here has no bot
tom, at least none that has ever been Soun led.
Night after night have come here-hoS many
tlnieS-hoW many times; but | have never hal
the courage 10 take that plunge. What does
the poet say:
Who would no. choose
The leap attaining the repSse:'
Oh, but cannot-I cannot! Oh for one brIet
lit or madness 10 give me courage to END It all
TO end !t 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 ne
has never driven me into It. AH-H II y she
suddenly cried. starting to her feet, "Wnat is
tnat?"
1t was the noise OF the rushing express train
from the north, gaining force and volume as it
sped EDWARDS, It's thunders caught up by the
echoes OF the rocky cliffs on each side the
river. and hurled back and forth with an over
Whelmlng upsoar that filled the valley, and
81 emed TO threaten With annih .lation every
living creature in It.
The girl standing up, gazsd breathless. upon
the rushing monster, whose fiery eyes and
believing breath were almost upon her
she pressed her left hand nard upon her
heart, and bent forward. her lips apart, her
eyes diated TO their utmost capacity, and
SIfInpniY al
fires OF madness.
Another instant, and with a phrenzied yell
she threw her arms on high, and, Swlfter 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 swifIer than the arrow was the arm
of love, as the watcher sprang forward aud
flung her off, both falling back from the im-
petus clear OF the track, Just as the express
train thundered onward, shaking the solid
foundations OF the mountains as lt passed,
AT last there was silence.
Both girls, motiOnless, exhausted, half para.
lyzed, lay together where they had fallen. The
elder, with every vein and artery throbbing
as IL they would burst with intense excite
ment. still ciutched the younger In her arms
and held her as IN death grip. Both were
panic STRICKEN overwhelmed and speeches.
The deliyerer was the first to recover her
SELF.
."Were you mad?" she whispered. In e husky
and almost ina rticulate voice.
"Yes-nad." moaned the other, after a
pause.
"Oh. ,rhg did you do IT."
81 have told you'll was mad
There was silence for few moments, and
then the elder spoke again, gravely and ten
Gerly.
"Bevvte! what drove you to desperation -
81 cannot tell you, Oh. can never tell you,
1 wish you had not stopped me! Ii would have
been all over by this time" moaned the Cir,
called Bevvie.
".All overr"
"Yes, yes, yes. yes," walled the girl, rock
ing herself back and forward ''for | Shout
have been out OF all my misery! Ora! Ora!
Why did you follow me? WY did you inter
feTe with me7"
II have watched you for weeks; / have fol-
low ed you for days; ! am responsible 10 the
Lord for you; was In duty bound TO save you,
even If had not loved you as DO, ungrateful
chilG!'
"Oh, If you krew.-If you knew. ora: All.
why did you interfere? Ii would have been ali
over now, and should have been past ali my
troubles" walled Bevvle.
You say that again! And 1t is false. AN
oyeI?' Past your trouble? Foolish girl. you
would have been before your Maker Tor self
murder! You would have exchanged temporal
grief for eternal wOe!" exclaimed the elder. In
tone OF intense emotion. /.
ION, no. hope not! for rsdS mad then, Ora,
| was mad then: Indeed l was. L had not
thought Of doing that act one minute before /
did IL! But the rush OF the engine. the thunder
OF the noise, the uproar OF the echo, the f1ery
eye, the flaming breath, the vision OF swift and
sudden death, ali fascinated, maddened me as
stood alone In the dark, and drew me down to
the destruction from which you Snatched me.
land yet you seem deeply to regret being
saved, and you bitterly reprQach me for saving
you. You are inconsistent, Bevviei But that
too is symptom OF an unSound MIND. Come
with ms. | do not KNOW 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 10 know! for 1 AIN In the place OF
mother to you, BevVie, and L am responsible TO
the Lord for your Well being. Can you walk Up
the steep?"
"On, 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, lit
ing the heavy shawl from The ground, where
BeVvie had cast IT, wrapping and pinnlng it
carefully around the girls form, and then ten
derly supporting her steps as they Left the
spot.
And so the foster-mother OF twenty-one and
the adopted daughter OF sixteen re-ascendeG
the mountain path 10 their home, where the
dread secret which had driven Beyvie to tenn
pprary madness was 10 be revealed. The
above Is the opening chapter OF Mrs. South.
wOrths new story-"A Leap In the Dark
which is begun In this week New York Ledger.
The story. as the reader may see from This
specimen OF Ii, is very powerful one. IJ is q
narrative OF events that occurred In Maryland
and Virginia many years ago, when every. day
life was wild and romantic In the mountain re-
gfonS OF those states. Mrs. Southworth has
written many good stories, but she herself
thinks that this is one OF her very best ASK
for fhn Ifdppr dated NAV which can now be