The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-07-26

mUle tnan Az miles, DuJ snOulu not
be long after them"
Edward Hurcombe, absorbed in the
mans narrative, listened intently, al
most forgetting the whole thing was
the invention of a madman. How
graphically he described the scene.
"Why couldn't lunatics be actors?" he
thought.
THAT ride l shall never forget" con-
tinued the other. "On l flew. urging
my horse furiously. A devil seemed be-
hind me, and cried: On! on to the be-
traycr! 0n!' I laughed as though the
notion was splendid joke, it tickled
my fancy so. On! on! 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
a busy town. The main street was
crowded, but / flew by. A little child
rushed across the road, and my horse
trampled it under his hoofs. But l
could not stop. On! on!' whispered
the devil; what matters child's life"
Presently, when reached the open
country again, my horse stumbled and
fell. was thrown to the ground. My
horse was dying. l wept, for ] loved
that mare. Muriel used TO love her,
too. How often had her dainty hands
caressed her sleek and glossy coat! My
journey was ended, it seemed. But,
no; horseman came riding needless
ly upon us, for the night was dark, and
stumbled over the form of my steed.
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 fall; the
sky became overcast. A storm? Per-
haps So and all the better, for was not
my heart stormy also? crossed a
stretch Of moorland, and then the rain
began to pour. rode on. Not a 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, l
mechanically saw the trees swaying in
the fierce wind and heard the branches
creaking and croaking to the tune of:
'0nl on!' Now and again forked
lightning flashed through the leaden
sky, Illuminating the sparkling rain
then all was black once more.
"And then suddenly my horse slipped
I had collided against some vehicle
which remained stationary in the road.
The force of the collision unseated me,
and ! groped around the covered car
riage like a blind man feeling in the
dark, and then lighted upon the closed
door. We were in the very center OF
the lonely heath, miles from any hab'
itation. Could it mean highway rob
berry?
81 tremblingly touched the handle OF
the carriage door. Who's that?' cried
mans voice above the thunder.
started and shiyered. Merciful heaven
the mani My body on fire, my eyes
burning as with fever, ] made no reply
but peered in, and at that moment the
sky burst into brilliant radiance.
started back-that pale, wan face in
the corner of the carriage which the
lightning had illumined--it was my
wife's!
Muriel, Muriel!' shrieked.
"There was no answer.
'Muriel, Muriel!' 1 shrieked again
but still there was no response, ant
the eyes of my darling remained steadi'
| ly fixed into vacancy.
with a passion that nearly tore me
asunder | cried out to the man, who
seeming half-dazed, bad the while beer
gazing at her tenderly, clasping hel
cold, lifeless hand.
"'You've killed her! You've killed
her!'
HE turned into fury at that.
"I've not!' he cried. Iswear by God
I've notl The lightning s;xuck her al
hour ago!'
"' It's lie!' screamed, and my voice
seemed to pierce beyond the din of th'
elements; and, gripping him by th'
throat, dragged him from the carriage
and strangIrd him till he was dead!
"And that is all reverently GOV
cred Muriel up and fed, but since ther
the villains relatives have been on my
track. They say killed him-that In
mad. Dozens, scores of times they've
nearly had me, and-Hark, they're com
ing now!"
Hurcombe, who during the recita
had remained spellbound, moved un
easily in his chair.
81 hear nothing" he said at last; ant
then, recovering himself, adroitl.
turned to ring the electric bell. But thu
visitor had prevented him.
Don't do that" he said, in a voice 81
calm that the actor-manager, aston
ished, looked up quickly.
The man was smiling quite naturally
and sanely.
"Mr. Hurcombe," he said, "as you'v'
repeatedly assured me, I'm perfectly
sane"
"What!" gasped the manager
astounded at hearing his own name pro
nounced.
I'm sane" repeated the man. Z"
trust you'll excuse the trick I've played
upon you, a trick brought about b,
necessity and the urgency of my case
An actor, I've been out of an engage
ment for months; and, hearing thi
morning of the illness of two member
of your company, determined woul'
either secure the engagement or end
life of poverty off Waterloo bridge. AL
day at the theater I've been trying t.
get your ear, but no one would take u
my name. / looked too seedy, sup
pose. The. thing was hopeless, and
walked toward the river; but the wa
ter looked so cold. If you had only beel
able to give me a chance felt / shoul'
have proved a success in the part, whicl
| &c not nnlika the ono I've heen assumin,