Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-23

Wv ~
only n ruinG telegram Of yesterday upon
the table.
had is gone, all that / valued lost Let
death come-a happy release, be it by
the assassin's knife or otherwise, but
let it come. Speedily, now as | sit and
write, come death and bring me peace
Death only comes to those who fear
him. = 18th shuns those who would
welcome him with open arms, 9rins his
CHASTITY grin and cries: Live on
You d be too happy if l took you. Live
on till You fear me more. Then I'll
strikeN But | cannot seek death. Life
is nothing to me, and yet there's my
son Astray. | feel | am mad. | almost
hate him because he reminds me SO
much Of her.
Twelve years since | last opened my
diary. Twelve years ago my hand
touched these pages, and babe goodby
to Eloom-bade goodby to gloom when
it was yet to become blacker than ever.
remember it as though it were but
yesterday Remember that she was
loollin. over me as | wrote, her arm
upon my shoulder had nothing more
to write then. Every day would have
been the same, all happiness, and that
reads SO feeble when set down in black
and white. Misery becomes intensified
The writing makes it colder and harder
Then Astray was born. | loved him
then, perhaps because she did Now |
have no love for any one, only for the
past. Ny heart is filled with hatred-a
hatred deep and bitter. that will keep
me alive until it is satisfied. Here at
The Grange we We're happy and wanted
nothing more.
Business called me again to Paris. If
| did not go, | would lose fortune.
remember now how she chung to me
and begged me to let it pass, but man
is human, after all, and human nature
says, "Get money" and | went-went
and was discovered. | knew it. | saw
the man start. He spoke to me. recog-
nized his voice and he mine | was back
in the past and the past was alive
again.
| dared not go back to America, but
went to London, Swallowed every step
of the way. The past ever with me,
alive again. Then l wrote to her Her
first thoughts were for her boy, not for
herself, not for me- | write it because
| know it. Perhaps am Jealous of my
own son. Well, I'm getting hard and
cold now. What if am? She sent him
to place of safety, parted with him,
little mite who could scarcely speak,
in case the evil minded gang should do
him injury. She staid at The Grange
staid there because / commanded it, be-
cause said that no one Knew we We're
married and the time would come when
the gang would tire of watching me,
and finally very stealthily prepared to
join her in NOrcombe
No stranger she wrote me had ap-
peared in Norcombe, | grew confident
again. What | had thought was shad-
owing I told myself was Imagination.
grew careless and then-I write it
| frmly-then | murdered her, l muir
dered her
| Throwing aside all thought, ! paid a
/ flying visit to America and saw her in
/ Norcombe-saw her for the last time
| went again, arrived to find the
| house deserted, only lying telegram
of yesterday upon the table
Come to Chicsgo by the 10 O'Clock train
JOSIAH.
She had gone, and that is ten years
ago Ten years | have spent in search
searching in vain-and | have
come home now to await the end.
The boy, my boy | have brought to
The Grange-brought him here five
years ago-and now | live for him only
Again there was blank page in the
diary
THE GRANGE, June, 1S94.-I am
calmer than | have been for years
am rev6Aged-a life for life ] set out
for Paris, not this time to hunt for her,
but to demand the Scriptural forfeit, a
life for life | gloat over it, only I'm
mad now. They call me Mad MarsdeI
in the village and shrink as ! pass.
How they'd shrink if they knew all
have killed him, murdered him, stabbed
him! 1t wasn't wrong "A life for a
life'-there' my excuse, the excuse II
Shrek to my judges; command
command from the Scriptures, "A life
for a life " He and his gang killed her,
and lam revenged He was getting old
and so am l. We were both young
when we first met, and now he is dead
dead by my own hand. Ho shranA
back when first we met He saw his
doom in my eye. He could use the
knife, and so could l. think laughed
as | felt that blade go straight to it,
mark. | suppose am mad, but I'm re
venged.
To Paris and back in month. Wha
luck to have met him as ! did Nor,
than year ago since Astray left-lef
because ! would tell him nothing of tn,