The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1885-08-20
CHAPTER III.

was called into the country, to be
absent two days. | asked Madison to
accompany me, but he excused him.
self, saying that he had on hand a
piece of business which could not
longer be neglected. I returned late
at nj ght. A storm was raging. Houses
creaked. Tho village streets wero
dark and deserted. A light blrned in
my room. madison has not gone to
bed," I unused.
The door was ajar. I gently showed
it open. Great God! Madison was
stretched upon the floor. His arms
were folded across his breast. His
eyes, in awful glare, were turned up
wards. He was dead-cold and stiff.
rushed out and tried to arouse the
neigbors, but the storm ragged so
fercelY that no one heard me. Horri-
fled, sat on stairway, trembling at
the thought of again entering my room.
At last morning came. The town was
soon in state of excitement. TO the
people of Wykleph, nothing was more
interesting than death.
On my bureau, weighted down with
silver-clasped bible, l found the fol-
lowing letter:
MY DEAR JOHN! I have transact
ed the business which could not longer
be neglected. Let me make an awful
revelation. l used to live in New
York state. My parents were wealthy.
When l was about twenty-one years
of age, became engaged to young
woman whom I dearly loved. My
faith IN her was as strong as tho faith
that fanatic reposes in his religion.
can see her face now, beautiful and
dewy with the tears of tenderness. l
left home on a visit. When return
ed, my father asked me to walk out in
the woods with him. Then he told
me that Logcnia-my Logenia-was
on the eye of marrying a man whom I
despised. would not believe it. In
passionate haste I ran across the
fields, and rushed into the cottage
where Logenia lived. She said that it
was true. 1t was the story of which
all romance is tired. She had tried to
love me-, but could not. She had
thought that she loved me but she had
at last discovered that she did not.
Three days afterwards, that girl and
the man whom l despised were mar
ried. 1 saw them when they got into
buggy. I saw them- take the mar
row road that wendell it's way along
the m fountain side. I would see them
when they thought that no one was
looking. I would conceal myself on
the mountain, and gaze at them as
they passed: I hid behind large rock,
q short distance above the road. They
came along, driving slowly. just as
they were opposite me, she put her
arms around him. With all my might
showed the rock. Down it went,
bounding from one projection to an
other, and fell in front of the horse.
Frightened, he sprang to one side,
Then there was nothing in the road
save the big rock thatI had dislod ged.
The horse, the buggy, the man
whom I sdespised and Logenia-
all had; gone over the precipice.
4 heard her shrek. wish I could
have heard the man groan. I hast
ened home. When the calamity was
discovered, people said that it was a
terrible accident. No one suspected
me. Since then ! have been in hell.
Not o moments peace have l seen. !
have roamcd nearly everywhere. My
parents died within a few months of
each other, and l turned the entire es-
tate into money. With the money
have done some little good, but the
larger par of it has been wasted. In
the 1es. ~nand corner of my trunk You
will ind enough money to pay the ex-
pen ses Of my burial: I have long
been determined to put myself out of
the way, just so soon as my resources
dwindled to certain amount.
have swallowed the poison. Avio-
lent storm is raging. I hardly know
whether it is within NE or without
doors, Now you know who 1 am.
The" name, Logenia, is a fictitious
name. The girls true name was Su-
san: She was your sister. My name
is Gray"
Is It vas q long tine before I recov-:
cred from the shock. / had known
Louis Gray when Twas a; boy; and was
the murderer of my sister. Il was not
athon1e when the tragedy occurred,
My.m0ther, in q fearful letter, told ME
Of Susan's marriage-how she and her