Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-02-25

forcibly to him. She tried to scream
again, but the utterance died in hel
throat. Silky fingers closed about thu
white neck.
You shall never see Jerome again,
hissed the mad william. Go with me
peacably or fare worse
She was losing consciousness under
his clutch, and the horrors of her stu.
alton. Dim lights flashed on her brain
She did not faint, however. A dark
object crawling up the ladder attract
ed her attention. Hand over hand iE
painful haste, moved the form, and
when he gained the roof and confront
ed the twain, Amy recognized John
Edison. tl,.
'Scoundrel, release that lady p
A crutch was lifted high above the
head Of Oscar Baltimore. He saw his
danger, lodged, and sprang fiercely at
the ungaluly cripple. The two closed
in a desperate struggle, rolling over
and over on the shanty roof. Crippled
as he was, Jonn Edison was no match
for the Chicago adventurer. Nevelthe.
less the scaler clung to the throat of
hi antagonist like grim death. Amy
Merlotte crouohed with gasp Of hor-
ror, and with clasped hands watched
the unequal struggle. Nearer and
nearer rolled the combatants to the
edge Of the roof.
I'll fix you now
1t was cry of triumph that burst
from the lips of Oscar Rathnore. He
was above the struggling cripple, and
held keen blade poised at his breast.
A wild scream burst from Amy's lips.
Coward
1t was the gurgling cry ola dying
man. With it the knife of the assas-
sin was thrust home. The next in.
slant Oscar baltimore stood upright
on the edge of the roof gazing down
into the abyss below. He raised his
victim and flung him savagely away.
Hark What cry was that ? A
wild scream of mortal terror. Even
in death the cripple was to win. With
a last dying clutch his fingers closed
over the wrist of his foe. 1t was ia =
tai clutch. With feeling of horror
the Chicago advcnturer felt himself
jerked violently forward, and the next
instant he followed his victim to the
bottom of the gulch
1t was twelve hours later that Je-
rome Mcrlotte found his wife lying un-
der pitiless rain, on the shanty roof,
still insensble. She recovered con.
siousness soon after and clasped her
arms about her husbands neck and
wept historically.
1T was such horrid dream.
Alas it is 10 dream, returned Je-
rome. Our house is in ashes, and but
for the rain, which has been falling
since midnight, a vast ruin would have
been wrought,
When Jerome placed his wife in the
buggy to depart she begged him to stay
Look il the gulch y
1t was all sh- could say then, and
without questioning her Jerome went
down the steep. In a little time he
returned with slight, crooked form in
his arns-John Edison, and quite dead.
He was the lightest, and ! could not
bring them both exclaimed the hus-
band. The other is dead p queried
Amy's pallid lips, sudderingly.
Quite dead {? Then Amy entered
into an explanation that was horrible
and startling revelation to the young
who had trusted Oscar Rath-
more implicitly.
Over the dead scaler the young wife
shed many bitter, relaorseless tears.
He was hero, Jerome, and l shall
never forgive myself for the wrong |
did him., bewailed Amy,
Let him rest, dearest. Yes, John
Edison was one of natures noblemen.
and this lesson, terrible as it is, will be
a lasting one to us both l hope.
And it w@. The tragedy OF the
gnlch was long remembered, and the
noble monument above the remained
of John Edison bears the simple
inscription: One Of the worlds heroes.