New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-02-27
1Original.]
CHAPTER. l.

CHAPTER. 1.
They say am mad. Madl But
no, | am not. [ am as sane as any
man. 1T is brooding over my troub-
les that brings the wild, and at times,
vacant look into my eyes, and causes
me to sometimes rend my clothing
into shreds and lacerate my flesh, or
at times SIT for hours doing nothing
but think, think, think.
Then sleep. But O, the specters
that haunt my feverish dreams. They
are ten-fold more terrible than those
that torture my poor brain during
my waking hours.
But it will soon be over. ] can
eel that my days are already num-
:bered. But he i'll come before that.
Yes, | feel. I know he will come. /
cannot die before I meet him face to
face.
Ha, ha! My revenge will be sweet
Ell awaken his pity, and then I'll
lead him on and on until /
get him in some secluded spot, and
then I'll throttle him, TIL strange
the treacherous, lying life out of his
body and leave it for the crows and
buzzards to quarrel over.
People will think it was highway
men who, but pish! what care I for
their thoughts or suspicious? Even
though they detect me in the act, what
natters that? True, they might hang
Inc. Hang me, ha ha! The death
OF Looney Jim would be a great
atonement for the crime of murder
And the murder of the squire of Mans
field Grange, too.
Squire! Sitting in a high place.
Honorable With tour-in-hand, SER
wants, money and what not. I won
der if he still remembers that day SO
long ago Not long, either, for I am
only ,36, it was just ten years ago
last Easter. / wonder if he remem-
bers how he wronged me with his
devilish scheming, but ah-h, I dare
not recall that. II should become
excited, and then comes one of those
long periods of vacancy, the occur
rences in which [ strive in vain to
recall.
AS I sit and think my mind begins
to turn my life pages backward.
become retrospective. Well, let it be
So long ago! So long ago!
But still [ remember it
so we'll. 1t was on a bright May
morning that sweet Nellie Forester,
God bless her, promised to be mine
Mine! what a fond recollection, and
for such a short time
We were married in the following
September. @, those long, dreamy,
blissful summer days. when we wan
dered through the leafy woods hand
in hand. building ethereal castles for
the FUTURE. We would not dwell in
the naughty old stone castle-like
structure-mine, helast of the grand
old race Of Van Martyne. by right OF
misunderstanding the estate, but
we would have bright, CHEEKY little
cottage near the edge of the forest,
where my darling could always hear
the birds MARBLE their sweetest norm
ing songs, and where tile fragrant
wild flowers shed their perfume upon
the summer air. A pair of love-sick
ninnies, the people called us when
they learned our intentions, but we
were too happy to give heed to their
seemingly envious chatter. Our lit
tie nest was completed but never oc-
cupied Amid the pleasing clamor OF
our wedding we departed for London.
but after a brief stay, we came home,
accompanied by host of friends,
and the old stone mansion on the
hill was the scene of gay festivities
all that winter and spring.
Then the unseen cloud begane to
form. 0, that at such periods in our
lives we might have the occult gift of
foresight. But perhaps it is better
as it is. It is not for me to say. We
were soshappy for a few short months
1T seems at times to be but a dream.
In the following summer we ac-
cepted an invitation to spend the
autumn at Mansfield Grange,
shire, the house of Sir Charles
Wedhurst.
Charles Wedhurst- Charlesl
How that name burns into my mem
DRY, obliterating everything else.
How plainly his image rises before
me now, causing the hot words Of