t ...
't- ! ...
1 I . . - w
I r-
VXiVK lll'IIIT
ALBANY.
OREGON.
REUGIOS AND doctrine.
nnn hit.
I1 ood kefars the Sanhedrim :
The aeowiing rabbis gued a him.
He recked not or their praiar or blame:
ltmM bo fear, there waa so shame.
Jr one npon wfcoae dazzled eyes
The whole wosid pound its rit surprise,
SJ ,IV. y u8ht "e ad clear,
T l J1 -"-sate his new-gained ken
, On the bate-clouded face of men.
'What hast thou been T w hat art thou now T
Thoja ut not he who reston-day .
sat here and begged beside the war: 4
, , JFor ha waa blind. ... , "
' Ab1 X he
Tori waa blind, but now 1 see. .
He told the story o'er and o'er':
It waa bis full heart's only lore ; J " !
A prophet on the Sabbath day " . ;
Had toncbed hia aifaUesa eyea with clay.
And toMdn htn aee who had been Wind.
Their worda passed by him like the wind ;
' 22ulh d kowla, but cannot shock
The hundred-fathom-rooted rock.
Their threats and fury all went wide :
The- eould not touch his Hebrew pride.
Their sneers at Jesus and His band, j ; "
Nameless and homeless in the land, "
Their boasts of Moses and bis Lord, !
AU could not change him by one word. ) "
X know not what that maa may be.
Sinner or saint ; but aa for me, -.
One thing 1 know, that I am he
Who once was Mind, and now I aee. v
TThey were all doctors of renown.
great men of a famous town, "
With deep brows, wrinkled, broad and wise.
Beneath their wide phylacteries "
The wisdom of the Kt was theirs, ' '
And honor crowned their silver hairs.
The man they Jeered and laughed to scorn
Wm unlearned, poor, and humbly bom;
But he knew better far than they
. What came to him that Sabbath-day ;
And what the Christ had done for him
He knew, and not tb Sanhedrim.
-Harper' MagazmBjar Jfoy. ..
matter in a more practical light, arid did
not regard the match
e' oiDucr ma auvice, ana noped sne
would heed it.
Miss Corydon had another suitor,
whom epdiisotiomme had told
THE HISSING LINK.
3By Stanley "'Curtis.
WHAT OF IT ?
1
awui tea years ago 1 -was passing
uuuugn a Mimtu city in uie atate of jncw
York. . My errand there wa one of bus
iness solely; and hauoe my sojourn was
anon. amvea at o o clock, m the eve
nincand departed at twelve that same
night About half-past eleven, as I
passed through the main street on mv
A. .. At i 1 ' T -
wsyr u uie Biaaoii, x encountered a man
with a mask, who, at the moment I met
nim, was emerging from a shop. Just
as he stepped out his mask dropped off,
and I caught a good glimpse of his face.
It would be irrelevant to describe his
personal appearance now. But he glared
at me fiercely, hastily i placed his mask,
and made off at j quick -pace.
I pursued my way,: thinking the event
-rauier strange, DUt tua not give it much
ESTHKB COBTTJOJI.
A year ago I came in possession of
manuscript left by a lunatic a female of
Tare beauty, it was said, who had just
died at the age of 29. Her life had
-been a sad one. :Deep sorrow in her
maioennooo, disappointment in love.
and experiences of a terrible nature, had
unsettled her reason.. She was violent
attunes; at otner tunes, silent and sullen,
-while occasional lucid intervals broke in
w uer oancenea mud. ! At these times,
he invariably spent a gre deal of time
wxicmg, ana, aitnougn apparently sane
was so inexpressibly sad and weighed
down by melancholy, that delirium
seemed a relief rather than a curse.
-This I learned of her attendants and
friends. From her manuscript I have
collated a story too strange, almost, to
be true a story of wrong and ruin, of
grief and injustice, of the irresistible
force of circumstances; ' Which some
times combine in stranon atuI mm;
shapes plotting destruction to innocent
victims.
fair complexion, and fine, though firmly
moulded, features. Her brother was also
tall; but his hair was light and his eyes
were blue . Fr tjem jfcjj Tmi
non, courage, and a proud and r.i.
7u an, , hls 818461 ever disagreed was
that ofher marrying Qeoffry Armstrong.
Armstrong was poor artist; and Esther
bad eonfidenoe fttia4 his! geniuswimld
iy uixu Buooessiunyttnrouirii lffe-- Itii(
i'hilip, aKhdugfi ; irW cherished no Mil.
was going
ana bade me good-bye, as he
to the lake shore to sketchJ
' " Now." thoucrht I. ''for
thrJctoi Kivers."' But strange to sav
he did not come near me for more than
tive snirir i A., -7" " ,"ft' I " not come near me for toore than
hranTntsr&e TdM no aA during
that time, and I thought he had left the
fcall-jsoom, though I was not hot sure, as
caugnt . rew, distant glimpses of
figure reeemblinar his.'
jemaiiyj ,ne approached ne Just as the
feelino- nvr.f nJ&Z, iZZ- pwy was unauong np, aau tMfered his
ItT1, aeijvCeesas an escort home. I could do
nothing else than accept, as the dancers
were rapidly dtspersmg." "'To my sur
prise satisfaction, he did not make
love to me; on my way home, and we
separatea witn a simple good night.
I went to bed, and slept soundly. But,
oh, what a waking the next morninir !
him . 1 4 . " , """" wm""K ne
rrVurix'iTD y iweBervea ueoarey murdered ; his poor, mangled
manner ; but stul he persecuted her with body and white faoa beinggazed nnon
name was John Rivers. " People gerner
ally called him handsome ; but there-was
a look , about liis small, bead-like black
eyes which Miss CJorydon called ?snaky."
