Wichita eagle., 1888-06-10
LADWELL'S LANDING.

if any sacrifice on my part could have
purchased her immunity.
Had my love cursed herr" I asked
myself over and over again, wishing, as
had often wished, that my dark and fatal
silhouette had never crossed the happy
path Of one so innocent and beautiful
How, then, must be cursed, that upon
those loved that curse must also falls
fortunes of the n.ther region, with
which we are supposed to be punished
after the lash of human destiny has tired
of dealing us its stripes, can your misery
out Herod what some of us, when God
abandoned, suffer here?
But let me cease these frunzied utter
ances, for my story must be told.
Those who have never heard of Lad
wells Landing will scarcely be open TO
the accusation of geographical ignorance.
1t is lone western settlement from
tier point of civilization which a few bold
pioneers have established, from the most
prominent of whom the settlement takes
its name. Ladwell was the doctor and
druggist-the medicine man of the COM
munity-and next TO him in point OF i'm
portance ranked the groceryman, Norris,
who was the weather. of the two. A
few other stores, some residences, a
church and a postofice composed the
place, the total population being about a
couple of hundred.
A freak of fancy had led me to settle
there, and for the sake of livelihood I
dispensed medicines and patched up broken
Bhins for Ladwen.
1t was not the charm Of this occupation
which kept my restless spirit at Ladwell's
Landing, however, but the beauty of
b1 Aa
of the groceryman.
Ny record, however, was not one which
impressed old Norris very favorably, and,
although Edith and had fully satisfied
ourselves that we could be satisfied with
enc another, he set his heel upon the affair
in such determined manner that out
wardly it had to terminate.
Ladwell's business had grown to be
rather profitable one, and his success
had tempted another young Philadelphia
graduate to migrate to the place and put
out his shingle.
The young fellow was fine looking and
of very good family, with a little money
Of his own, and, as he made himself popu-
lar in the place, small connection was
soon guaranteed him.
1t leaked out that a good deal Of his
success was attributable to the fact that
Norris had taken him up, and people were
not long in discovering that the old man
had determined, if possible, to make him
his son-in-law.
This proved to be correct, and az soon as
a new house had been built for the young
doctor the forthcoming nuptials were an
nounced.
My disappointment and chagrin availed
me little, and partly from a spirit of pride
] kept aloof from every one as much as
possible, leaving things to work them
selves out as they might
1t was not until the day Of the wedding
arrived that / seemed to awake from this
comatose condition; then | grew suddenly
desperate and seemed to realize that
brutal sacrifice was going to be enacted
before my very eyes, for despite her acqui-
escence in her fathers wishes / knew that
Edith Norris loved me as she could love
no other.
To drown these feelings turned to that
most common antidote, drink
But instead of calming or benumbing
my feelings on this occasion, the spirits
only seemed to increase my frenzy, and
when the bridal party started for the little
frame church l was prepared to commit
any outrageous act. Walking directly
into the place in the rear of the bridal
party took my place unobserved among
the spectators. The pastor had barely
commenced the ceremony when stepped
boldly up to the rail and made mild pro-
test against the proceedings.
Edith, trembling with fright, seized the
arm of her intended husband, who, with
supercilious smile on his face, seemed to
view my interference with the utmost in
difference. This ironical indifference in
furiated me. Already several of the men
present were preparing to forcibly eject
me from the place at the instigation of
Morris.
In an instant my two hands held two
revolvers, and l had ordered all hands
down.
AT this instant Edith fell fainting in
one of the bystanders' arms, and l re-
placed my pistols and walked out of the
place.
An hour afterward learned that I had
murdered the woman / loved. What had
been mistaken for a mere fainting tis
proved TO have been paralysis of the
heart
Sundry threats of vengeance reached
my ears, but as | was callouS 10 them,
suppose, nothing happened.
Three days afterward Edith was laid
away in the quiet burying ground of Lad
wells Landing.
The night following that day / did
what for the last few days had not done,
owing TO nervous excitement; | slept.
Perhaps an hour had elapsed when l
commenced TO dream. Ny sensations
were such as TO defy description. l was
in some charnel house of the dead. COT
fins were ranged in grim order al around
me. Some strange instinct guided me TO
one. ! knelt beside il, when suddenly l
heard cry answering to my own lamen-
tatlon. In an instant the thin deal shell
was severed by my ready knife and into
my arms, clad in tire sad ,rapplngs of the
grave, fell my lost love Edith.
Awakug from this strange dream I
looked around me. A feverish perspira-
ton stood upon my forehead. A strange
fancy excited my brain. Looking at my
watch noticed that il was only / o'clock
Dragging on my clothes mechanically, I
went down stairs TO Ladwen's room.
The doctor was in and busy smoking and
reading the paper. He looked at me as
entered the room and then continued
reading the paper.
"Ladwell,n said /, ''did You ever au-
thenticate a case of ante-mortem burial?'
Il can't say that / ever have personally,
but there have been plenty Of instances
recorded Irenember reading of one in
medical ic1rnal a month or two ago.
The body Of a young lady who had died of
Il forget what now-was taken up for
the purpose of refinement in another
place. For some reason or other the cof-
fin was opened. and from abrasions on the
arms and the marks of finger nails on the
lid Ii was assumed that the unfortunate