Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-18

tnat Which my master chooses to p,ve
me. lie has bought me: bought me- ut
the auction yonder. Name, fame. han
pmess, honor, ay, and even soul-as he
tnlnkS-are his"
III the bitterness of her despair sbs
buried her face in her hands and sob
bed aloud.
The mulattress was touched to the
heart by this burst of grief.
MY dear mistress. pray do not weep
thus" she said. You will be no slave
here, | know; for our master has had
these beautiful rooms prepared on pur-
pose for you. and you are to be treated
as queen"
"A queenl" said Cora. historically.
eS, tn" empress of profligate's hour
OF pleasure, to be trampled beneath his
1eet when the Whim has passed. Go.
my good girl: why should l distress YOU
with my griefs. You can never under
stand my misery"
1t was impossible, indeed. for this
poor slave to comprehend the feeling
of the highly educated and refined wo-
man, torn from a father she adored.
and from him who was to have rescued
her from slavery and made her a happy
English wife
Cora dried her tears; and, affecting a
calmness which she did not feel, dis
missed the mulattress,
The girl had lighted a shaded lamp
upon an elegant little inlaid table. and
had brought a tray loaded with delica-
cleS for CoraS refreShment, but the
OctorOon turned with Sickened heart
from the rich food set before her. She
had eaten nothing that day, and her
lips and throat p'ere parched and burn
ing with inward fever. She poured
out a glass of iced water and drained
the cool liquid to the last drop. Then,
throwing open the wide Venetian shut
tiers, she looked out into the calm
night.
What if there were yet hope? What
If she could escape?"
A thrill vibrated through her Utmost
soul as she asked herself these ques-
tionS.
She fell on her knees, and lifting her
clasped hands, exclaimed in an OUT
burt of enthusiasm
oh, Merciful and Benefcent Crea-
tor! | cannot believe that Thou
wouldst utterly abandon the meanest
of thy creatures. Even here, ON the
brink of terrors more hideous than the
most cruel death, l still hope, still be-
lieve that Thou wilt show me a way of
deliverancew
The Octoroon arose from her knees,
a new creature after the utterance of
this heartful prayer. Her very coun-
the sublime emotions of the moment.
A holy light shone from her fearless
eyes; a faint flush of crimson relieved
the pallor of her cheek.
MY father abandons me to my fate.
Even he who was to be my husband
can do no more tS save me. 1t is to
Heaven, then, that turn, and to One
above who is stronger than all earthly
friends"
The apartment to which Cora had
been conducted was on the upper floor
of the villa; but the ceilings of the low
er chambers were far from lofty, and
the window from which the Octoroon
looked was scarcely eleven feet from
the ground. Under this window ran
a rustic colOnnade with slender pilas-
ters, round which hung the leaves and
blossoms of the luXuriant creeping
plants familiar to the South. The roof
of this cOlOnnade formed a balcony be-
fore Cora'S window.
For some moments the Octoroon
stood at the open easement, gazing on
the scene beneath her-lost in thought
eff remain i'll this house," she muir
mured, Il am utterly III the power OF
that base man. Another moment, and
he may enter this chamber; again |
may hear those words which are poison
to my soul; and this time he may force
me to listen to his infamous proposals.
All those beneath this roof are the
slaves of his Wilt were hopeless
then to look for help from them; but
hnnnnt h thpt yIIrnln IynIlt / nlITlJ
ly be safer; and ut the worst the river
is near aJ nahd."
She shuddered us she spoke. To this
girl, relIgiously educated, there was
something horrible in the idea of sui
eide 1t seemed u doubt of Providence
even to think of this worst and last re-
source.
But Oh one thing she had determined,
and that was to escape from the house
to the garden below; once there, she
might find her way to some adjoining
plantation, where she might meet with
some benevolent creature who woGid
interfere to shield her from her hated
master.
1t was not slavery she feared, it was
dlshonOr.
The rope with which she had been
bound still hung to one Of her wrists.
This rope might be the means OF say
ing her.
She examined the door of her cham
Der and found that it was locked on
the outside.
$50 much the better" she Thought;
"he believes his prisoner to he safe. He
thinks that | would not dare Il leap of
few feet even to escape him. How
little he knows of Il woman power in
tho Upnp,nnt nf IaSnnrat int,'D
She hurried to the balcony. and at
tached the cord. which was about five
feet long, to the iron railing, then with
the help Of this cord she dropped
lightly to the ground.
She lighted unhurt upon the soft
earth of a flower-bed, but the slender
rope broke with her weight, and the
best part of it remained in her hand.
She was free!
Free did she think. when still within
few PAGES of her master?
Swift as the wind she flew from the
villa in the direction of the riverside,
scarce knowing which path she took in
her eagerness to escape.
Her footsteps made no sound upon
the deWy turf. and she did not hear an
other footstep hurrying close behind
her.
A broad lawn stretched before her,
and beyond that thick plantation.
Her anxiety was to reach this friend
ly shelter, for the moonlight night was
bright and clear as day, and she trem-
bled lest she should be perceived from
the windows of the villa.
She was nearing the plantation when
an iron hand was laid upon her should
er. and turning round with scream Of
MINGLED anguish and terror she con-
fronted Augustus Horton bare-headed
in the moonlight.
He had watched her escape from the
wi n1n1ty of nix ri and Il I'D