But whatever were his bad or good quali
ties. Miss Corvdon nreferrn fhtnflVow
Armstrong, and that was-enough, i At
by hundreds of curious eyes ; and, more
than au, my brother accused of doinc
win unu - i -
As the - people passed through the
streets, I heard their shouts and mutter
ings, and Philip's name was often dis-
uuguisnaDie. " wnat are tney raving
uut mm tnouKnt i. AM oi a snd-
5ft?J? Mrs, C3ambee, my landlady, rushed
-r I iT uer suuue. i into my room. i i
S? not ,only not let her. alone, j " Oh, Miss Corydon 1" she exclaimed.
uij lie ueariy pesterea tne life out of her "what do you suppose they are saying
, , ; . X. ZJ "f J""- t nuuui.vuui oromeri xner nave found
xne ueau uouy oi ueppey Armstrong L something terrible in his room, and thev
was conveyed to his late hoarding house, ( ttiink Jie. killed poor Mr. Armstrong !
ana there, respectably laid , out. The
wounua -were dressed as neatly as pos
sible, and preparations ' for the funeral
made., - i?-;. - .:,. .
Meanwliile the office rsf -were discussing
the best mode of detecting the murderer.
The clue afforded did not eeem to
promise much, as the knife had probably
been thrown far out into the lake ; and
in that case there could be no possibility
of recovering it. .,..s
But who had last "beeri seen with ijhe
victim t - No one knew. " He had left his
boarding-house early in -the evening, and
gone, as he said,, to tk shore of the lake
to sketch a moonlight scene g However,
one person had been - seen searching for
him during the evening stopping at all
his lounging places, and anxiously in
quiring for his ; whereabout, 1 That per
son was Philip Corvdon. i, His manlier
was somewhat , excited, and he appeared
in great haste. - No one thought of
ing him of the crime; as his reputation
was unsullied ; and to associate him with
such an act seemed prenosterona. :
" But," said John Bi vers, who was con
versing with the officers, . " where is
Corydon t I haven't seen him about this
morning. Yon know he was very much
opposed to a marriage that was talked of
between his sister and Armstrong i" -
"You don't accuse him of anything,
do you ?" indignantlv demand a v.
stander. : .
"Accuse himf" OJi -nn T4r.f U'J
, , "u, ah? a n
good' sharp lawver." and ' w rmnht
have his advice in this case, it seems to
me. Whv don't - soDiftKrwlw imir
him?" ' " rt
Officers areT inmnlntia vLina
take nothint? : for trrtmtaA ' CS
had Listened mlently to Rivers, and was
thinking m silence. He flnallv looked
Oh, mercv! what have I said? Dnn't
look at me so l" . i
I did not faint, but think I Imust have
fastened my eyes on Mrs. Gam bee with
a strange expression, for she appeared to
be in great terror lest she had done harm
by telling me the news so suddenly.
-1 was nearlystunned. They had found
something in his room, had i they, that
led them to think he had done the mur
der ? These words I repeated to myself
a number of times; and finally, without
speasang to jura, uamoee, or paying her
any more attention than if she had not
been, there, I put on my things and
started for Philip's residence, j i
I had a vague idea that some one tried
to stop me; but I went on, regardless of
any attempted interruption, and walked
swiftly through the streets,' my face
closely veiled. But few recognized me;
I believe; and they gave me a wide berth,
hot caring, probably, to touch the gar
ments of a murderer's sister, r
I soon arrived at Philip's boarding
place. A dozen ragged urchins had col
lected in front of the door, and were dis
cussing the murder with childish wisdom
and garrulity. I ascended the steps and
knocked tremulously. A man-servant
opened the door. ' i
; Is Mr. Corydon in?" I asked.
. " No, miss," he answered grinning. ,
Do you know where he is ?"
; "No, miss; nobody knows where he
is. He keeps himself scarce, now, he
doesv". ...... i
Miss Corvdon's storv i inn
and incoherent to give bodily; therefore,
X will narrate the facts as clearly as pos
sible, making only occasional quotations
from her manuscript. . :.
' jTHB MURDER.
ucuiucj Ajruisurmg naa Deen mur-
uerea murdered in the dead of night.
In th.e morning bis body was found on
the lake shore, disfigured by several
ugly gashes, and one deep, cruel stab in
the left breast, which had evidently done
- The i discovery was made "about ten
o clock in the 'forenoon. He bad been
missed from his , usual haunts, , his
room was found to be empty, and
wjaren was instituted. . The horrible
cisoovery of bis murdered -body was
uuo iwaii.- Atwasiouna by two labor
ing men, wno brought the news with
paieiaces. ' ;
'Xhe excitement was fatense; Geoffrey
Armstrong ' had many friends in the
TOwn, ana tney wept and vowed revenge.
Jlne eeroner was summoned, and pro-
"wuou wiux-at jury w noia an inquest.
Nothing peculiar was discovered, noth
ing Dy wnxsn erne coma be obtained
to nnd the track of the - murderer.
Nothing, I cay, until one of the fury-
up, ana said, y "Twouldn't do any harm.
hi mju lor vxnat tjorydon.
It seems queer that he shouldn't be
about, 'specially seeing : he was after
Armstrong so eagerly last night. "Where's
his boarding house?" , , ,
On being informed he . started for it,
followed by a parcel pf men -and boys
of the class always on-the lookout for a
sensation. . He soon aniund f. h
nation, and, . accompanied by a brother
officer, ascended to Corydon Vi room. He
knocked at the :door lrwtilw tj i.
A- louder knock bailed to feHeit any re
sponse. The office looked n.t u.h nf.
significantly. 'Another knock' was given,
with the same result. Afirain Hie vffivi-a
peered into; each Osfiers countenances;
and, as if by simultaneous agreement,
they placed , their shoulders against the
""y uutbi its iasiemngs.
"What was that on the At
die of the room I And that
near the chair f ' i .
