Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-06-18
.LEONOR A.

|
stone, then occupied by an old dame,
Ursula Bond. The house was rapid.
ly crumbling to decay with age and
want Of repair.
Ursula Bond dwelt there in grim
Loneliness, forcing the beautiful and
artless Leonora, only child of her de-
ceased daughter, to live with her,
and 10 do all those menial tasks for
the performance OF which all others
would have demanded money.
Leonora was in her 18th year when
one evening In June as she looked
from the door ere she should bar, bolt
and lock it for the night, frank and
manly voice called out from a near
heap of old boards where the owner
of the voice had been watching for
over an hour.
'Leol'
Hist whispered the maiden. is
it you, Walter2'
is the coast all clear?' was the re-
ply, as tall and handsome youth OF
% years showed his activity by gain
ing the side of the maiden by bound
shat cleared fully ten feet.
1T is lucky for us, dear Walter,
said the maiden, that Dame Ursula
is not IN hearing, or that bold pate of
thine would be greeted with taste
of her staff
That of her staff said Walter, as
he snapped his fingers. But where
is she?
Writing in her back bedroom
'Ah! adding up her gains, the cross,
mean
Il only wish she was minep said
Walter. 'And If she lives long enough
she will be, won't she?'
If you behave yourself, replied
Leonora, pretending to refuse the kiss
he gave But why have yol tortured
yourself2'
by boarding so near you, eh?' said
Walter. Because you must let me
stay in the house all night. This
morning as was going to my work l
passed the open window of an ale
shop, and heard strange voice
mention your name. The voices in
the ale shop were speaking in French
| which you know l have learned by
night study. Well [ heard enough
to tell me that the strangers-there
were two of them-intended to pay
Dame Ursula a visit sometime be-
tween midnight and dawn, and for
no good purpose. So here l am to
act as your defender
But you should have told the po-
lice
Bah! for the policer said Walter
Brandon. Am l not match for two
men who speak bad French?'
But my dear Walter-'
But Walter had glided into the
house and vanished as quickly as one
of those rats he had mentioned.
Leonora was in great perplexity,
yet as she had boundless faith in the
disception of her lover, she barred
the door and fastened to her grand
mother.
You've been very long in barring
the door, said the old woman, as she
closed her huge ledger, which was to
her what bible should have been.
Il thought l heard the voice of that
impudent young carpenter, Walter
Brandon
Please grandmother, let me have a
light, said Leonora, who trembled at
the thought of spending that night in
darkness.
"A light!' screamed Dame Ursula,
astounded at such extravaganza; away
with you; you will be asking for some
thing more to eat next.
That night, as the clock in the hall
struck 2, the dame was aroused from
a golden dream by sharp pain in her
neck and a loud oath.
Springing from her bed she shrek
ed for help, and pursued by the assas-
sin rushed into the hall. She gained
a distant room in time to lock herself
in. At that instant her horrors were
Augmented by the report of pistol,
Immediately followed by a shrill
scream and then by another pistol
shot; and ere the echo had died away
the assassin burst the old door from
its hinges and was in the room. The
horror the dame endured as she
crouched against the wall, praying
that the darkness might shield her,
curdeled her blood in her veins. But
suddenly the assassin sprung a light.
At the sight Of this man, instead OF
crouching in fear or screaming with
terror, the dame sprang to her feet,
saying:
so it liz you John Bond, who have
returned to murder your wife-cow-
ardv
'Hagi' hissed the old mau--yet he
was much younger than she; do you
think that you are to live foreveri
Tell me because the devil let's you
live so long where you have hidden
your boards, and those Of your first
husband whom all men say you pois-
oned to marry John Bond
TO tell you l must leave this room
said Ursula, as her corpse like vissage
grew livid with hate and dispsir.
WHITTIER, treacherous hag2
tTo the cellar, John Bond-come,
land stepping boldly by him, she went