_A Moonlight Walk._--_An Unexpected Meeting._--_The Murder of
Emerence Bauer._--_The Oath Fulfilled._
On a beautiful moonlight evening, about a week after the hostile
meeting of Henry Schulte and Nat Toner, Emerence, all impatient to
meet her lover, whom she had not seen for some days, and whom she
fondly expected this evening, left the residence of her parents and
walked towards a little stream that ran along the outskirts of the
village, where she had been in the habit of meeting Henry upon the
occasions of his visits.
The evening was a delightful one, and the scene one of surpassingly
romantic beauty. The bright rays of the moon sparkled and danced upon
the rippling water; the border of grand old trees that fringed the
bank of the stream was reflected with exaggerated beauty far down
among the waters; the glittering stars stole in and out among their
branches, and shone in the clear crystal mirror. Now a fleecy speck
of cloud floated over the face of the Queen of Night, from behind
which she would soon emerge, with increased brilliancy, to dart her
long arrowy beams away down to the pebbly bottom of the flowing
river, kissing the fairies that the old German legends tell us dwelt
there in the days of old.
Silently, but with happy heart and beaming eyes, the young girl gazed
upon the scene that lay before her; then, walking to the center of
the rustic bridge that spanned the stream from shore to shore, she
leaned over the low railing and watched, with her mind teeming with
pleasant visions of the future, her figure reflected as in a
burnished mirror, upon the water beneath her.
Her sweet reverie was interrupted by the sound of approaching
footsteps, and a blush illumined her face as she thought she would
soon greet her coming lover, and feel his strong arms about her.
Turning her head a little, she saw another shadow there so distinctly
traced that she had no difficulty in recognizing it, and she started
in affright as she discovered that instead of Henry Schulte, the
new-comer was none other than his enemy and hers, Nat Toner.
She would have yielded to an intuitive sense of danger, and fled from
the spot, but Nat stepped quickly in the way and barred her passage,
lifting his hat in mock reverence as he addressed her.
"Good evening, pretty Emerence, you look like a beautiful water
sprite in the rays of this bright-beaming moon."
Did she imagine it, or was there a cold, hard ring in the voice that
uttered these words, which filled her heart with an aching fear, and
made her lips tremble as she acknowledged his salutation?
"You are waiting for Henry Schulte, I suppose!" he continued, in the
same hard, mocking tone.
Mustering up all the latent courage which she possessed, she looked
up unflinchingly, as she replied:
"I do not know that anyone has a right to question me upon my
movements, or to assign a reason for my actions."
"Indeed, my pretty little spit-fire! You speak truly, but Nat Toner
intends to assume a right which no one else possesses," answered Nat
tauntingly, while his black eyes glistened in the moonlight with a
baleful light.
"I cannot stop to listen further to such language, and must bid you
good evening," said Emerence, drawing herself up haughtily, and
turning to leave the bridge.
"Stop where you are and listen to me," cried Nat sharply, and with
his right hand he grasped the wrist of the shrinking girl.
"Nat Toner!" at last said Emerence boldly, "remove your hand from my
wrist, or I will call for help, and then perhaps your conduct will
meet with its just punishment."
"Utter one word, at your peril. I have something to say to you, and
you must listen to me," said Nat, releasing his hold, and glaring
fiercely at the brave girl who stood before him.
"I will listen to nothing further from you to-night. Stand aside and
let me pass," said Emerence firmly, and again turning to leave the
bridge.
"Emerence Bauer, listen to me I say. I have something to tell you
that concerns that lover of yours, Henry Schulte, and you shall hear
what I have to say."
At the mention of Henry's name Emerence stopped, and thinking that
perhaps she might serve her lover by remaining, she said:
"I will hear you, Nat Toner, but be as brief as possible."
"Aha! for the sake of your dear Henry, you will listen to me. I
thought so. Do you know that he is my enemy till death; that the
insults which he has heaped upon me can only be washed away by blood;
and that you, my haughty beauty, alone can satisfy the hate I bear to
Henry Schulte and the revenge I have sworn against him?"
"Nat Toner, what do you mean?" tremblingly inquired the affrighted
girl, unable to stir.
Ah, well might she tremble now! There was murder in the flashing of
those wicked black eyes that glared upon her, and the distorted,
pallid face before her showed too plainly the passions of his heart,
as he answered:
"What do I mean? I will tell you! I loved you, Emerence Bauer, and I
hate Henry Schulte for the insult he has put upon me. You scorn my
love, and Henry Schulte must pay the penalty. He shall never possess
you, for--I mean to kill you!"
With a wild shriek, that rang through the air as the cry of a
frightened bird, Emerence turned to flee from the fiend before her.
But, alas, too late! The murderous weapon came down with a dull,
heavy crushing sound upon that fair, girlish head, and she fell
lifeless at the feet of the madman who had slain her.
[Illustration: "_She fell lifeless at the feet of the madman who
had slain her._"]
Without uttering a word Nat Toner lifted up the body of the
unfortunate girl and threw it over the low railing of the bridge into
the rippling water beneath. A splash followed that sent the water in
brightly burnished crystals high in the air--and then the river
flowed on, as though unconscious and uncaring for the burden that had
been committed to its keeping.
Raising himself to his full height and shaking his blood-red hand in
the direction of the village, Nat Toner cried out with demoniac
exultation:
"Now, Henry Schulte, I am revenged!"
Saying which, he plunged into a strip of woods that grew near by, and
disappeared from view.
Oh, shimmering moon, did no pitying glance fall from thy cold, bright
face as this fair, young life was cruelly beaten out by the hand of
her brutal assassin? Oh, glittering stars, did no dark clouds
intervene between thy merry twinklings and the dreadful scene below?
And ye, oh, rippling river, did no murmur escape thee as the crimson
tide of this fair dead girl mingled with thy transparent waves and
floated away into the darkness of the night?