The one was a loner, slmnv vhi-n' fla
bladed knife, covered isvit.h - lilvni- wi
the other was a can. with red sfAina ot.,i
. .... . ' ""'
uixxonati ( ;-,(- . . :
The officers involuntarily started back,
accustomed though they were to scenes
of horror. They then scrutinized the
room closely, but found nothing else un
usuaL, The weather was very warm, and
one- window was ; rraised, allowing the
slight , breeze to gently ruffle the light
Kuiioun, r wiiooni, au was Prtgnt sun
shine; within, "it was bright, too,: but
upon , what a scene 1 There lay the traces
of a recent murder, in the room of a man
of high standing in the, community.
He evidently had : Hot retired - to rest
the night before, as the bed was .undis
turbed. ,,rtii.tijti..5, t'. sr !.ft-i otHsj--: i
The people Outside crew imriaflont .
the non-appearance of , tl omersy and
began to be clamorous.''. PinaDy.'one at
tuux ojvMreci, w sue aoor.
AaT Tl-J -s -
" What do you mean ? I am his sister.
They have not gone so far as to arrest
him, nave they?" i
" Oh, you're his sister, are von? I'm
sorry fer -that. No, - they haven't ar
rested him, for the reason that they can't
find him." i
, " Cannot find hini?" I echoed "wTi-.-
can they not find him ?"
" 'Cause, miss, he's
the servant. '
. " 1 do 004 believe it," I exclaimed, in
dignantly. "He did not do the deed.
He would not run away. Let me go to
his room." '
" This way, ma'am. There's an officer
there. YouTl have to ask himj"
'I went up-stairs. ! An officer guarded
the door of Philip's room, and would not
let me enter. I begged. He was firm.
It s mv dutv. ma'am " caiM an.
go in there- now.
I saw it was of no use to plead, and sat
down at the head of th
To thmk ! Oh, what misery there is in
thinking ! Thought has driven me mad.
If I eould never think again, what a com
fort it would bel j
After sitting there for some time, I
was aroused by a hubbub below. Bovs
were screaming, and there was a sound
of wheels approaching. j
,., " Something is up," said the officer ;
and he strained his neck to look out of
mT , ' Dut oia not desert his post
" The vehicle sfavmWl ir. fi ii.
house, the frontdoor opened, and Philip
came bounding up the stairs. I .
" What under heavens is the 'matter ?"
he cried. " What does this crowd mean,
and these people following me 1" '
vn, ramp . x cried, springing to
vrn Wi J -a. 1 - -T "
j v. uiu uvn viu m. aia you if'
TY 4nf Amrc TA.l
many given and the points presented on
uia Biue oi uie prosecution.
. ..The defense submitted the following:
The prisoner was a man of high char
acter in the community, and of known
good traits as a citizen. That although
h was opposed to,. th marriage ot his
sister to Geoffrey ! Armstrong, his dis
like of the latter did ' not - partake of
the character : of violent hatred, ' and
was altogether insufficient on which to
found an accusation of this -kind. The
prisoner could' not ' account ' for the
knife and cap. being in his room. They
must have . been placed there by. some
other party, in order to direct suspicion
in we wrong quarter, f
The prisoner admitted that he had
searched for Armstrong the night before
the murder, and he wished to see "in? on
private business. But he had left town
without seeing him ; and the fact that he
returned the next day ought to be proof
oi ins innocence. - i -
When asked why he left town so late
at night, prisoner replied that his time
was precious, and by leaving at that
hour he could do his business early in
the morning and return by noon, which
he did. His business was connected
wfth Armstrong, and that was the reason
ne naa wisned to see him before lea vine.
The said business was of stfoh a nature
that it would be of no avail in the de
fense ; and hence prisoner declined to
mention it.
Such was the substance of the points
elaborated upon by the respective coun
sel. A Die ana eloquent, speeches were
made on both sides, and the Judge
charged the jury impartially. - j
The large audience was agitated "hv
conflicting emotions ; first, the general
esteem in which the prisoner was held ;
second, the almost overwhelming evi
dence against him. The verdict won
awaited almost breathlessly.
The prisoner was found guilty of man
slaughter, and sentenced to hard labor
in the State Prison for the term of ten
years. ,.; . ..
VX
MISS cobydok's NABBATTVE. !
When I recovered from mv illnAm mv
brother was in prison. I looked over
tne accounts of the trial. ,
" Fools !" thought I. " Why do you
say my brother is cruiltv of manslaxKrh.
ter? He is either guilty of murder, or
n wmjcctw, n ne Killed Ueoffrey
Armstrong, it was a devilish, eold-blood-
eo. muraer. i5ut you doubted it You
knew he could not do such a thing. You
wanted to convict - somebod v. thnrnrli -
and so you declared my poor brother
guilty oi manslaughter. "
.tsut ne was innocent He never did
the deed. As soon as I was strong
ouu"ui -- e preparations ior a jour
ney. I would go to the prison, and see
witn a dreary, heart and a nJnd
clouded with trouble, I got my clothes
in orcier, and made preparations to go,
une evening, when I was sitting in my
room, despondent and gloomy, a knock
was heard at the front door. The ser
vant said a gentleman had called to see
xi"5. Jin a nsuess manner X gave direc
tions tnat ne might be shown in. : John
xuvers was usnered into my presence.
oiiauL never lorget my feelings on
beholding him. AU the dreaded memo
ries of the last sad two months rose up
.""i nucitiy ana oppressively.
iuy Drain was a heavy lump of lead. But
in tne midst of all my wretchedness rose
the thought, " That man is my enemy !"
He stood looking at me, with his small
black eyes, bright and insinuating, in a
""xmeir questioning ana doubtful. He
seemea to wim to read my thoughts.
"aui i naa Deen only an acquain
tance who had made himoAlf T
bly intimate a rejected lover, a disap-
to
this place," said Philip, at one time dur
ing our interview.
