Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-10-20
WHOLE NO. 2,496.

}, and watchful, while my right han,
Y grasped pistol which was hiddel
: In my bosom. Every sound terri
!. rified but L resolved that / woult
g sell my life dearly, and not rela,
theimpending conflict until my owl
| life, or that of my adversary wa
e extinguished.
: Elizabeth observed my agitation
: for some time in timid and fearfu
silence; at length she said "What
is it that agitates you, my deal
Victor? What is it you fear?'
"Oh! peace, peace, my love-" re.
piled L /; "this night, and all will be
safe; but this night is dreadful, very
dreadful"
/ passed an hour in this state oi
mind when suddenly | reflected
how dreadful the combat which /
momentarily expected would be to
my wife, and / earnestly entreated
her to retire, resolving not to join
her until / had obtained some
knowledge as to the situation of my
enemy.
She left me, and / continued some
time walking up and down the pas
SageS of the house, and inspecting
every corner that might afford re-
treat to my adversary. But l dis
covered no trace of him, and was
beginning to conjecture that some
fortunate chance had intervened to
! prevent the execution of his mena-
ces, when suddenly heard shrill
and dreadful scream. 1t came from
the room into which Elizabeth had
retired. AS l heard it, the whole
truth rushed into my mind, my
arms dropped, the motion of every
muscle end fibre was suspended /
could feel the blood trickling in my
veins, and tingling in the eXtremi-
ties of my limbs. This state lasted
but for an instant; the scream was
repeated, and l rushed into the
room.
Great God! why did 1 not then
expire? Why am / here to relate
the destruction of the best hope, and
the purest creature of earth? She
was there, lifeless and inanimate,
thrown across the bed, her head
hanging down, and her pale and
distorted features half covered by
her hair. Everywhere / turn see
the same figure,-her bloodless arms
and relaxed form flung by the MUIR
derer on its bridal bier. Gould
behold this, and live? (Alas! life
is obstinate, and cliDgs closest
where it is most hated.) For a mo-
ment only, and / lost recollection
/ tainted.
When L recovered, found my
self surrounded by the people OF the
inn; their countenances expressed
breathless terror but the horror OF
others appeared only as mockery,
shadow OF the feelings that OPP
pressed me. l escaped from them
to the room where lay the body OF
Elizabeth, my love, my wife,
so lately living, so dear so
worthy. She had been moved from
the posture in which l had first be-
held her; and now, as she lay, her
head upon her arm, and a hand
kerchief thrown across her face and
neck, 1 might have supposed her
asleep. / rushed toward her, and
embraced her with ardor; but the
deadly languOr and coldness of the
limbs told me, that what l now
held in my arms had ceased to be
the Elizabeth whom l had loved
and cherished. The murderous
marks of the fiend's grasp were on
her neck, and the breath had ceased
to issue from her lips.
While l still hung over her in the
agony of dispair, L happened to
look up. The windows of the room
had before been darkened and /
felt kind of panic on seeing the
pale yellow light of the moon illu-
inmate the chamber. The shutters
had been thrown back and, with
h sensation of horror not to be de-
scribed, saw at the open window
a figure the most hideous and abb
hOrred. A grin was on the face of
the monster; he seemed to jeer, as
with his fiendish finger he pointed
toward the corpse of my wife. |
rushed toward the window, and,
drawing pistol from my bosom,
shot; but he eluded me, leaped |
from his station, and, running with |
the swiftness of lightning, plunged
into the lake.
The report of the pistol brought a
crowd into the room. pointed to |
the spot where he had disappeared,
and we followed the track with |
boats; nets were cast, but in vain.
After passing several hours, we re-
turned, hopeless /; most of my COM
panions believing it to have been "A
form conjured by my fancy. After
having landed, they proceeded to
search the country, parties going in
different directions among the
wood and vines.
/ did not accompany them; i
was exhausted a film covered my |
eyes, and my skin was parched with
the heat of fever. In this state /
lay on a bed, hardly conscious Of
what had happened my eyes wan
dered round the room, as if to seek
something that had lost
AT length / remembered that my
father would anxiously expect the
return of Elizabeth and myself, and
that must return alone. This re-
Election brought tears into my eyes,
and l wept for long time; but my
thoughts rambled to various sub
jects, refiecting on my misfortunes
and their cause. / was bewildered
in a cloud of wonder and horror.
The death of William, the execution
of Justine, the murder of Clerval,
and lastly my wife; even at that
moment knew not that my only
friends were safe from
the malignity OF the fiend my ia
ther even now might be writhing
under his grasp, and Ernest might
be dead at his feet. This idea made
n shudder, and recalled me to ac-
ton. / started up, and resolved to
return to Geneva with all possible
speed.
There were no horses to be pro-
cured, and l must return by the
lake; but the wind was unfavOr-
able, and the rain fell in torrents.
However, it was hardly morning
and l might reasonably hope
to arrive by night. l hired men TO
row, and took an oar myself; for /
had always experienced relief from
mental torment in bodily exercise.
But the overfiowing misery now
felt, and the excess of agitation that
/ endured, rendered me incapable
of any exertion. / threw down the
oar, and, leaning my he al upon my
hands, gave way to every gloomy
idea that arose. jf | locked up, i
saw tie scenes which were familiar
to me ~ my happier Time, and
which i hal contemplated but the
day h. fore in the con' parry of her
who WAS nov ou' shadow and II
Tears streaIned from