Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-16
TriGdf0r HisLifG;;
WITHIN THE SHADOW OF THE
SCAFFOLD.
ss MAJOR JAMES FRANKLIN FITS.
CHAPTER VIM.

appointed for the wedding was still
twenty-four hours off: he had probably
been subjected to some small delay. and
would coma In annie time. And whether
he came or not. the matter was regarded
with much indifference by ali but
Blanche. The housekeeper and the SER
wants no doubt wished the wedding to
proceed, as they had been put to a great
deal of trouble about ii: but the feeling
was verv much that of people who like to
participate in a show. Blanche was
liked by ali of them, and all wished her
well: but the coldness of har father to-
ward the bridegroom was we'll known. and
there had been much whispering and talk
below stairs as to how the affair was
likely to end.
To Blanche Pembroke her lovers fail
ure to arrive promptly at niRhtfall. as he
had promised, was a serious thing. She
declined to come down to supper. She
heard the house shut up, the usual lock-
ing and barring of doors. and felt the
silence that followed, when all but she
were wrapped in sleep.
But she could not sleep. Fears of
harm or mishap to him she loved better
than all the world besides possessed her.
The circumstances of her engagement
had, as it were, left her alone with him.
Her fathers tardy and reluctant consent.
her sisters open diasapproyal. had. in a
way. alienated both Raluh and herseIf
from them. She felt that by the step
she was taking she might be seyerino her
self forever from home and relatives.
And she was willinp-O. how wilIincl-
to 90 anywhere. to do ANYTHING. with him.
with hinl But if accident had hap
pened to him?-if his horse had thrown
and fallen on him?-if he were to be
brought to her dead or dyina?-then
what would life be worth to herP
She had lain down on the outside of
her bed, dressed as she was. and tried to
sleep. The effort was useless: her fears.
her love. her boundless Ioneings banished
rest from her eyelids.
She rose, threw on shawl. and seated
herself by the window. She raised it;
she softly unclosed the blinds.
The sky was cloudy. n star plimmered
family. here and there. Her chamber
looked out upon the river. There was a
wide stretch Of lawn between the house
and the water, much of which was visible
to her as she sat there.
The air was chill. but she Needed il not
= She sat with her hands clasped on the
window-siu. intently gazing out. The
highway ran in rear of the house; when
Ralph should come. she knew he would
as usual, come round to the front, and
enter by the great door.
The things Of which we are now to
speak, the sights which Blanche Penn
broke in those night hours saw-or
thought she saw ARE of the kind that are
variously treated by men. BY some
doubted. by others scoffed at, what can
we say of them except to repeat the words
of the witness herself, ,as she uttered
them again and again, to all who wished
to talk OF these things, until her dying
dayl
aNo, she was wont to say, II did not
dream. was looking ont upon the lawn,
wide awake, eagerly expecting Ralph.
saw them; they passed before my sight,
know not what they were, but I plainly
saw them"
This is what she saw:
A broad pebbled walk led down to the
river bank from the front porch.
From the end of the house, between
some trees that grew there, figure came
slowly across the lawn and reached the
front walk. 1t was the figure of O man.
The dress was disordered, the head bare.
the hair tumbled. She recognized the
figure; it was that of Ralph Courtenay.
She leaned from the window; she was
wont to say that this act, perfectly re-
membered by her, was proof positive
that she was awake. She was about to
speak his name when, as the figure
slowly walked down to the water. the
face was turned up to her, over the shout
der. His face; but O. how troubled, how
sad it lookedi
Yet she might have called to him, but
at that instant another figure came in
view, coming from the same direction,
and following directly after the first.
This was also mans figure. The
clothes were threadbare and dusty but
this one also she knew. She shuddered
to recognize him, for it was Robert Barn
we'll, whom Of all men she feared and
dreaded
And he, walking on toward the river,
also turned his liyid, passion-distorted
face up to her.
She shuddered, but could not look
away. A nameless fascination held her;
she continued to look.
She saw the first figure reach the edge
OF the bank. 1t turned about. The
elenched hand Of the other was shaken
toward it. Then the first disappeared
ever the edge, and, slowly follow
ing, the second went the same way.
The watcher fell on her knees there by
the window. She did not reason then as
to whether this might be vision, real
3 ity, or dream. She knew that Ralph
was In danger. She knew it as well as
though the peril had been made known to