- I left-himwith a heart almost dead
ened, but with a spirit to dare anything
m order to dfac6vervthe real murderer,
andset mjf brother, free. But what
oouig x, a helpless girl, do ? The world
,e, m brothWguilty, and no one
would look' with i encouragement on any
efforts I might make to prove him inno
eent Howeyerrrimtde up my mind to
feenre the serrioes otma able lawyer, and
let him watch, in a quiet, unobtrusive
manner, for eonterclew by which to dis
cover the real vmLrAeew,-'' -s'l''v' j
, So. one evening I went to see Mr.
nnch, a shrewd little man, who saw
everything in a minute, when he chose,
and who eould observe without being
observed., I talked with him an hour,
and at the end of that time, I believe,
convinced him of "Philip's innocence,
and had him thoroughly interested in
my case. . . 44,
But we were not to .be known to be in
communication. If either discovered
anytiung, the other was to be informed
by ( letter. ; So we ' parted, my heart
soon departed, after making a few common-place
remarks. . j
The next morning I sent the following
note to Mr. Pinch:
I ' ' . "Nov. 20th.
"Watch John Rivera If you com
municate with me, call him Fald.
-.' . "E. C "
, Ihiring the next four weeks I received
two notes' from Mr. Pinch. They read
as follows:
"Fald
shore."- '
No. I.
walks frequently to the lake
No. n.
"Fald has a visitor apparently an in
timate friend. They go together on the
lake shore.,- They have hired a room in
a row oi nouses Deionging to me."
I cannot say that I suspected John
Rivers of having murdered Geoffrey
Armstrong. But that dream made a
deep impression on my mind, and I
found my thoughts involuntarily wan
dering in a channel indicated by the
a Dove correspondence with . Mr.: Pinch
my brother to be set free, and again to
be an honored citzizen f -1 was dizzy and
faint with excitement and anticipation.
I would see Mr. Pinch to-morrow, and
we would push things to the glorious
strangely buoyant Yet there seemed to I would . John Rivers, at any rate.'
ds a aead weight within me, dragging
me back, and a voice dully whispering
that all my labor would in the end come
to naught .1 had to force this feeling
back, and summon all the resolution of
my nature to drive away despair. Yes.
1 had an-end in life how.1 an obiect to be
accomplished, in which, my whole being
was enlisted. ' -
I used to ' walk ' often on - the llr
shore, and wander about on the gravelly
beach where the dreadful scene ' was
enacted. Through cold ' weather and
watch the waves as they rolled high, and
seemed to. be trymfir to wash off the stain
i. , ....
ten dv tne Diooa of my.Ueoffcey.
remain a fnendr "but nnw ; T vnli
help it, he seemed like an enemy an in
truder on my risrhts. and a.
my happiness. It was the first time I
had seen him since the murder.
" Miss Esther," said he, "I make
bold to call on yon, for I hope we are
inenos, as we used to be before the the
great misfortune that has come over us. "
He spoke in a low tone, with an at
tempt to be subdued "and avmraUiofin 4
his manner. - The character did not suit
him well, for his bright eyes sparkled
and snapped as if they would give the lie
to his pretentions.
xnis is an unexpected honor. Mr
icucu ooituy. will you
. Ho sat down, and rubbed his
hands. ;
thin
him ;
" Ah, Miss Esther, it is dailv
Bcraieatnat tnis world is bntanlA nf
"For mercy's sake. viaJZ JZ"' stratea tnat ns world
too ? Do what ?" ' f rears. Vhe happiestof us see dark days.
An officer
do
A- . ..
oursi in nr. ths a.
"uuwi iaj my Drotner.
"I arrestyou, Philip Corydon, for the
murder of Ueoffrey Armstrong "
At that moment I fainted, and can re
member no more. I was ill for six weeks,
most of the tune in a ravin ir KrmJ
frieDaa, , tli--r.yW:lettf ttJJtZLS?' o mv brother?
We've made an jmPortant rTVT?..," Pperi witn an
go home.
duooveryr i which may lead to the find
ing of the murderer. Philip ! Ctarydon
was looking for Geoffrey Armstrong last
night: and this mnmini- AnailiiaA
the other's not to be found.' : Besides.
we ve seen something in Corydon's room
that leads to korrid suspicions.
eiuug w now, ana yon'a better- do tne
same; ior Bill's guarding the room,"D.d
u&k WHO,
and the most confident are often doomed
n meet witn aisappomtment '
He spoke with a satisfied nii uu it 4-Viia
mil " , . . , "WW
nine speecn were a triumph of eloquence
that should set him up in mv opinion '
i"jr response A could
" Yes, Miss Esther, human beings who
seem perfect often carry sorrow to the
Oli.
poor boy, to be struck and cut till you
were aead I ' '
The beach was two or three rods wide.
and then the land rose, abruptly and was
thickly covered with trees and bushes.
Among these I would sit, in a measure
protected from the wind, and watch and
think. . I knew not what the charm was
that drew me there. -, Sometimes I went
to get rid of John Rivers: for he visited
me frequently, and I never was glad to
see him. But he would come, and he
often opened anew the wounds which
had been inflicted on my spirit -
One evening I was sitting in a large
easy-chair, by the fire, feeling tired, ill
and drowsy. I was almost asleep ; when,
by a sudden impulse, I rose and wan
. dered - down' to the shore, and was soon
seated among some bushes, looking out
upon the water. As I was sitting there
musing, j. neara a footstep on the gravel;
and looking around, I saw John Rivers
approaching. My heart gave a leap, for
I thought he had come to seek me. But
he soon stopped and looked out over the
water; and as I became ; certain that I
was not what had brought him. there, I
gave a subduedsight of relief.
