The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-04-21
LOUIS 0. COWAN, Editor and Proprietor BIDDEF0E

So, drawing her chair once more 10 the fire,
and stirring /, into Brighter blaze, she took
up lille Bible which lay OH the blessing
table. and read soIne portions Of the New
Testament. r,.r...,... l.I .l..,-s'
When she laid down The book, she took
ont the comb tha, fastened up her long, dark,
silken ,resses--in which, despite her five.
and.,hir,y years, not silver thread vas vis-
ible-and, as she arranged Them for the
night, her thoughts sirayed back TO The old
world memories, which her meeting with
Mary A,heron had revived, The sound
of ilie clock striking two was the first thing
tha, recalled her TO her present lie. BY
,h, time The candles were burned down nj.
mos, 10 The socket, and The fire WAS dying
fast. As she turned 10 Hin. fresh log in.
10 The crate, her eyes fell upon The dIessing-
glass, and IN It's reflections she saw, or at
least iancied she raw, The bed.curains move.
She Stood 'or moment gazing at the
mirror, expecting a repetition Of the move.
meni; but all was still. aud she blamed her.
self ior allowing nervous iears To overcome
her. Still il was an eXeriioh, even oi her
brave spirit, 10 approach The bed and with
draw the curtains. She was rewarded by
finding rnlhiiy save The bedclolhes folded
neatly down, as il inviting her 10 press The
snow.whiie sheets, and luxurions pile OF
pillows, that looked most temP'mg. She
coulI not resist The mule invitation 10 rest
her wearied liubs. Allowing herself no
time for further doubts or fears, she placed
her candle On the manlel.piece, aud stepped
Into bed. IHl '.FH.. .' ti !s s,'..L-
She was very tired, her eyes ached with
wearii,ess. but sleep seemed 10 hy rum
her. Old recoliecii0ns ,hronged Oh her
memory thoughts cUnneclrd with the b,lsi-
ness she had sill 10 .e, through, haunted
hei |; aiid difficulties that had not occurred
10 her I'LL now, aiose up before her. She
was restless and ieverish; and the .yexa-
lion Of feeling 20, made her more waxeipl.
Perhaps il she were 10 close The curtains
between her aud the fire she might be bet
Ter able 10 -leep-lhe hlcke,ing light dis
iurbed her, aud The moonbeams stealing
between the wil,dUw-curiains cast ghoslly
shadows OIL the wall. So she carefully shut
oul the light on that side, and turned again
10 sleep. Whether she had or had nol
quite los, consciousness she could not well
remember, but she was soOn thoroughly
aroused by feeling the bed heave nuder
her. She started up. aud awaited with Il
bea,iny heart a repetition Of ihe,movenien',
but il did no, come. Il must have been a
reiu,nof The nervous f,nces which had
twice assailed her already iha, niuh,. Lay.
ing her head once more OIL The pillow,
she determined 10 conllol her groundless
terr0rs.
Again she started up! This time there
could he 10 doubt; The bed had heaved
more than once, accompanied by a strange
yur2ling sound, as If Of creature IN pain.
Leaning on her elbow, she listened with
that intensity of lear which desires, almost
rs much as j, breads, a recurrence OF the
sound that caused il. II came again, fol'
lowed by loud rnsillny noise, as if some
heavy body were dragged iIom under The
bed in The direction of The fire. Wha
could il be! She longed TO call ont fol
help, but her tongue claye 10 The rOof0f hei
mouth, and The pulses in her temples ihrob
bed unll she fell as il their painful beating
sounded in the silence oflhe night like the
loud tick uf n clock.
The Unseen thing dragged itself along
until j, reached the hearlh-rug, where j
hung itself down with violence. As il di,
So she heard the clauk of chain. He
breath came less painfully as she heard IL
for il occurred 10 her that The creature nigh
be nothing worse than The house dog, who
having broken his chain, had sought shel
ter beneath the bed in the warm ROOM
Even This notion was dsagreeable enough
bu, il was nothing TO The vague terror which
had hitherto oppressed her. She persuaded
herself that il she lay quite quiet, no harm
would happen lo her, aud The night wouk
soon pass over. Thus reasoning, she lait
herself down again.
By.anl.by, The creature began 10 snore
aud il struck her feverish fancy that the
snoring was mol like iha, of a dog. Anel
a little time. she raised herself gently, alid
with trembling hands drew back an inch ol
two OF The curlain and peered Ou,, ibinkillc
that any certainty was better than such ter
ribe suspense. She luoked towards The
iire-place, aud there, sue enough, the huge
crealur lay IA brown, hairy mass, but o
what shape Il was impossible 10 divine, sc
filful was The li.h,, aud SO strangely was il
coled up on The hearth rug. By nnd.by, i
began 10 stretch itself ou,, to open lis eyes
which shone in the hickering ray Of the
fire.. aud TO raise It's paws above It's hairy
head. .'.-
Good Col! these are rot paws They
are human hands AMI dangling from The
wrists nany fragments OF broken chains
A chill Of horror froze Ellen S'irIing's
veins. as flash Of The expiring fire showed
her this too clearly - far loo clearly = and
The cow ,c'i"n seized upon her mind, that
she was shti up with an escaped consict-
An inwsld invocation 10 Heaven for aid rose
iIom her heart, as, with The whole force oil
her intellect she eineavured TO survey the
dauge- Of her position, and to think OF The
moei persuasive wo'ds she could use 10 The
man into whose power che had 80 strangely
fallen. For the present, however, she mus,
be still, very still; she must make no move.
ment 10 belray herself; and perhaps he
Nigh, overlook her presence until daylight
came, and with ], possible help. The nigh,
mus, be far spent she innsl wait and hope.
She had nol TO wait long. The creature
moved again - STOOD nprighl - staggered
towards The bed. For one moment - one
dreadful moment -she saw his face, his
pale, pinched features, his flashing ewes,
his black ibris,ling hair; but, thank God
he did not see her. She shrunk behind The
curtains; he advanced 10 The bed, slowly,
hesi,alingly, aud The clanking sound OF The
broken chains fell menacinply on her ear.
He laid his hands upon the curiaills, and,
for a few moments inmbled 10 find the
opening. These momeIis were all in all
to Ellen Stirling. Despair sbarpened her
senses she found that the other side of the
bed was no, SO close against The wall but
that she could pass between. lu,o the uur-
row space between she oonlrived 10 slip
noiseles.ly. She had hardly accomplished
the Difficult, feat, and sheltered herself be.
hiud the curtains, when the creature flung
itself on The bed, and drawing the ,bej