The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-01-01
THE LOVERS LEAP.

Ihere is Dedutlful stream W1nQ1ng
among the green banks and rocky
cliffs of one of our New England states;
it empties into the broader river, which
in turn hurries on to the sea.
There is a spot on the shore of this
stream high, rocky cliff which is
called THE Lovers Leap"
Years ago young Indian maiden
took this fearful leap to a watery grave
with her lover, because she was denied
the husband of her choice.
Laura Cheney knows the story well.
She has passed all her life on the
shore of this beautiful stream.
Her father is a lumberman, and Laura
keeps house for him in the little brown
cabin which they call home.
fact that she is brown with the SUMS
material and her shoes rough and
heavy.
All the young lumbermen know this,
and one, Ben Herder, has paid in
cessant court to her for two years.
But Laura has never loved any one
besides her father and the big mastiff,
Bruno-her young mother died at her
birth.
Ben is brawny giant, with moody
black eyes and long black beard, and
Lanra is half afraid of him.
An excursion party from distant
city has been spending some days in the
vicinity.
There is one young gentleman of
whom Laura sees good deal.
He is not SO large man as Herder,
but is tall, erect. and graceful, with
keen, gray eyes, fair hair, closely curl
ing about a fine head, and long, fair
mustache.
His hands are whittier and dainter
than Laura's but they have muscles
like steel. and he is anything but the
'tmilk-sop" that Ben Herder calls him.
This Godfrey Duston is so well
pleased with the country that he allows
the excursion party to depart without
him, while he invests in tent and gun,
and settles down to camp life near Abel
| Cheney's little brown cabin and de-
| clares his intention of staying through
the very last of the golden autumn
days.
Ben Herder scowls ominously when
| he hears this.
He hates this newcomer, who treats
Laura with such gentle courtesy as she
has never known before.
AS Duston becomes better acquaint-
| ed with her his gun is neglected, and
they take long walks and sails to-
gether.
He tells Laura wonderful stories of
| the great world from whence he came;
| and she, in turn, reveals to him the
| secrets of the woods and relates among
other things the legend of Lovers
Leap.
| Godfrey, weary of the restraints of
society, weary of the frivolous women
of his world, sore at heart because of
one who has cruelty deceived him,
draws a new and delightful magnetism
from this pure and healthy child of the
forest.
| She has just enough knowledge of
books to make her eager for more, and
he becomes her teacher.
| As the days go by he begins to ask
himself if this is not better life than
the other-would he not be happier to
win this child-woman for a wife and
make home there, close to the great
heart of naturep
think that this companionship with
Laura is like tonic to his hstless,
world-weary spirit-all the nobility OF
his nature comes to the surface IN his
intercourse with her.
He has not thought of the possible
effect upon Laura, but she loves him,
although she does not know it.
She lives in happy dream.
She has only one fear-the fear OF
Ben Herder, who makes fierce love to
her at every opportunity.
'tDo you think that Duston viii
| lo
he has surprised her as she waved hel
hand from the cliff to the young mar
who is padding along the stream. "He
has wife or sweetheart at home-he
: is only amusing himself with you.
Laura gazes at him in shame and dis
may.
Il don't know what you mean?" sht
stammers at last.
Ben grasps her roughly by the arm.
Don't know that he's bewitcheC
ye-like snake charms bird before
he kills itP Eff he sez es he loves yel
it's lie; he couldn't love ye as I do
Laurie"
HE never said such a thing" say
Laura, with flashing eyes and crimson
cheeks. Let me go, Ben Herder, yol
hurt my arm"
''Ye've hurt my heart, Laurie. Z
was kind ter me fore that swell came
Eff veil be my wife I'll never be rougl
ter yer again, gal. It's because Tn
skeered of losing you makes me SO
Laurie, can't yer like me little?
q love ye So"
They are frightfully near the edg
of the cliff-so near that Laura shrink
= back and tries to pull her arm fror
1 Ben's grasp.
sLet me go, Ben. do not care fo
you. 1 never, never, will be you
wife!"
s All the brutal passion in the man
heart flames up.
t He drags her again to the edge of th
cliff-the Lovers Leap-and presses
= fierce kiss upon her lips.
A wild shrek bursts from Laura.
''Oh, Ben, have mercy"
''Good-by, my lass" he says hoars'
Il ly. We'll die togetherr"
And, pressing her face against h
o breast, he springs over the cliff down
down to the stream below.
:. Godfrey Duston hears that fearfl
cry, and, looking up, sees the dar
e figures as they plunge downward.
With two strokes of the paddle h
r. canoe is near to where they wei
down.
He knows now that he loves this gi
who has been so innocently happy wit
him-loves her with the truest sweete
love of his life.
At last Laura's dusky head appea
above the waves.
Her great, startled eyes meet Il
white face of her lover as he ben,
toward her, and directly he lifts h