Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-09-09

ITO love IA to hate" continued the
nocturnal intruder, who, following
Hurcombe's example. had now drawn
up chair to the fire opposite him. II
have both loved and hated. A year
ago 1 worshiped the most beautiful
woman or any man ever set eyes upon.
1 wooed her. We were married, and
settled down In the country to a joy
Gus existence, for had enough TO
keep US both in comfort in a modest
way. My wife adored me, and we were
as happy as the days were long till he
came upon the scene"
The mailman glared at his host as If
The object of his vengeance sat before
him in the flesh.
"He was handsome, fascinating, with
a look that killed women. He carried
everything before him, and broke
hearts as easily as you or L would
knock down ninepins; and my wife fell
with the rest. One day had been to a
village few miles off, reaching home
| Just after dusk. Muriel did not run to
| the gate as usual to meet me, and had
q dim. hazy perception that something
| was wrong.
'I ran upstairs into every room, but
| Muriel was not there. Our servant was
out, so 1 could not question her; but
when I entered the dining-room 1 no
ticed a scrap of paper lying on the
table. 1t took it up eagerly; It simply
bore the words; 'GoOd-by,' and was in
his handwriting How 1 cursed him!
Had NIuriel written the note, it
would have been different; but that he
should pen those words-what mock
eryl Like one demented, l cursed
rything; L called on Heaven to
strike him dead, and the woman too
my wife! :
"Sir, if I have ever been mad, was
mad at that moment. The room con-
fined, stifed rue. clinched my hands
and could have torn down the very
walls with my finger nails. 1 had SUI
perhuman strength; il needs have
been, 1 would have lifted the world and
hurled it at my wife and her loverl
Flushing out of the house, saddled
nv mare and rode off. 1t was London
that they had gone to; the last train
had left a couple of hours since, and
there was not another till the morn
ing. To wait was impossible. IT was
more than 80 miles, but 1 should not
be long after them"
Edward Hurcombe, absorbed in the
mans narrative, listened intenuy. al
most forgetting the whole thing was
the invention OF a mailman. How
graphically he described the scene.
'Why couldn't Iunatics be actors?" he
thought.
That ride i shall never forget" con-
tiuued the other. ION sew. urging
my horse furiously. A devil seemed be
hind me, and cried: 'Onl on to the be-
trayerl Oni' Laughed as though the
notion was q splendid joke, it tickled
my fancy 80. Ont ont The hedges
swept past me, the dust rose behind me
in clouds. The villages ran by my side
like some moving panorama, and the
stars peeped out in the heavens. 1t was
Saturday night. and passed through
q busy town. The main street was
crowded, but few by. A little child
rushed across the road, and my horse
, trampled it under his hoofs. But
could not stop. 'Onl on whispered
) the devil; what matters a child's lifeT
Presently. when / reached the open
country again, my horse stumbled and
fell. l was thrown to the ground. My
horse was dying wept. for loved
that mare. Muriel used to love her,
too. How often had her dainty hands
caressed her sleek and glossy coatl My
: journey was ended. it seemed. But,
no; n horseman came riding needless
: " upon us, for the night was dark. and
: stumbled over the form of my steed.
1 He was thrown. helped the beast TO
Its feet again, mounted it and rode on.
THE wind was rising, and presently
: a spot or two OF rain began to fail; the
, sky became overcast. a storm? Per
: haps so, and all the better, for was not
my heart stormy also? 1 crossed a
stretch of moorland, and then the rain
began TO pour. rode on. Not n star
shone now, the way was dark; the
wind howled, the thunder roared.
"a few more miles and was not yet
off the heath. Soaked to the skin, ]
mechanically saw the trees swaying in
the fierce wind and heard the branches
creaking and croaking to the tune of:
i 'OnI onl' Now and again forked
4 lightning flashed through the leaden
: sky, Illuminating the sparkling rain
then all was black once more.
And then suddenly my horse Slipped
Il had collided against some vehicle
which remained stationary in the road
The force of the collision unseated me
and 1 CROPPED around the covered car
riage like n blind man feeling in the
7 dark, and then lighted upon the CLOSED
= door. We were in the very center o.
the lonely heath. miles from any hab
station. Could it mean highway rob
{ Iery?
i Il tremblingly touched the handle O.
{ the carriage door. Who's that" crieC
a mans voice above the thunder.
started and shivered. Merciful heaven
the mani My body on fire, my eyei
e burning as with fever, made no reply
I but peered in. and at that moment thu
5 sky burst into brilliant radiance.
started back-that pale, wan face il