Year: 1861

uOuVIe TUNING hHot OH lne rope. Dun
:. stood motionless in the middle Of III
II room heat and cold rushed alternatel
o through her whole frame sparks of fir
If danced before her eyes; she saw nothing
b she did nothing but pray, confess he


sins, commend herself to all the saints
t. and mentally bid farewell TO all that wa
e dear TO her in life.


Presently, presently, my precious !
; said the murderer, going on with hi
work you shall see how nicely / viii
hang you. am not new hand at thr


job. Do you see now, all is ready; Only
we must see whether the rope is strong
enough. l would not, for the world
you should fall to the ground and break
your ribs. 1t is for your interest and


mine that--draw the chair away from


under my feet"


Duna unconsciously went up 10 the ta-


bic, and drew away the chair, whilst the


robber held the rope fast in both hands,


having slipped it over one arm up to the


elbow, to convince himself of its strength,


by swinging on it with the whole weight


of his body.


Push the table aside Duna did So


All right it is a capital rope it will


bear more than you--you and me to-


gether.'


He now let go the rope, intending to


jump to the ground. Apparently, it was


his purpose to startle the poor girl by the


bold and sudden leap; but the moose in


tended for her gliding along his arm,
caught him fast by the wrist. Dumas
executioner had, in fact hanged himself
by the hand.


Though experiencing the most acute
pain, he wished to conceal his critical
position from the girl, that she might not
avail herself of it to escape lie tried
to reach the imprisoned hand with his
left; but the weight of his body proven
ted his bringing his shoulders parallel.
Suddenly he began TO whirl and hing
himself wildly through the air, hoping
that it would snap, bat in vain If he
had but the knife in hiss boot, he might
have severed it; or, at the worst, have
cut of his hand, and saved himself by
fight. But, unIuckily for him, the knife
was sticking in the beam. How was he
to get at it J.?


He thought of one means--a desperate /
one-the last. lie collected all bis
strength to take the knife out with
powerful spring. The effort failed.


The weight of bis heavy frame dan
Cling in the air by one hand only, his Vi
olent efforts, the pressure of the fight
drawn knot, occasioned the villain intense
torture the joints of his arm cracked
and began to part the blood oozed out
under the larcerated skin, and trickled
into the sleeve Of his cloak while that Of
the rest Of his frame rushed from the
70 his head. Every moment
it seemed as if the hand would be torn of.
lie even wished that it might. His anxi-
ETY. lest the people of the house should
his dread Of being taken in this
predicament; impotence, rage; the
thought of his misdeeds, of his punish
ment for all his guilty life; all this pos
sessed his tumultuous imagination, and
brought his dark soul to despair. In
spite of his tiger-lke endurance, a cry
Of agony burst at last from his iron
bosom.


Duna petrifed, and thinking Of death,
had hitherto looked on in idiotic ndif-
ference. For long time she did not
understand what he was doing, and made
no attempt to understand it. True, she
was still standing upright like living
hing, but living she was not. The in
voluntary cry Of the murderer awoke
ler, however, from her trance. She saw
lm bleeding, as it were half dream {
ihe saw blood on the floor, a hideous }
gaping mouth, with great misshaped .
eeth, red fiery eyes starting from their I
ockets; she read his anguish in his Ghastly q
distorted features, and guessed, at last,
What had happened. Hope animated her
he began to think of deliverance. II


AvdotyaI push the table nearer,
aid the robber, in altered, but still harsh .
Ind commanding accents, that terrified {
Ter again, and compelled her to blind r
obedience. Once more she lost her pres
nee of mind, and pushed the corner Of |
he table toward him. The villain v
cached it with the toes Of one foot he |
aised himself up few times. 1t was for c
lin a moment of heavenly enioymet.
Never in his whole life had he known :,
me like it--not even after the most sue n
essfal murder. His agony was less in 81
oIerable be drew breath again; but
is left hand, which be tried to use to :,
rec his right, was benumbed and power :,