Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-05-04
OTTUMWA, IOWA, THURSDAY, MAY A, 1854

flung itself down with violence. As il
did SO, she heard the ciink of a chain
Her breath came less painful as she heard
il, for-it occurred to her that the creature
might be nothing worse than house
dog. who, having broken his chnin, had
sought shelser beneath the bed IN the
warm room. Even this notion was dis
agreeable enough, but it was as nothing
10 the vague terror which had hitherto
oppressed her. She persuaded herself
that If she lay quiet no harm would
happen TO her, and the nigh, would soon
pass over. Thus reasoning. she laid her.
self down again.
BY and by The creature began to snore,
and it struck her feverish fancy that the
snoring was not like that of dog. Af.
ter a little time, she raised herself gently,
and with trembling hands drew back an
inch or two of tie curtain, and peeped
out, thinking that any certainty wes bet
ter than such terrible suspense. She
looked towards the fireplace, and there,
sure enough, the huge crer'ure lay-a
brown. hairy mass, bur Of what shape it
was impossible to divine. SO fitful was
the light. and SO strangely was i, coiled
up on the hearth rug. By and by. it be-
gan 10 stretch itself out, to open lis eyes,
and TO raise its paws above its hairy
head.
Good God (! those are not paws -
They are human hands; and dangling
from the wrists hang fragments Of bro
ken chaits!
A chill of horror froze Ellen Strings
veins, as a fash Of lhe expiring fire
showed her this clearly-iar too clearly
and the conviction seized upon her
mind. that she was shut up with an es.
capped convict. An inward invocation TO
Heaven for aid arose from her heart, as.
with the whole force Of her intellect she
endeavored TO survey the danger OF her
position. and to think of tie most persua.
slve wO.ds she could use to the man into
whose power she had so strangely fall
en-. For the present, however. she must
be still. very sill; she must make no
movement to belray herself; and perhaps
he might overlook her presence until
davlIgh, came, and with il, possible help.
The night must be far spent; she musl
wait. aud hope.
She had moi TO wal. long. The crea.
'ure moved again-slood upright stag
gered towards the bed. For one mo-
ment--one dreadful moment-she saw
his face. his pale pinched features. his
flashing eyes, his black bris,ling hair;
but, thank God he did not see her
She shrunk behind the curtains; he ad.
vanced to the bed, slowly, hesi,a,ingly,
aud the clinking sounds of the broken
chains fell menancinsly on her ear. He
laid his hands upon the curtains, and, for
a few moments fumbled to find the open
ing. These moments were all in all TO
Ellen Stirling. Despair sharpened her
senses: she foucd lha, the other side OF
the bed was not set SO close against The
wall but that she could pass between -
Into the narrow space between, she con-
tried TO slip noiselessly.
She had hardly accomplished the dif
ticult feat, and sheltered herself behind
the curtains, when the creature flung IT,
self on the bed. and drawing the bed.
clothes round him. uttered sound more
luxe the whinnying of horse than the
laugh of human being.
For some !i,lle time Miss Stirling
stood in her narrow hiding place, ttem-
bling with cod anu terror, fearful lest
some anguarded movement should be.ray
her, and bring down on her fate she
Care 10: contemplate. She lifted up her
heart in prayer for courage; and when
her composure had in some degree re-
turned. il occurred TO her ,ha, il she
could bu, reach the window, she might
lrom that position, possibly attract The
attention OF some passers by. and be re-
leased from her terrible du,anc
Very cautiously size alter pied the
perilous experiment; her bare fee, moved
noiselessly across the floor. and friend
'y ray OF moonlight gaided her safely to.
wards the window. As she put out her
hand towards the curtains, her hear.
gave fresh bound of terror, for it came
in contact with something warm. AT
length, however, she remembered that she
had flung down her fur cloak in that spot,
and twas a mercy TO come upon itnow,
when she was chilled 10 the 5one. She
wrapped il round her aud reached the
window without further adventure. or
any alarm from the occupant of the bed;
whose heavy regular breathing gave as.
surance tha, he was now sound asleep.
This was some comfor,. and she greatly
needed il. The lookout from tho wiI-
dow was any thing bu. iuspiriting. The
stars still shone peacefully on the sleep
ing earth; the moon still showed her pal.
i'd visage; no. sight or sound presaged
the dawn; and after long listening vain
for any sign of life in the outer world, she
heard the stable clock strike four.
Only four!
She felt as il i, was impossible TO sur.
vive even another hour of terror, such as
she had jus. passed through. Was there
no hope? None.
She tried 10 support herself against the
window frame, but her first touch caused