He had stopped on the exact spot
where the murder was committed. After
standing for a few moments, he looked
around in all directions, as if to be satis
fied that he was alone. He then HtemWl
back, and appeared to be looking at some
imaginary object Then he stepped
stealthily: forward: and lookinc at n. nr.
ticular spot made a violent motion, tut it
striking some object. Then, springing
back, he gesticulated wildly, as if ficht-
ingwith "a phantom. Finally he ex
tended his arm, with a sudden lunce.
and turned, and ran about a rod from the
spot Then he covered his face with his
hands for a moment; and after a minute
or two, approached the spot of his singu
lar pantomime, and bent over, as if ex-
aming some object on the around. He
remained in this position, an if trans
fixed; and l, drawn by a mysterious and
irresnaDie impulse, approached the spot
also. : He did not hear or see me; yet I
stood close by him. Horror of horrors !
There lay. on the orormd. in n. Him
phantom-like shape, a human form, cov
ered with ghastly wounds. From one
deep wound in the breast nmif
long knife. I looked at the face. There.
upturned and pale, with death-throes
agitating the features, was the counte
nance of Geoffrey Armstrong ! At that
moment Rivers looked up. His eyes
"Murderer!" I cried
alone 1"
Suddenly, 5 a new sensation came over
me. A bright light was before my eyes,
a warm fire beside me, and I was sitting
in my chair, waking from a doze into
which I had fallen. . .
' Oh, what a dream !" T AY! oi' m oil
and arose just in time to receive Mr. Riv
ers, whom the servant was ushering into
Had he not tried to marry met Was ha
not in a great rage when I refused him ?
Now that Geoffrey was dead, did he not
nearly persecute all patience out of me ?
It was a, terrible crime to accuse one of
without good foundation. Yet I did not
mean to accuse him of it; I only meant
to find out all about him, and know what
there was of my dream, if anything.
Mr. Pinch, I thought, would not en
courage me in prying into John River's
actions; and so, without saying anything
to him; I took a careful survey of the
premises where Rivers had hired a room,
and found out that there were several
vacant, unfurnished apartments adjoin
ing - each other, and that his room was'
one of these. I obtained a key that
would fit the lock of the one next to his,
and resolved to play the part of eaves
dropper for a few evenings.
What a course was this for a young
girl supposed to be modest and respect
able. But who was I? In the eyes of
me wona, x was a murderer s sister, with
nothing to lose, and everything to gain
in character and standing'. I .might
have abandoned the place and gone to
some distant region, where my history
was not known, and I could occupy
a respectable position. But no I had
an object in life, and that was to prove
my brother's innocence. Until this was
accomplished, reputation and standing
were notning to me.
So, evening after evening, about six
o clock, when business men were gone
to dinner, and I was comparatively se
cure irom observation, X walked down
the street, and made my way, unknown
to a single living soul, to my solitary
room in Mr. Pinch's row. Here I would
sit, bundled up closely for protection
against cold, and watch through a small
npoi ture m a wan tne proceedings of
John Rivers and his friend. Most of
their time was spent in playing cards,
and sometimes friends were brought in
to join in the games. Once in a while
small sums of money changed hands, but
never to any great amount
Sometimes Rivers and his friend
would sit down, after they' had done
playing, with a box of cigars between
them, and hold lengthy conversations.
I then would hear vague allusions, as I
thought, to me. The conversation would
run as follows
" Why the deuce don't von marrw Tiei-
Rivers ?r' " . '
"Hang it, man; if a girl won't have
you, what are you to do ?"
" Why, try the arts of skillful persua
sion, and overcome her objections, to be
Blue.
" xes ; but that don't always
x,,ut visitation of woe awaited
me I It is said that the darkest hour
comes just before dawn. It is also true,,
sometimes, that when hope seems bright-
mediatelyhTViiSaPPOijatment lm"
On my table, just beside the lamp lay
a telegram directed to me. I hastily
opened it, and read the following:
"By telesrranh from fK Tnmha PnW
to Esther Corydon: Philip Corydon
died tins afternoon at five o'elock, from
a sudden fit the result of a lingering ill-
Darkness seemed to envelope me. ' A
heavy, oppressed feeling took possession
of me, which I tried in vain to shake off.
At last my desperate struggles found vent
in a long, loud scream. I heard a rush
ing sound, was conscious of a struggle,
and forthwith relapsed into unconscious
ness. When I awoke I was in a small room,
lying in a bed. Everything looked
strange. No one was in sight, and I
slowly looked about me. There was no
furniture except a washing-stand, and a
chair which seemed to be fastened firmly "
against the wall. The bedstead was of
Iron T A-ArtAA n - i
. " PllliMI wuitiow,
which was protected outside by iron bars
And. whn. IriTklrAl ntronovii titan oil l. ..
If O Ml) niw
walls of the room were thickly padded
all over. I sat up in the bed. I tried to.'
rise, but was bound fast
Just then a woman entered the room
Seeing me, she crave a start, nml imrrkosK-
aveiy oraerea me to ne down. I obeyed
involutarily, and asked where I was.
"There-now," she exclaimed, peremp
cited" let, and don't get ex-
I looked at her in wonder. ' She re
turned the stare curiously, and, approach
ingme, Said, " How do you feel V
" Weak, very weak," I replied ; " but.
ten me where I am, and what these cords.
are about my limbs for ?"
She gazed at me for a moment and
then started off with the words, " I'll eo
and see the doctor !' b
This seemed very strange to me. I felt
over the bed, and took up a handkerchief "
that my hand came in contact with. It
was marked in the corner " Esther Cory
don." The sight of my name brought
I'uiug viAAsn. iaj me.
"Oh! oh!" I cried, as the recollec
tion of those dreadful events rushed
upon me.
It was more than I oould bear, and
with a scream I sank back into uncon
sciousness. -
'you are not
account of his trial, and the report I be- earts of their friends by appearing in
men, a physician, closely examined the l S ymg, he started off, but only a
stab which evidently had been the fatal I le!W dld likewise, ? , ... .
i v no u neip me to tind PhOipr Cory, r tember.
one.
