MARY AND JOHN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 247, 24 October 1885, Page 5

MARY AND JOHN.

How a Tennessee Husband Expiated

Hla Fault in Death

There was a terrible thunderstorm coming up, and a thunderstorm among tho mountains of Tennessee means much to the traveller ovor the narrow and winding roads, each ono full of poril from falling rocks or rushing water. It was growing dusky, too, and in the gloom and hurry to reach shelter I came near riding over a woman who was coming down tho road nt a run. Sho screamed out and jumped aside, and as sho stood for a moment I called out:

" Tho storm will be heie in ten minutes, Run for the house !'

For an instant I caught sight of a white faco tinder a sunbonnct. The eyes wero wild, tho teoth sot hard, and I thought of a maniac. It was only for an instant, and then a Hash of lightning set tho horse off at a full gallop. He ran for half a milo as if frightened for his life, turned to tho right nnd leaped a fence, and ns ho halted at tho door of a cabin a voice shouted in my oar : " Git down and come in ! Iko will stable tho boss I"

Tho s+orm broke at that moment, and what with tho wind, tho rain, tho rod flashes and loud-rolling thunder, wo could only sit and look at each othor for tho first quarter o f an hour. Then tho storm hilled into a steady pour, accompanied by an occasional .ores gust, and I know that it would be daybreak beforo wo saw tho last of it.

The man placed provisions on tho tablo anil sat down to tho board with mo. Ho mado a great effort to appear hospitable and cheerful, but I noticed that ho was listening intently, as if for a voice or a stop, and twico ho rose up and went to tho window. By-aud-by 1 recollected seeing tho woman, and asked :

" Is thero a cabin within a milo or so of .his down tho road V"

" None fur nigh onto throe," ho replied. " Then God holp tho woman I met half a milo bolow as the storm was breaking !" " A woman 1 did sho havo on a sunbonnet *" " Vos." " An! dark dress?'' "Yes." "*That was Mary, my wife ! sho said sho would, but I didn't beliove it.''

" Would what?"

Ho roso up and (lung opon tho door to look out. A sheet of rain blew half way across tho room, extinguishing tho candle and leaving us in darkness, and tho cabin rocked under tho wind us if i* would blow over. Tho man shut tho door, rolighted the candle, and, placing it at tho windowso that its light would shine down the road, ho camo over to me and said :

" Yes, that was my wife We havo been married two years. Yonder in tho cradlo sleeps our infant."

"And what possessed her to start out in this awful storm ?"

"I did !" he exclaimed in an accusing voico. "We had a quarrel. But for mo it would have beon only a trifle. Sho was proud and haughty, though loving and ut.ectionato, nnd, whilo I know 1 was in the wrong, I was determined to humblo her. An hour ago, when I demanded, with the bearing of a tyrant, that sho retract certain statements, sho calmly dressed herself and sot out for a soven-milo walk to her father's."

' You must havo beon insane to lot hor go!'' "God forgive me, but I would not say one word to keop her ! I didn't bclievp sho would go, and when sho went out, kissing the baby good-byo, but having neither word nor look for mo, I would not ask her to stay."

'And what aro hor chances in this storm :

His faco wus deathly pale and his voico trembled liko a child's us he answered :

" I'm going to look out for hor, and I want you to mind the cabin and the child. Tho littlo ono is a sound sleeper, and tho storm will giow no worse."

Taking down his rillo ho opened tho door and fla-hed out into tho storm, nnd I was loft alone. For hours thero was no break in tho fury of tho storm. For hours tho child slept peacefully through all the tur moil.

When morning camo tho sky was dear, the sun bright, and tho birds sang joyously. Tho coloured man who had taken care of my korse soon nppoarcd, and after n bito to eat I started down the road in hopes to meet my ho.-t returning with his wife. A mile and « half from the cabin I found them both Wbtthor sho had been struck down by >i

Hash or her life be.iten out by tho storm I could not say. She lay besido a largo rock at theroudsido. In tho awful darkness ho had found her, but she was dead. Ho lay bosido her, one arm partly covering her faco, and in the centre of his forehead was a blue-black hoi", from which tho blood slowly 00/.cd. Ho had shot himself beside Mary's dead body.—" Dotroit Froe Tress."