Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-01-04

Woeful Ness. There was just the rim
of "A waning moon to light me, but l
knew every inch Of the way.
NFor the greater part Of it mad
turf under foot, but where this ended
and the rock began had to leave the
barrow behind. 1t was ticklish work
climbing down. for footing and to be
found and Lydia was monstrous
weight. Pahl how fat she was and
clumsy-lolling this way and that!
Besides the bag hampered me. ButI
reached the foot at last and after a
short rest clambered out along the
edge as fast as / could. / was sick
and tired of the business.
'Well, the rest was easy. Arrived
at the farthest spit of rocks / tossed
the bagfrom me farinto the northern
sand. Then turned to Lydia, whom
had set down for the moment. In
the moonlight her lips were parted as
though she were still chattering; so |
kissed her once because / had loved
her and dropped her body over into
the Quick Boy sand. In three min
utes or 80 / had seen tile last OF her.
II trundled home the barrow,
mixed myself glass OF whisky, sat
beside it for half an hour, and then
aroused the servants. ! was cunning,
sir; and no one could trace my foot
prints on the turfand rock of Woeful
Ness. The missing handbag, and
the disarray had been careful to
make in the bedroom, provided them
at once with clew; but it did not
lead them to the Quick Boy. For two
days they searched; at the end oil
that time it grew clear to them that
grief was turning my brain. Your
iather, sir, was instant with his sym
pathy; at least ten times a day had
much ado TO keep from laughing in
his face. Finally two doctors visited
me, and / was taken to a mad-house
Il have remained within its walls
twenty-nine years; but mol have
never been thoroughly Mt home
there. Two days ago | discovered
that the place was boring me. So
determined to escape; and this to q
man of my resources presented few
difficulties. / borrowed this pony
from stable not many yards iron
the mad-honse wall; he belongs,
think, to n chimney-sweep, and
trust that after serving my purposes
he may find a way back to his mas
| ter"
suppose at this point he mus
have detected the question in m,
eyes, for he cried sharply:
You wish to know my purpose
1t is simple" He passed IA thin hano
over his forehead. II have been shui
up, as say, for twenty-nine years
and now discover that the mad
house bores me. If they retalie me-
and the hue and cry must be on
long before this-I shall be dragged
back. What, then, is my proposal
| ride to Bleakirk and out along TIN
summit of Woiul Ness. There / 6is
mount, turn my pony loose, and, de
scending along the ridge, step into
the sand that swallowed Lydia
Simple, is it not? Excessi, eyasi
evanui. / shall be there before sun
set-which reminds me-" he added
pulling out his watch, "that my tim
is nearly up. regret TO leave yol
i'm this plight, but YOU see how i an
placed. felt when saw you a sud
den desire to unbosom myself of ase
cret which until the past halfhou
| have shared with no man
II see by your eyes again
that if set at liberty yol
would interfere with my purpose
| 1t is unfortunate that scarcely ;
soul ever rides this wny-I know tn,
road of old. But tomorrow is Sun
day. / will scribble a line and fix i
on the church-door at Bleakirk 81
that the parish may at least know
your predicament before twenty-fouI
hours are out. Unjust now be going
The bandana about your mouth
entreat you to accept as a memento
With renewed apologies, sir, | wisl
you good.dayand countit extremely
fortunate that you did not bleed"
He nodded in the friendliest man
neT. turned on his heel, and walked
quietly toward the bridge. As h
nntethered his pony, mounted an,
ambled quietly off in the direction o
the coast | lay stupidity watching
him.
Unjust have lain above an hou
and in this absurd and painful posi-
ton wrestling with my bonds an,
specializing on my chances o
passing the night by the bedside. NJ,
ankles were tied with my own hand
kerchief, my wrists with the thong o
my own whip, and this especially GU
me. 1t was knotted immovably, hut
by rolling over and rubbing my fac,
into the turf contrived at length tc
the gag down below my chin. Thi,
done sat up and shouted Justify.
] think | called a score of times be
fore | heard an answering "Whoo
oopl" far back on the road, and a
scarlet coat, then another, and final
ly a dozen or more, appeared on the
crest of the hill. 1t was the hunt re
turning.
Theysaw me ut once and galloped
up, speechless from sheer amazement