Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-06-29

Testament
When she laid down the book she took
out the comb that fastened up her long,
dark silken tresses-in which, despite her
fve-and, thirty years, not silver thread was
yisible-and, as she arranged them Afor the
night, her thoughts stfayed back to HE old
world memories, which. her meeting with
Mary Atherton had revived. The sound Of
the clocks striking two was the first thing
that recalled her to her present life, By I
this time the candles were burned down al
most to the socket, and the fire was dying I
fast As she turned to fling fresh leg IN |
to the crate, her eyes fell upon the dressing
glass, and in its reflections she saw, or
at least fancied she saw, the bed-curtains
move,
She stood for . moment gazing At the
mirror. expeetina 3 repesittou OF the move
! ment but all was still, and she blamed herr
self for allowing nervous fears to overcome
her. Still it was an exertion, even Of her
brave spirit, to approach the bed and With
draw tho curtains. She was rewarded by
finding nothing save the bed clothes folded
neatly down, as if inviting her to press the
snow.White sheets, and luxurious pile of
pillows, that looked most tempting She
could not resist the mute invitation forrest
her wearied limbs Allowing herself no
4 time for further doubts or fears, she placed
her candle on the mAntle-piece, and stepped
into the bed.
She was very tired, her eyes aehed with
WEAKNESS, but sleep seemed to ny from her.
Old recollections thronged on her memory,
thoughts connected with the business she
had still to get through, haunted her aud
! difficulties that had not occurred to her till
| now, arose up before her She was restless
and feyerish and the vexation OF feeling SO,
made her more wakeful Perhaps IT she
/ we're to close the curtains between her and
} the FIRE she might be better able to sleep
$ the Pickering light disturbed her, and the
r moonbeams stealing between the window
curtains cast ghostly shadows on the wall
a So, she carefully shut out the light on that
!, side, aud turned again to sleep. Whether
d she had OF had. not quite lost consciousness
she could not well remember, but she was
: sooa thoroughly aroused by feeling the bed
q heayo under her She started up, and a.
i waited with beating heart repetition OF
the movement, but it did not come. 1t must
v have been return of the nervous fancies
which had twice assailed her already that
K night Laying her head once more on the
r pillow she determined to control her ground
i less terrers
% Again she started up. This time thert
q could be no doubt the bed bad heased more
d than once, accompanied by strange gurg
r. ling sound, as if of a creature in pain Lean
d ing on her elbow, she listened with THAI IN
tensity Of fears which desires, almost a.
ia much as it breads, recurrence OF the sdunt
d that causedit It came again, followed ,.
loud rSstliag nslse what could t 81 f 10
sc S Sse fonged to call out for help but he
,e, tongue cIaye to the roof of her mouth, an
lie the pulses in her temples throbbed until sh
felt as if their painful beating sounded i
6, the silence of the night like the loud tick {
clock
It. The unseen thing dragged itself along III
be til it reached the hearth-rug, where it Fun
lie, itself down with violence. As it did solsh
an heard tie clauk of chain Her breatl
m came less painfully as she heard It, for i %
" Cured to her that the creature might :
nothing worse than the housedog, who, Ia,
to ing broken his chain, had sought shelter Fbt
ir- meath the bed in the warm room. Even thi
d. notions was disagreesble enough but it wa
IL as nothing to the vague terror which pa
hitherto oppressed her. She persuaded hel
ic, self that if she lay quite quiet no harm wonl
rs happen to her, and the night would 500
lal pass over Thus reasoning, she laid herse
If, down again.
os- BY and-by the creature began to snor
III and it struck her feverish fancy that th
. snoring was not like that Of dog. Ate
in q little time, she raised herself gently. an
he with trembling hands drew back an inch {
on two Of the curtain, and peered out, thinkip
wo that any certainty was better than such te
he rible suspense Ste looked towards the FIR
20 place. aud there, sure enough, the huge ere
We, ture lay-a brown, hairy mass, but of viii
70. shape it was impossible to divine, so ftf
Of was the light, and so strangely was it cole
les up on the hearth-r6g By-and BY. it bega
ose TO stretch itself oufsS open its eyes, whis
r shone in the Pickering faY Of the fire, and
,ol- raise its paws above its hairy head.
nd Coed God those are porRpaws The
hit are human hands, and dan cling from 4
ire wrists hang fragments Of broken chains
idy A chill Of horror froze Ellen Stirling
m veins, as a fash Of the expiring fire SHOVE
en-, her this clearly-far too cleafly-and 4
ery conviction seized upon her mind, that 81
de. was shat up with an escaped convict
me, inward invocation to Heaven for aid 70
the from her heart. as, with the whole force
ant her intellect she endeavered to survey t
am danger OF nef postum. anu W tuiuA u '
ad- most persuasive words she could use to I
the man into whose power she had so strani
" fallen. For the present however, s
bat must be still she must make no moveme
ink to betrsy herself; and perhaps he mig
ON, overlook her presence until daylight can
jar. and with it, possibly help The night MI
rea. be far spent; she must wait, and hope
She had not to wait long. The creatr
fas- moved again.-stood upwright
aid wards the bed For one moment-o
God dreadful momeut-she saw bis face, bis p
pinehed features. his flashing eyes, bis bla
bristling hair; but, thank God be did !
ont. see her. She shrunk behind the curtain
iug. be advanced to the bed, slowly, hesitating
epd and the elanking sound Of the broken cha
zen fell mcnaciDgly on her ear. He laid
are hands upon the curtains, and for few Z
adv ments fumbled to find the opening Th
/ q moments were all in all to Ellen Stirling
r. Despair sharpened her senses she found 1
but the other side Of the bed was notset so 81
thai / against the wall but that she could pass
med tween. Into the narrow space between,
the coutrived to slip n0iselessly
: 10 She bad hardly accomplished the difis
soli. feat. and sheltered herself behind the
that tsins. when the creature flung itself on
4 70 bed, and drawing the bed clothes round !
Iock. uttered sound more ike the phinnyinl
Il.