Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-04-06
Gales au0 gkstebes.
A THRILLING SKETCH.
I'll e NJ MAG;
Or, the Longest Night I'm q Life.


by the window, watched her friend cross the mar
row black path, which had been swept clear oi
snow to make dry passage from the house to
the pavilion. a ruddy light streamed from the
hall door as it opened to admit its mistress, and
gave cheerful friendly aspect to the scene; but,
when the door closed and shut out that warm
comfortable light, the darl1ened porch, the pale
moonlight shimmering on the shrouded trees, and
the stars twinkling in the frosty sky, had such
an aspect of solitude as to cast over her kind of
chill that made her half repent having consented
to quit the house at all, and let herself be locked
up in this lonely place.
Yet what had she to fear No harm could
happen to her within the chamber the door was
safely locked outside, and strong iron staunche-
| ems guarded the window there could be no pos
| sible danger. So drawing her chair once more
to the fire, and stirring it into brighter blaze
she took up little Bible which lay the dress
! ing table, and read some portions of the New
Testament.
When she laid down the book, she took out the
comb that fastened up her long, dark, silken tres
ses-in which, despite her five and thirty years,
not silver thread was visible-and, as she ar
ranged them for the night, her thoughts strayed
| back to the old world memories which her meet
| ing with Mary Atherton had revived. The sound
of the clock striking two the first thing that
recalled her to her present life By this tine the
| candles were burned down almost to the socket,
| end he fire was dying fast. As she turned 70
fling fresh log into the CRATE, her eyes FIJI upon
the dres sng-glass, end in its reflection she saw,
! or at least fancied she saw, the bed curtains
move.
| She stood for moment gazing at the mirror,
expecting a repetition Of the movement ; but all
was still, and she blamed herself for allowing
| nervous fears to overcome her. Still, it was an
| exertion even of her brave spirit, to approach
| the bed and withdraw the curtains. She was re-
| warded By finding nothing save the bedclothes
ioded neatly down as if inviting her IN press the
| snow white sheets, and luxurious pile of pill
| lows that looked most tempting. She could not
| resist the mute invitation to rest her wearied
limbs Allowing herselfno time for futher doubts
| or fears, she placed her candle on the mantel-
piece, and stepped into bed.
| She was very tired her eyes ached with wear
mess, but sleep seemed to fly from her. Old re-
| collections thronged on the memory, thoughts
connected with the business she had still TO get
through haunted her; and difficulties that had
not occurred to her till now arose up before her.
She was restless and feverish: and TIE vexation
| of feeling so, made her more wakeful. Perhaps
if she were to close the curtains between 'ar ard
the Ere she might be better able to- sleep-the
Pickering light disturbed her, and the moon beams
stealing between the ewindow-curtains cast ghost
" shadows on the wall. So, she carefully shut
out the light on that side, and turned again to
sIeep. Whether she had or had not quite lost
conciousness she could not well remember, but
she was soon thoroughly aroused by feeling the
bed heave under her. She started up, and awaited
with beating heart repetition Of the move
,nent but II did not come. 1t must have been
refprn Of the nervous fancies which had twice
assailed her already that night. Laying he
head once more on the pillow she determined t.
control her groundless terTors.
Aoain she started up! This time there coulC
he no doubt the bed had heayed more than once
accom- panied by strange gurgling sound as ifo
a creature in pain. Leaning On her elbow, sh
listened with that intensity of fear which desire
almost as much as it breads a recurrence of tn
sound that caused it. 1t came again, followe
by a loud rustling noise as if some heavy bod
were dragged from under the bed in the directio
of the fire. What could it be She longed t
call out for help, but her tongue claye to the roo
of her mouth, and the pulse in her temples throf
bed until she felt as if their painful beating SOUND
ed in the silence of the night like the loud tic
of clock.
The unseen thing dragged itself along until
reached the hearthrug, where it flung itself dow
with violence. AS it did so she heard the clan
of a chain. Her breath came less painfully
she heard it, for it occurred to her thatit might
nothing worse than the house dog, who, haviI
broken his chain, had sought shelter beneath Il
bed in the warm room. Even this notion w
disapreeabIe enough, but it was as nothing to t
vaque terror which had hitherto oppressed he
She persuaded herself that if she lay quite qui
no harm would happen to her, and the mug
would soon pass over. Thus reasoning she 10
herself down again.
By-and-by the creature began to snore, and
struck her feverish fancy that the snoring "
not like that of the dog. After little time, S
raised herself gently, and with trembling han
drew back an inch or two of the curtain a
peered out, thinking that any certainty was
ter than such terrible suspense. She looked
wards the fireplace, and there, sure enough,
huge creature lay brown hairy mass, but
what shape it was impossible TO divine SO fit
was the light, and SC strangely was 1t coiied
on the hearthrug. By-and-by, it began to sire
itself out, TO open its eyes, which shons IN