Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-04-14
Price Two Cents

retiring at Belheld--when Miss Stirring, undel
her hostess guidance, took possession of her
outdoor chamber. 1t really was a pleasant
cheerful little apartment. The crimson hang
ings of the bed and window looked warm and
comfortable in the flashing freight; and
when the candles on the mantel-piece were
lighted, and the two easy chairs were drawn
close to the hearth, the long parted friends
found it impossible to resist the temptation of
sitting down to have what in old days they
used to call a two-handed chat" There
was much to tell of what had befallen both
of chequered scenes of joy and sorrow, deeply
interesting to those two, whose youth had
been passed together there were mutual re-
collections of school days to be talked over;
mutual friends and future plans to be discussed,
and midnight rung out from the stable clock
before Mrs. Anterior said good night. She
had already crossed the threshold to go, when
she turned back to say:
6, forgot to tell you, Ellen, that the inside
bar OF this door is not very secure, and that
the key only turns outside. Are you inclined
to trust to the bar alone, or will you, as VIII
liam used to do, have the door locked outside,
and let the servant bring the keyin the morn
ing. William used to say that he found it
rather an advantage to do so, as the unlock
ing of the door was sure to wake him.
Miss Sterling laughingly allowed, that
through generally, she could not quite think
it an advantage to be locked in her room, still
she had no objection to it on this particular
occasion, as she wished to rise in reasonable
time.
every well then you had better not fasten
the bar at all, and l will send my maid with
the key at eight precisely. Good night"
"Good night"
They parted ; the door was locked outside;
the key, taken out and Miss Sterling, stand
ing by the window, Watching her friend cross
the narrow black path, which had been swept
clear of snow to make dry passage from the
house to the pavilion. A ruddy light stream
ed 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 darkened
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 a kind of chill that made her half
repent having consented to quit the house at
all, any let herself be locked up in this lonely
place.
Yet what had she to fears No harm could
happen to her from within the chamber; the
door was safely locked outside, and strong iron
stancheons guarded the Window there could
be no possible danger. So, drawing her chair
once more to the fire, and stirring it into a
brighter blaze, she took little Bible which
lay on the dressing table, and read some por-
tons of the New Testament.
When she lied down the book she took out
the comb that fastened up her long, dark silk
en- tresses-in which, despite her five and thir-
ty years, not silver thread was visible-and,
as she arranged them for the night, her thoughts
strayed back to the old world memories, which
her meeting with Mary Anterior had revived.
The sound of the clock striking two was the
first thing that recalled her to her present life.
By this time the candles were burned down al
most to the socket, and the fire was fast dying.
AS she turned to finga fresh log into the CRATE
her eyes fell upon the dressing glass, and i'll its
reflection she saw, or at least faneied she saw,
the bed-curtans move.
She stood for moment gazing at the mir
ror, expecting repetition of the movement
but all was STILL and she blamed herself for
allowing nervous fear to overcome her. Still
it was an cxertion, even of her brave spirit, to
approach the bed and withdraw the curtains,
she was rewarded by finding nothing save the
bedclothes folded neatly down, as if inviting
her to press the snowy white sheets, and lux
urious pile Of pillows, that looked most tempt
ing. She could not resist the mute invitation
to rest her wearied limbs. Allowing herself
no time for further doubts or fears, she placed
her candle on the mantlepiece, and stepped
into bed.
She was very tired, her eyes ached with
WEAKNESS, but sleep seemed to fly from her.
Old recollections thronged on her memory /:
thoughts connected with the business she had
still to get through, haunted her and difficult
ties that had not occurred to her till now, arose
up before her. She was restless and feyerish
md the vexation of feeling so, made her more
wakeful. Perhaps if she were to close the cur
aims between her and the fire she might be
better able to sleep the Pickering light disturbed
her, and the moonbeams stealing between the
cast ghostly shadows on the
wall. So, she carefully shut out the light on
hat side, and turned again to sleep. Wheth-
" she had or had not quite lost consciousness
he could not well remember, but she was soon
thoroughly aroused by feeling the bed heave
lnder her. She started up, and awaited with
! beating heat a repetition of the movement,
out it did not come. 1t must have been re-
urn of the nervous fancy which had twice
'ssailed her already that night. Laying her
head once more upon the pillow, she deter
mined to control her groandless terrors.
Again she started up! This time there could
De no doubt; the bed had heaved more than
'nce, accompanied by a strange gurgling sound,
IS if of a creature in pain Leaning on her
elbow, she listened with that intensity of fear
which desires, almost as much as it breads,
Of the sound that caused it. 1t
came again, followed by loud rustling noise,
rs if some heavy body were dragged from un-
der the bed in the direction of the fire. What
could it be- She longed to call out for help,
but her tongue clave to the roof of her mouth,
and the pulses Of her temples throbbed until
she felt as if their painful beating sounled in
the silence of the night like the loud ticking
of clock.
The unseen thing dragged itself along until
it reached thel hearth rug, where it flung it
self down with violence. As it did so, she
heard the clank of chain, Her breath came
less painfully as she heard it, for it occurred to
her that the creature might be nothing worse
than the house dog, who, having broken his
chain, had sought shelter beneath the bed in
she warm room. Even this notion was disa-
greeable enough, but it was nothing to the
vague terror which had hitherto oppressed
her. She persuaded herself that if she lay
quite quiet no harm would happen to her,
and the night would soon again pass over
Thus reasoning, she laid herself down again.
By-and-by the creature began to snore, and
t struck her feverish fancy that the snoring
was not like that of dog. After little time,
the raised herself gently, and with trembling
hands drew back an inch or two Of the cur
ain, and peered out, thinking that any Ger
ainty was better than such terrible suspense.
She looked towards the Fireplace, and there,
sure enough, the huge creature lay-a brown,
hairy mass, but of what shape it was impos-
sible to divine, SO fitful was the light, and 30
strangely was it coiled up on the hearth-rug.
mr. - rkx< a..