" This wound, said .Tie, " w&a not
made with an ordinary : weapon." ! it
oould only have been uvSicied with a
knife of peculiar sliarte. . Observe.
said he, " the cut is at and thin ; .and
the knife used must have been a long
one and a sharp one, .for there are no
cruises on tne body, and nothing to in
dicate that the knife was inserted to the
nut.
He then inspected the wounds minute
ly, ana made . accurate and elaborate
memoranda.
" In the absence of anything better,"
he said, " these features of the oase may
prove of use. For myself,:! would iad-
. ywe tnat every effort be made to find
that knife." , - s i
xne wisdom of the doctor's advice was
wmiwea by all. , The , knife -;must be
found, and the murderer must suffer the
Penalty of his foul deed.
J Q M?f Corydon heard the-news
she was wild with grief, for. Geoffrey
Armstrong was her accepted suitor, and
she dearly loved him. It was with diffi-
' -Ti ,uli w prevented frem
boys that gathered around the body as it
carried through the staeetet
She sat down in her room, and her
2Z?J"J. -Wh2e into
murderer .of ' AaollVsiw'.' Irmi1 i
i. . " " I :.. . TKR TRT1T.
ii snai oi A-niiip (Jorydon took place
rSfcni 7 exciting, anof also
raer lengthy, occupying about three
day's tame m the court, A summary is
gjyen taken from the newspaper -found
among Esther's documents, ;
' 2te.n8?? ot he' Prosecution pre
sented the following points :
a. weonrey Armstrong had been mur
dered on the night of the 28th of Sen-
i 2.. Philip Qorvdon had
isearcltog for Armstrong. Once he had
fZZLTBt' here
uaw vwjr UKI AJtXW XUimCU
i 8. Corydoa id lffc
night of tiieurder; and Uie next morn
ing a knife and can haA hun j
iwuii waiiieu wim PIOOO.
Strong?.
i A loud Bbout Went Vi nr. ' 'ft' -LbtA
fcoop followed ,hioM Down th-street
they went, murmuring and - nthttedhg.
ever and anon- a. .louder vbica . thn)T
rest giving utterance to some sentiment
that found ! quick and. noisy' applause
Knots of . jnen .were at the stm m-nm-
and women hastened from
another to talk, over: the terrible. affair..
Excitement ran high.' and before Taoon
the murder, Bus Philim fW. ii 6 " 7" vuxug ior Armstrong,
not to Wound. ' mnner ed excitement and agil
vim VvtI'wJi' . '. I lector Brown was called, and testified
?Thftt masauerade ball Tf iiomr BT.alH v fVo ."""wa
t.rm it Fr ma r Ztt&Zi"! VX been
, , iu6'r.i' nuei uwuviiou umy won a Knife corresponduio'
murder. X went drefmed m (Ha Wmuh' (nlitnaoprnfim n Ai. a . rr
v u uuwavwu.puu vtMiiiiiuxi yery
iaT.at. .. . ... .. ... t ..
. . . , . .. ,
JDiacK mask. . lie OkI. not wish to he en.
cumoerea with costume. . as he waa
their true characters.
'. J m no mood for conversation, and
uiu iiui reply. -r ...,.-
.uv, aau wuuuueu, our auty is
not to mourn ana pine away ; we should
mmoiw oast asiae sorrowful memories,
end look about us for
makinir ottrseivefl and thra
nappier. --"-;
"Borrow ana disgrace are not easily
.u.uww.u wi Bou aoiuo, mrM xwvers.
? "Ah, but it is a fault of the world's
people tnat tney associate the guilt of
w .wmu uie ( uuiooenoe of- another.
xou snouia not Dear the disgrace of
your brother's cri that is to say, his im-
That was a cruel stab, and he knew it
Xie , would have said " my brother's
crime,'! u ne nad dared. . . . i ,
: " Mr. Rivers," I replied, with dienitv.
"yon should know that such
tioa is painful tome. ,Yon wfll certainly
ji: . . xi .
knew of
don was
. ... ,
iu ItwasknowsittiatO ' LiL. ZZL Tft -.P" ?rtaui?y brown
objeeted.thftteplatn
of uia sister to Armstrong; and n 4&J .IJ .. -
- J , - ACUOU.
jduv a wan lea to
in
Corvdmfsrcn4i.k
Max Struss, a ; dealer in toys, masks,
arid curiosities, testified that on the nigkt
of. the murder, about half-nAHf.11 n'7v
sav to VOU that vrm
must consider me your friend, and call
v auio lur auy assistance you may re
quire. : If people should turn a cold
shoulder to -- you, why, " just remember
tnat John Rivers, will always remain a
true mend, and rejoice in any opportu
nity to serve you. "
BCe remained for a while .longer; sus
taining a conversation almost entirely un
aided by me, for I was sick at heart, and
longing for him to go- : At last he took
his departure, bidding me , good night
gimg out Ute in the evening to sketch a rhewd Wk"at thedoor.u6n: prStesting hTSdship8
moonlight scene. , PhiLp would not po. fit a man, with, a mask entered iTTZ TT"!1 ?J??ZP
xsusiness. he said. kert Mm evu frw
that fatal business! r Why," did: he select
John Rivers (how -.can I . write' his
name rj was there, also. How - he did
lather Corydon was an w.- pyrsecriSrt Toe I liis character was that
us a school-teacher. - Et kCT f i Djac- aomsno ; and itconeealed all
- .... t iucou vym auu iuh wrilEB- i v.
hke hands. v lie , haunted me ; all
toe fame, and no oms , but myself reoog
"aed him. Occasionally - during the
u4!4 " 21' to ml'
W. wiih his boo and pencil
. V '.... a.
