The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-09-22

silent. She, however, ventured to say,
as he took his hat from the peg where
it hung, A" Remember that the horse is
skittish, especially in the twilight, when
things look differently from what they
do by day."
"I want none of your caution" said
he, taking something from the desk, and
hurrying it into his pocket, though not
without her catching a glimpse of a
clasp knife.
Other fears than those occasioned by
thoughts of the unsafe horse, haunted
Mrs. Dilling, as she saw him drive away
from the house, in his wagon. She said
half aloud,
"I hope he won't over take Elsie,
before she gets over the piece of road
that lies through the woods"
She turned round with startled look,
for she heard noise, and some one
might have entered, and overheard what
she said. 1t was only the kitten, which
had thrown ball of yarn from the work
stand, and was now in very spirited
manner, rolling it in and out among the
chair and table-legs. After disentang-
ling the yarn, she sat till it was quite
dark without lighting a candle. Both
of the children slept soundly, and even
the kitten, deprived of its plaything, had
curled itself upon the soft rug, and was
quiet. She longed for something to
break the stiffness. 1t was growing to
be oppressive. She could not summon
resolution enough to rise from her chair.
It almost seemed as if she was chained
to it.
! 1t grew darker and darker, for clouds
had gathered and obscured the stars.
There was a sharp rap against the outer
door, as though struck with a whip
handle. She started as if the blow had
been against her own heart, but she
neither rose nor spoke. The rapping
was repeated, and then she went to the
door and opened it. 1t was a stranger
to her-a man on horseback, who wished
to know the way to the village. Mrs
Dilling gave him the directions, aud,
bidding her good night, he went on his
way. When she re-entered the room,
she lit candle.
The darkness without began to be dis
PEELED. The moon, a little past the full
was emerging from behind the woods,
through which the road lay that Elsie
must have taken to 60 to Mr.. Lenter's,
where her husband had to pass on his
way to the village, and where now,
an hour later, the stranger must 60 who
had called to inquire the way.
Soon the bright orb was clear of the
woods, silvering the edges of the clouds,
and casting mellow radiance on those
objects which had lately been shrouded
in darkness. The stranger pursued his
way, and when arrived at that part of
the road which lay through the woods,
the moon was so high as to shower down
brilliant CLEANS of light through the
branches of the trees, and to illumine,
though in a manner very imperfect, the
gloomy way.
All at once his horse snorts, and
springs so suddenly to one side of the
road, as to nearly throw him. He
soothes the frightened animal by speak
ing to him in a gentle voice, and looks
about him. A little patch of something
white, on the opposite of the road, as to
nearly throw him. He soothes the
frightened animal by speaking to him in
a gentle voice, and looks about him.
A little patch of something white, on the
opposite side of the road, has caught a
ray of moonlight. Nothing else is dis
tinguishable in the deep shadows of the
old oaks, which nod and whisper to
each other, and then send forth low,
wailing sound, that strikes dismally in
the ear of the stranger, as he sits on his
horse, with his eye fixed on what seems
to him, as he looks more intently, small
piece of white linen. Gradually, as his
eyes become more accustomed to the
gloom, he imagines he sees a ghastly
human face, and finally the dark,
shadowy outline of man lying on the
ground. His horse is quiet now, and
with cold fear creeping over him, as
the CHASTITY face, and the shadowy OUT