Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-05-27
An Aggravating
misunderstanding

1t happened over year ago, when
was spending my summer vacation
near Milton, on the Maine coast,
was sojourning at a rural boarding
house. in which were several boarders.
One morning, while out for an early
stroll, l made my way to cliff over
looking the sea. While contemplat-
ing the beautiful marine view,
church clock at some distance rang
out the hour of six. 1t was at least
half mile away, and I wondered that
I could hear 1t so distinctly.
The next instant | started violent
ly and faced round. for a woman's
shrill, penetrating voice, coming from
a distance, had called:
Murder! Murder! Murder! Oh.
he is going to kill me"
For a moment. as I looked eagerly,
frantically around. | could see no liv-
ing thing except a solitary gull wheel
Ing here and there and some indistinct
figures on a country road, but then
my eyes fell on a sight that made my
heart leap with fear and horror.
On one of the grassy knolls s-the
most distant but one, 1t seemed
were man and woman. They
were both dressed in dark clothes and
were far from distinct; but could see
that one was woman, the other
man.
They were now about yard apart,
and the woman's arms were raised in
fro Oir Than 7 tho
slowly raise his right hand. Some
thing that he held in it glittered in
the slanting sun rays. The next in
stant he had stepped up to the wom-
an and-how distinctly | seem to have
seen 1t all,-had plunged what was
evidently a weapon into her breast.
She sank instantly to the ground.
Great heavens! Had she been muir
dered before my eyes?
Until now had stood horror-strick-
en-, rooted to the spot; but as the
woman dropped over his victim-I
suddenly awoke to the full conscious
ness of what had seen.
could hardly see the two now
they only made blur in the rounded
curve of the knoll; but, without the
least thought OF what | intended to
do, | tore madly down the slop.
On | raced, gasping from my efforts
to maintain my speed up the short
but stiff ascents, for | am not an ath-
lete, and rapid run over such ground
was no light matter to me.
had but one idea IN my mind
to reach the spot where the woman
lay, perhaps already dead. perhaps
dying for want of aid.
The brute, How | should like to
have my fingers at his throat, choking
the life out of him. What effrontery
what audacity! With an air of ex-
aggerated courtesy he had lifted his
cap, and was bowing to the PROSTATE
form. Then, turning, he ran quickly
across the meadows toward the road
that led to Milton.
The thought that he should escape
maddened me, and rallied my almost
exhausted powers for a final effort.
But | must go TO the woman first;
perhaps she might be still alive. and
| could be of service to her.
tween us now. and | could see her
plainly. She was dressed in SIM
Pile dark gown--blue serge or some
thing of that kind and cap of Tam
o-shan.er covered her face. She was
lying quite still and rigid, and the
thought of what l might find under
that cap filled me with horror.
Utterly spent, disheveled, hatless,
perspiring and painting violently,
sank down by the side of the prostrate
form. was about to remove the cap
from the face when | received a
shock which rendered me for the
moment powerless.
The cap was thrown aside, the girl
sat upright, and l found myself look
ing. not into a face pallid in death
but into the bright, CHEEKY face OF a
ing blue eyes!
"Oh, what is it?" she exclaimed.
And there knelt, or crouched. OF
lay-Heaven only knows what still
painting like primitive steam-engine
and unable to utter word.
What Is it?" she said. again. "Are
you i'll ? What is the matter?
"I-I-I-" 1t was no use-I had
nothing to say. couldn't tell her
had seen her murdered-she was sc
obtrusively alive!
"Have you been running? Are you
ill?" She had risen now and stood
looking down at me; she was mere
girl. 81 think had battar 20 n