Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-01-07
"Show me room, gooi oman--I shall

|
at the idea Of passing the night in that
| honsr. When, h,r"iorr, the red haired
man, after polite bow, went up stairs, she
said, that as her friends had not arrived,
they might as well show her TO her bed
room. .a. .,t.
81 thought il would come 10 that at las, -
said the landladv. "Pierre, take the lady's
| trunk up sairs."
In a few minutes, Mrs. Martin found
herself alone in spacious room, with
large f'e burning on the hearth. Her first
care, after putting the child to bed was TO
examine the door. 1t closed only bv
latch. There was no bolt inside. She
looked around Tor something to barricad-
1t with, and perceived heavy chest of
drawers. Fear gave strength. She half
lifted, half pushed it agains, the door, Not
content with this, she seized table 10 in
crease the strength of her defence. The
leg was broken, and when she touched il,
it fell with crash 10 the floor. A long
echo went sounding through the house, and
she felt her heart sink within her. But
the echo died away and no one came SO
she piled the fragments of the table upon
The chest of drawers. Tolerably satisfied
in this direction, she proceeded 20 examine
the walls. They were all papered, and
after examination, seemed TO contain no
secret door.
Mrs. Martin now sank down into a chair
to think on her position. AS was natural
after having all these precautions, The idea
suggested itself that il might be superHuous,
and she smiled al the thought of what her
| friends would say when Sc related 10 them
| the terrors OF the night. Her chi d was
sleeping tranquility, its rosy cheeks half
buried in the pillow. The fire had blazed
up into bright fame while the unsnu1rd
candle burned dimly. The room was full
of pale, trembling shadows, but she had no
supersttious fears. Something positive
could alone raise alarm. She listened at
tentively, but could hear nothing but he
bowling Of the wind over the roof, and the
pa,trring OF the rain against the window
panps. AS her excitement diminished, the
ialigur-which had been forgoiten--besan
again TO make itself felt, and she resolved
to undrrss and go 10 bed.
Her heart leaped into her throat. For
a momrnt she serm-d perfectly parayzpd.
She had undressed and put out the candle,
when she accidently dropped her watch.
| STOPPING to pick il up, her eyes voluntarily
glanced toward the bed. A great mass OF
red halr, hand and gleaming knife were
revealed by the light OF the fire. After
the first moment Of terrible alarm, her
presence Of mind returned. She i,lt that
she had herself cut off all means of escape
by the door, and was entirely left to h-l
own resources. Wnhou, utirriug a cry.
hu, trembling in every limb, thr poor wo-
man got INTO bed 6y ih" side of her child.
An ihsa-a plan had suggested itself II
had flashed Through her brain like li!h-
ming. 1t VAS the only chanc. left.
The bed was SO disposed that tn. rohbrr
could grt from beneath II hy a narrow ap.I-
tur- al the head without aking nuis, !:
and 1t was probable that h.. wouid chnnS,.,
from prudence, this means Of Kit Tn. r.,
Was no curtain in The way, 20 Mrs. Martin.
with terrible decision and nois-IrSs energy
made a running moose with her silk scarf.
and held il p,is-d over the appr,ur4 hv
which her enemy was to make his ap.
praranc-. She had resolved to siranslr
him in d, fence OF her own life aud that OF
her child.
The position was an awful one and
probably had she been able 10 direct hrr
attention to the surrounding circumstances,
SHE might have given way TO her fears, and
attempted 10 raise the house be her SCREAMS.
The fire on the h-ar!h, unattended to, had
falrn around, and now gave only dull,
suilrn light, with an occasional bright
CLEAN. Every ohjrct 10 the vast apart
mpnt glowrd with a restless motion. Now
and then mouse advanced stralihily alonr
the floor, but, startled BY some noise under
the bed, went securing back in terror to
its hole. The child breathrd siradily in its
unconscious reposp the mother end-avored
also to initiate slumbsr; but the man under
the bed, uneasy in his position, could not
help occasionally making slight noise.
Mrs. Martin was occupied with emily two
ideas. First she reflected on the extraor-
binary delusion by which she had been led
TO see enefnies in the people Of the house
and friend in the red haired man and
secondly, il struck her that as he would
fear no resistance from woman he might
! puou away tuS Nudhs AHdl WSIS III iIIs way,
regardless of tine noise, and thus avoid The
snare that was laid for him. Once she
thought that whilst her attention was
strongly directed TO one spot, he had made
his exit, and was leaning over her; but
she was deceived by flickrring shadow
on the opposite wall In reality there was
no danger that he would colnpromise the
success OF his sanguinary enterprise; the
shrieks Of victim put on its guard might
alarm the house. .,I Ia. as
Have you ever stood, hour after hour
with your fishing rod in hand, waiting
with frrecious patience OF an angler, Tor
nibble If you have, you have some faint
idea Of the state of mind in which Mrs.
Marlin-wiih far other interests at stake
passed the time, until an old clock on the
chmney-pisce toldo afer midnight
A nother source of anxiety now presented
itsrlf--ihe fire had nearly burned OFT. Her
Dizzy eyes could scarcely see the floor, as
she bent with fearful attention over the
had Of the brd-thr terrible moose hang
ing, like the sword OF Damocles, above the
gloomy aperture. "Whai," thought she,
ali h- delay his appearance until the light
has completely died away Will it not
| then be impossible for me to adjust the