Aiaap vxjryaosi, .was a lawyer, - They
were the L&t rc, "esaniatives of their
family, and w?e sol sLarers of a
sanali e- iaba. They were energetic, higa
efBriielnndafTtwl aoata. , .f,
l.v -Ltj r. :..,.? tv-ove the'mecium
JasShtj 2sS4 bLidc dark hair,.
Huuou iui, ,wuru.,, yyuness. naa no
sword; but sold him a long, flat-bladed
uue,-vsiea tne man said would An K
wanted it iorsa character he was trnmcr
don's rsom was shown to witness, and h
identified It as the one he had sold. Ha
also thought the' cap found in Corydon's
room was the5 same one wean bv the r-
son who purchased the knife. WiiiKwa
oould not identify the mask worn by this
person, as it was of a very common style.
.similar to twenty or more he had sold j
. . " '
Such was the suhstanoe of the tests-
see my
Drotner. x cannot describe our mter
iew. . The disgraee had told terribly on
him. He looked . thin and pale, , and I
thought be was hot welL He told me
about the business that called him away
snot fatal mgat ?, It was aooutueoarey
the room.
" Pardon me, Miss Esther," he said ;
" 1 thought I heard von. scretuii itirI; ah T
entered. Are you ill ?"
I Was ' acritated. the dream 1
fected me strongly. . i -.-i.
" uooa evening, Mr. JSivers," I said.
Did I scream? I had mirth n. Hraolfnl
dream." ,
"Indeed !" said he '; " and ma-ir T
. 1 L ... L . . . :
wu was its nature r 1 - '
Oh, yes." I replied. "Iam so ns1
to horrible thousrhts. that I am verv sto.
1 l A. 1. A.' PVT. -.
buuui mien tmngs. xne oream was
a very fnninilar and a. vprv tarnKU
one : but I will tell it to von. if von
WltUU i
I do not know what spirit came over
me. , for X was not only wiliina-. bnt ab-
T . . .... . ' '
soiutery ltcxung to teil tnat dream to
John Rivers. I would paint it in glow
ing colors, ana teil it to nun with all my
eloquence.- But I did " not mention his
name. -1 told it all but that and then
said ; .,..,.',' ...iiW '
"It was terrible. . Mr. ... Rivers. Ah.
how distinctly';" the face of that man is
pictured to my mind, as he looked us
from thephantom body and bis eyes met
mine. .tns isoewas paie. ma eves small
and dark, his eyebrows heavy, his mous-
X-l. Jl. J i ,
wftuuo jtsi uittujL auu. luxuriauv. ms
cheeks rather sunken, with a small
'mole i on the upper part 'of the
one. . .,:
He - sprang from his chair. His
cheeks were paler,, if possible, than
usual ; he looked at me , steadily for
a moment,' his eyes darting lightning
flashes. , . . . m.
"You have described me!!' he said, at
-.1 m
lengtn. -,
"X know it," said V
After a pause he walked to the door
put his nand on the-knob, held it there
for a moment irresolutely; and then came
oacK ana sat aown again. , y ,
t tu, . nuu in, .-- mat was a nm
Very." -1 -replied, and tiiAn mnhV
ued, bent , on tojrtnrinfir hini: "TKoxr
that when a man commits a mnrdni- v.
" fiicoiBuiuio iHHcination wnicn leads
him to visit the spot afterwards."
"What What do von men" :
claimed in a violent manner.
. What do lou mean. MiJ nim. " -r
asked, drawing myself up. am, not
Armstrong. . He wanted to look ever eer- f aware that there is any necessity for art
tain records by which -Geoffrey thought ting excited."'' ? -
w coma prove nis cianu u uonie prep-1 - "vn., no. weettauaiy unkJf .
erty he had been cheated out of years forcing a laugh. " Pardon me it T vTZ!
befprs.i But he feund that he would
need certain memoranda, and so retaraed
early next day to see Geoffrey ; 'but Geof
frey was then dead 1 ' .. '.
' "I feel that I cannot live ten years in
The conversation lagged! after this, as
I had no desire to continnA it
seemed to lose his ready command of
fine-sounding words' and phrases; He
oeea.
Xnere was nothing in this to repay
me for my trouble, and I once almost
resolved to crive up mv lonelv
wtciies.
XJut just about that time, I received
wora tnat my brother s health was fail
failing ; and this maddened me so, that I
watcnea ana listened more intently than
before. Not that I really expected to
accomplish anything; but I took a grim
delight in sittiner there throuch the Ion r
uigiiui, auu imninng now sweet revenge
wuuiu ue u x snouia uscover any
thing to materially aid me in my under
taking. '
So the time went on. Perseverance
has its reward, and I was to have mine.
One night I heard something that set the
blood thrilling through my veins, like a
shock of electricity.
Rivers and his friend had been plavinir
cards and drinkine. Rivers had drank
moderately, but his friend grew excited
and garrulous. He talked and prated
with a smsular mixture of cood and ill
humor.
" Oh, you miserable fellow !" said he
" you ought to marry that girl now. But
X suppose you think it wouldn't hardly
pay.
wnat wouidn tpayr XT you mean
it wouldn't pay to marry her, you are
about right, for she's got the devil
in her; and, besides, her fortune is
not half what I supposed it was," added
Rivers. .-- - .
"Oh. is that so? Then I'm sorrv
had anything to do with it By George,
is was an ugly jod i
"What are you talking about?"
: "Devilish ugly ! How did you feel
wnen it was done?"
"When what was done?
a fool," exclaimed Rivers.
: "Ah, it's very well to talk like that
Xfut we're alone now. what's the differ.
I have now been in the asylum eight .
years. I am crazy most of the time,
they tell me ; but I am not now. I am
temporarily sane. These periods come
three or four times a year. In them I
have written out my life history. , It is a
terrible tale of wrong. But who would
listen to the charges of a maniac 1 I liave
tried the doctor several times, but he
never will talk with me on the subject.
