The daily gazette., 1882-04-17
WITH A MANIAC.
By r. V. W..

In my early life upon the banks { f the
Antholine, there lived, TO all human ap-
pearance, most devoted, l1ving ct upie
who had sought the fertile land of thai
almost unlnhabltated place for q home
for life. Trees were fslled, hous a
bnilt, and q snug little farm fenced and
cleared; and just when the sun of do
nestle felicity seemed about to shed It's
unclonded rays OF splendor upon the
household OF our heroine, 1t was noiss0
abroad, through the hen sparse settle
meDts, that the lovely aud accomplished
Mrs. Wayland was ravlng maniac, and
had eluded the Vlgils of her husband and
household, and had aed, they knew not
where. This unexpected calamity upon
what was tsrmed the "Happy Way
labds," aroused the whole male force of
tie sediment for miles around.
Having recently emigfated to Texas,
and being fond of wild adventures and
the excitement incident to a frontier
ljf-, was foremost on the hant tf The
.lost LADY, 10 those days men seldom
lefs their cabin without some means of
defensei and Just as the sun was shining
in royal magnlticence and shedding his
golden light o er cabin aud tree, / LIFT
The rail fence that surrounded the WWay
land Heu g." armed to the teeth, and
walked rapidly away TO the boundless
forest, too much excited by this stran 70
adventure to note the course or spaed #
tra,e ell. The direction by noon, and the
accelerated gait given by q wild and un-
controllable impulse, brought me 10 a
lofty mountain, whose base was washed
by the IuIbid waters of the Antho-
line,
OVerpowpred with heat and faligued
with travel, reclined upon The messy
bank Of that rolling stream-not far
from noted crossing called the "BArk-
dell Ford"-when my eyes were lnvolun-
tarlly fixed upon huge cleft In the
massive pile Of rock over the cullen wa
teIs Of the rapidly rising stream, upon
whose brink was reclining. Silently
gszed upon the dismal aperture, from
which q low, mutter.ng incoherent
sound had emanated, and the surprise
almost enervated my hitherto resolute
sters; and sat upright, chained TO the
spot. examined my tfpsty rifle and
side arms--tbe backwoodhman's faith.
fnl trlends--and saw that all were right
and reliable should an emergency re-
qnlre their use. now for the first time
felt the awkwardness Of my situation
alone, in the very heat of wilderness
Inhabited only by beasts of prey, ten
| miles from the nearest settlement, and
night fall fast approaching. crept slow.
| ly and stealthily TO the rock from whence
such uneaithly sounds had emanated,
Not sound escaped from the entrance,
and took my seat upon rocky couch
In breathless silence. The waters were
rapidly rislng and spreading nearer and
nearer the spot where sat wrapt In
melancholy,
The sun was iast sinking to his rest,
and the increase of the snllen stream
dashing In fury against the very rock on
| which at, broke my solitary and spell
bound t' ace. / must have remained for
an hour or more, held as II by an irresis-
tible destiny, jntently gazing Into the
dismal hole Into the rock, impressed
with the belief that It contained The OBJ
| ject of my earnest search, when sudden
ly aud silently she emerged from her
rocky cell, and sprlnging With involun-
| tary effort / seized her pale white hands
| aud held her fast. She made no Tesis.
tence, and to my works OF kindly ehser,
gave no reply. Her magnificent head oi
disheveled halr, black as the ebon curls
which hung around the shoulders of lhe
tawny Indian woman, hid from eager
| g 20 lhe face cf this afIl cted being, who
bad fed tom her husband and home
aud taken up her abode In this dismal
den.
lsa my rife against the projecting
rock, and stood between her and the