Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-09

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A dizzy feeling came ouer her.
upon the point of fainting and falling sense
| less on the doorstep. By supreme effort
| she reused herself and shook off the incipient
| stupor If once she sank down her weary
| limbs might rebel and refuse to do her bid.
ding. She might lie there until her presence
| was discovered, and that discovery ruined
| all. No. if she were to sink and perhaps die,
| let it be as far away from Beatrice as her
waning strength could carry her. Sweet as
| it would be to breathe her last within reach
| of her mistress, even such poor comfort
could not be volschsare1 10 her.
1t speaks volumes for the iron strength or
| her will, insomuch that it struggled with
and overcame, not only the woman's physi-
cal fatigue, but also the craving for one
| glimpse of Beatrice which chained her to
| the spot. She tore herself away, and with
| out once looking back forced her tired limbs
| to bear her to considerable distance. Here
she found quiet doorstep on which she sat
unmolested sat and fought against her ex-
haustion, until such time as she would be
| able to procure food.
| Tt was not long before, slowly. little by
| little unit by unit the city began to awake
Here and there the shutters went down from
a shop, and at last the weary woman saw
| all but facing her bakers window. She
entered the shop, boughs some bread and
begged glass of water. Not for her own
| sake, but for the sake of another, she was
called upon to eat and drink.
She ate her bread, and then somewhat
strengthened again began her pilgrimage
She crept through the streets until She
reached the railway station. Here she as
certained at what time the next train for
the west would start.
] no hod 70
self in one corner of the waiting room, and
sat like statue. But her brain was burn
ing and her pulse throbbing. A strange
sound a fierce rushing sound, was ever in
! her ears; great wheels seemed turning and
turning in her head; and if for moment
| she dared to close her hot AMI weary ewes,
she saw through the darkness light, a
| fierce light, red like blood, and drawing
nearer and nearer.
| But in spite of all this she was able to
take her seat in the train, able to exult that
| she had found the strength to bear her SO
far; able to pray that her strength might
last until she once more stood in Lon Ion.
| Then all would be safe. No matter what
became of her then. The work was finished,
what did the future of the tool matter?
| The tram left Munich, and as it steamed
| out of the magnificent station, tae woman
yelled her face with her black shawl In
spite of her conviction that she had but
executed pre- ordained task, she dar not
look upon the spot wheresh had knelt the
previous night Miles and miles passed he
fore she removed the somber covering from
her white worn face. As the train hurried
| on the wheels within her brain wtirled
| faster and faster, the rushing sound grew
stronger, and the fierce red light shone red
der, fercer and nearer.
Save for such inquiries as the eagency
| OF the journey forced her to make, and such
| speech as was necessary to procure the food
and drink which nature absolutely demand
ed, the woman spoke no word during that
| long journey back. Except that now and
again she pressed them to her brow, in a
vain endeavor to stop the wheels which
whirled in her brain, her thin hands were
for ever clasped beneath her dark shawl
She sat and stared into vacancy. How
could she close her eyes when doing so at
once brought the red light before them!
For all she knew, that journey might have
lasted months or years. Periods of time
meant nothing to her now. Eternity, not
| Time, lay before her.
The long journey by land, the shorter
journey by sea, passed like protracted yet
incQherent dream. All she knew or cared to
know was that she was speeding ON to
London. At last the sound of English
voices, the sight of English faces, told her
that she had reached the last stage of her
! journey. Then she reused herself and made
her final preparations
She searched her pocket, and tore into
small bits every piece of paper it contained,
so that no written word could he left to
give clew to her identity. Last of all she
drew from an envelope photograph CT
Beatrice. She gazed at it long and passion
ately, and then, with deep sigh, tore it
across and across, and threw the pieces to
the winds. She dared not even keep this
poor relic of her darling.
London at last! Sarah Miller stepped
from the train and once more stood on the
platform which she had quilted rather more
than three days before. 1t was now past
o'clock in the morning. Whittier should
she turn. She stood hesitating and hewil-
dered.
There was one thing more which she had
settled to do. What was it? Oh, those
wheels, those wheels, will they never stopi
She pressed her fingers to her temples, and
strove to recall what resolution had slipped
from her mind
| All, now she remembered what it was.
Her money, she must get rid of that. Sic
had no further need of money, now that SIZE
had reached the final goal. In her pocket
wero both German and English coins. She
collected them, and creeping stealthily to
the box which stands awaiting contributions
for some doubtless, very deserving charity,
she dropped in every coin that was upon her
person. This done, she believed there was
nothing left which could in any way show
who she was or whence she came
She passed out under the archway, soli-
tary, dark robed figure with a head bent as
in grief. She passed from the gastly white
glare of electric lamps into the all but de-
serted Strand. She walked some way up
the Strand, then, without any definite aim,
turned to the right and by and by found
herself on the embankment
Still she wandered on until she reached
Waterloo bridge. She went half way across
it, then stopped short and gazed over the
parapet into the river. But no thought of
self-destruction had entered into her head,
although the red light was still before her
eyes, the wild rush still sounding in her ears,
and those fearful iron wheels in her brain
circling more rapidly than ever. No. the
river had but for her the attraction which
smooth, calm peaceful stream has for all
who are in deep distress. So she looked and
looked; even craned over the parapet to peer
into its somber, placid depths.
At that moment binding light flashed
upon her eyes and a hand grasped her
shoulder. ''Now none of that nonsense
said sharp voice-the voice of a policeman
who had seen her dark form against the
stonework of the bridge. The woman turned
her face to his, and the anguish written upon
it persuaded the constable that he had arrived
Just in the nick of time.
'River airs bad at night for such as you,"
he said in kinder voice. ''Now you go
straight home like good woman. Pll see you
safe off the bridge. You can go from which
end you like, but if you stay here any longer,
WE'LL I must run you ill.,"
She clasped her hands. 81 am mad?o she
cried in piteous, imploring tones 'Can'tyo
see am mads Take me and put me where
mad neOnle are sent to-"