These days of sanity which come over
me are most unbearable. I write to re
lieve my mind. For I can't help think
ing of my sad history, and thought to .
me is distracting. Memory brings noth
ing but sorrow with it, and contemplation
of the past is misery. i
' Oh ! how I long for the relief of deli
rium. Then I may rave, and forget in
frenzy all my woes. Oh welcome, mania t
-Let me force t mvself in vonr nbljvinn
and drown grief in madness!
- . - " ' TIL .
THE MI8KIJTO LINK. '
I have compiled the preceding story
from Miss Corydon's manuscript, be
cause the facts related possess for me a
strong interest This will be understood:
when I state a fact connected with the
incident mentioned in Part T. of this
narrative. The features of the man
coming out of the dhnn. Wh,Vli tra
vealed by his mask dron Tsinrr flp im
pressed themselves strongly on my
memory. His face was pale; his eyes
small and black, his evehrowa hrr
moustache jet black and luxuriant his
cheeks rather sunken, with a nmoll
mole on the upper part of the left one.
But the next
miles away, and still traveling rapidly.
How Potatoes Came into m viiisofi,,..
The potato is one of the many reallv-
Tou talk like
enoe t T tell you I get so crazy thinking
about tt, that I must talk to somebody
and if it isn't you, it will be some one
eise.
'Well, well, talk then, an A 1..
done," said Rivers, in a voice full of
impatience and contempt: "bnt- iinn't
you oiap to any one else."
' : Oh, no. You can trust me for that
lut lam T,mn at qi n
"I don't wan't to think of it ?
"Just think of it, 1 say two innocent
"Hold voar tontmA. wfll
AUTOIO. - -
"Ion't be BO infernal i-r f-
fltkTt the work,
aMsj. s A4f a JL. SCAB Villa. VHH 14a
her now. after all that -
xuvers was on his feet and had
a.nugejBtick of wood that lay by the
wr . w. MO IUDQU At, aiOXt. '
M Another word mt .av
mrai!" "1 yOU t3ond uttering any
His eves were two i;'r,. i, j t.-
faoa was a picture of rage.
'flton't km him tooJ"i I eri&cL in a
WMiung voice, from my plac of conceal
ment . J - - 7.
The effect was electrical. ThAdmnVen
manjeobej.. sober man dropped
nis mllet of wood, and turned the oolor
oi ashes. Both looked at each other
wiwi a oazea look.
: I Waited no Innnw W nn'oaloaslv left.
the buildinff on A nmnoulal milMlv
home. It was eleven o'clock, and my
light WBS bnmW lr T nniwiHwl witK a.
latch-key, without disturbing any one,
and : wended my way to my own room, i
- I Was in a fttata nf tarriMA nrritamMiL
My brain was all of a whirl, and my
thoughts ran wild with earth other: Oh.
had i discovered the real murderer! Was
Wa Inn hlA AVl. i m -
i-ii ?i - LLLU1B wortn notning to man
mi weir use is diacivpiwl. Tliof.
world knew nothing of the vaiue of do
tatoes toil, about two bundred years aga
shows whit rich secrets Nature has for
her children, and how long she can keep
fhAm HrnM 1-1 , , , . .
-AiAOAAj uieaaingB are pronaDiy bid
den now m the earth, and even in the "
common growth of the fields, which will
be found out and considered quite indisK
pensable. A writer gives this Interesting'
sketch of the history of the potato, con
taining some particulars which we have .
never before printed : ..'."
When the Spaniards conquered Peru ' 1
in the sixteenth century, they carried i
some potatoes to Europe and sent them -to
the Pope. The new plant was cultivated '
a.aY1 SP"1. Ital7. Burgundy, and
the JNetherlands, and-from a certain re
semblance to the truffle, an esculent fun
gas growing in the earth, the Italian
gave them the name of Tarttu or Tara-'J
tufoli, whence the Germans deri-red thmV .
word, EartoffeL The French called them " '
"apples of the earth," Pommes de terre,
while in Austria and portions of Ger
many the eqmvalentexpressioTi. F.roa.rfl
is used; ' ,.,.'. ... . '
Dr. Hawkins first
England in 1565 : Walter RalmVn vi, '
them there in 1584, and finally Admiral -:
Drake in 1586. The latter seat some to
a friend to plant, with the remark that -
tne fruit was excellent and nutritouB,
and WOUld be very naafnl in RniviTva
His friend planted the tubers, and they , fu
grew nicely. . But when the eeed-balfe '
were ripe, he took the seeds instead of
the tubers Anrl triaA tham in Thnttm- ttnA n
roared sprinkled sucar ; and cinnamon ''otpi-' -
them, and placed them before some com ' n ;
pany as a great rarity. . Of coarse the
ball tasted disgustingly, and the assembly '.', '
concluded that the fruit would not ripen
in Europe.. The gardener pulled up the '' "
plants and burned them. A gentleman '.
who chanced to be present stepped on
one of the baked potatoes as it lav in the.
ashes, when it broke open, and he noticed
that it was white as snow, and mealy, and
had such an agreeable ' smell that ho"-"
tasted it and found it to be very p<vs - ! t
ble. The new vegetable was thus rescued , - k
but for a oentarr af ter it was, only cul- '
tivated in the garden, and in 1660 the ,
Queen of England made the remark in ' '
her house-book that a pound of potatoes .
cost two shillings (about fifty cents). 1
A Rat Catcher. A professional nt t :
catcher is meeting with considerable
eees in Albany. He wears upon his feet v ; i
shoes that are perfectly noiseless, and, -.
armed . with a dark lantern, a pair of
tonga and a wire cage, enters the place
where the game is supposed to be. The -
blinding flash of the lantern is Baid to so- 1
bewilder the rat that he stands perfectly ' . ',
Btill and allows the man to pick him P - ,..
with tongs and safely deposit him in the-, '
receptacle provided for imprisonment