Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-05-13

was On Buafu mere AZ O'CLOCK IN tne
morning.
/ generally gave look all around
with that glass; and there was nothing
at all In view out TO sea. But a man
and a woman came out Of the ruins and
sat down on some Of the loose stones
outside. The man was dark, with q
sailors dress, and as far as ! could make
out that, I think, was pretty near-was
about 80 years Of age. He warn't the
looking man that I'd trust myself to II
/ were young girl.
"At first these two were friendly
enough-eyen II the glass had been q
trifie wrong in the focus 1 could have
seen that they were sweethearts; but af-
ter they had been there half an hour or
so / saw that the girl began to move
away little from him, and when he
shifted his seat so as to get near her
again she made another move.
"But / hadn't time for much think
ing; 1t took all my time TO be watch
ing. There was quarrel, that was
plain, but, but, 'Pooh,' says I TO myself,
they'll kiss and be friends in ten min
utes.' Well, I waited for the kissing,
and then I thought I'd have another
look around the ocean; but that poor
girl never got kiss again. There was
something in her hand that he wanted
to get, that was plain, though / couldn't
quite make out what 1t was; but what
ever 1t was he snatched 1t from her,
and she struck at him in her anger, and
then there was pushing about, but al
ways with her getting nearer and near
er to the edge Of the cliff, until at last I
saw the mans two arms thrust stright
out, and over she went. Once or twice
she hung for moment on the face of
the rock; her dress caught In the bram-
bles then; but 1t was only for moment
she was In the sea In less time than it
takes for me to tell you this.
"The tide was full up at the time, but
just on the turn, and once it turns, 1t
runs there almost like the race of a mill,
and the man was soon lost to view in
the ruins, and though I searched the
ocean all round for miles I never got
sight Of the body any more.
snow, sir, says Ito myself, What
shall I do? Shall I report this? I
thought and thought. and at last says,
mo, i won't report it even to my old
woman, for if do there's no knowing
to whom she'll report it again. And
the reason I had for not doing it was
this: Says i to myself, IF there's
one missing, and it the body never
turns up, as don't believe il will, peo-
pie will say was dreaming; it may be
they'll say I was drunk; for all ! know,
they may say Pm mad. I'll just wait
and see whether the body Is ever found
or not. Besides says / to myself, II
can't tell that murder has been COM
mitted. They fell out, there's no doubt
of that; but perhaps her going over was
an accident. / couldn't swear that,
when he thrust out his two hands, he
had given her push that had sent her
over
"Well, sir, the burden Of this secret
lay heavy upon my mind, and as /
walked up and down here on my lone
" beat it began to eat into me. When
I come bit to myself, I had the par
son sent for, and I told him ! had a
great load on my mind, and wanted to
ease it by telling it to him, and I told
him the whole story from beginning to
end. and our captain-I had him in and
told it to him, too.
"But the gentleman only smiled at
what said. Poor fellow says one,
the fever's on him still 'Ay,' says the
other, you see tits the same thing he's
been raving on all along
swell, made two or three more at.
tempts, and I tried the doctor, but he
says, 'Pll send some strengthening
medicine, Duncan, and you'll soon be
all right, and he tapped his forehead
and said, 'Fevers make sad work with
our brains.'
II saw it was no use to try and per.
suade any Of the gentlemen; I did my
best, and there, now, I must leave it.
But I wasn't quite easy in my mind
Looking at it now, at this distance o.
time, think it was my duty to have
4 reported it and taken the consequences
whatever they might have been, but
this I did: I took and wrote down
on a paper what I had seen, and hid il
carefully away, lest it should come tc
anyone's hand. And If / died
.'When wrote it all out and put Dir
the outside: When I am dead this pa
per Is to be given to the minister Of th,
parish put down the day and th,
color Of the young woman's dress ant
the shape of her hat, and the cut Of th'
mans beard and whiskers, and the ret
kerchief he had round his neck-of tina
I made special note, for the seafarin,
men don't wear that color often. Now,
said +, I've done all I can.'
''Five years passed" /" said the ol'
man, aand twas midsummer morning