Butte record., 1856-07-05
The Midnight Assassin.

my horse stopped SuCuelly before
respectable house, about forty mile.
from N.
There was something strange and
remarkable III this action Of my horse,
nor would he stir a step IN spite Of all
my egsr i3ns t. ne we hnn on. | de-
tern.ncd 70 CRAFTY this wiim, and at
the same time a strange p eset tmcnt
whicl came over IA, hlud Of up. =
IatWal fec.ilr. ]. d babe, Sc, M d
10 urge mc IL ontcG. Having knocked.
and requested TO be conducted to the
lady or gentleman Of tae LoI e, | was
nsLcrcd INTO I Il at sitting room.
where sat beautiful glI ot about
twenty years Of age. She rose at my
enttahcc, and seemed liitle sulpTi.ed
at tie appearance Of a perfect tran
ger. /" d f-w word, related to her
tie stsaLcc conduct Of mY horse, AMI
ius stabbo.n opposition to ny mind. =
Il am net observed, ''suaers'itioas,
% inc!ni-d on tie ID f tie meta
pay. cal doct.nHes Of those who suppo,t
taen; bat tie st.aagc, naccorutable
ieclng c.at crtpt over ms III attempt
al. TO pass iour house indgccd me 10
aolcIt lodgings tor the night"
we alc not" .he replied, "wcll
guarded, It's tsue; bat il TINS pant Of
tIc country VIC iare little u far
t.om rcbocl-, for We lave never heard
oi any beng ncaru>; W are surround
,d VITA good ueieItogs, aud flatt 7
myself NC are atfeacc z.itA raem.-
Bat evening, III Ui-cqucnce Of III
fathers ab.a.oe. / fy.t m.esua.Iy lone
.oue, and II It vas net bordering on
the super>titiou-, ] might reason u
You have, and ,ay | consent to your
stayug; ior siml.ar feelings had beeu
nii4e ere You ariiged; from What cause
/ cannot iua Slnc.
'ihe evening passed delightfully."-
away. My y0,ulg hostess was lntelh-
gent and lovely; tie hours hcw so
quickly tliat on looking at my watch
wes surprised to find trat it was clcv-
cl o'cicch. THIS was c signal for
retiring, and BY twelve every inmate
ot the .ou-e was probably J asiccp, save
myself. | could not s!cep-.t,ange
visions Fitted across M brain. AID |
lay tvi ting On my hod in all the ag
ony 81 sieepless 81. pcn-e. fhe clock
stuck ono-its last vibrating sound
had scarcely died awa5. when thc
opening Of SHUTTER and the rai-ins Of
a sash III one of tie lower apartments
convinced me that some one Wa enter
ing the lousc. A noise followed as Of
a person jumping from the window sill
to the floor, and then followed 4 light
and Almost neiselcss step, of one as
ccndung the stairway.
! slo{t IA tie room adjoining the
one occupied by the lady; mine was
ncxt TO TIE staircase; the step came
a.oug the gallery slow and cautious.
had scizcd my !tol and slipped on
pait of my clothes, determined to
watch or listen to the movements
seemingly mysterious or su. piciouS.
The sound Of steps stopped at my
door-thcn followed one as if applying
tie car TO the keyLole, and low
breathing convinced me the villain was
i.ttuiug. | stood motiouless, the piS-
tol finn y graspod. Not muscle mo-
vtd, nor a nerve was slackencd, for !
felt rs if heaven bad selected me out
as the in trument to effect its purpose.
Tie person Tow slowly passed on,
and | as cautiously apploacl.cd tie
door Of nay bed chamber. Iuow went
by instinct, or rather by the convey
aHce Of sound, for as soon as | heard
bis hand grasp the latch CT one door,
mine selz, d the other. \ deep silence
followed this movement; it seemed as
If he lad heard the sound and waited
the rcpetition; it came not-all was
still: he might have considered it the
echo Of his own noise. ! heard the
door open softly; also opened Minc,
and the very moment | stepped into
the entry caught a glimpse Of a tall
man entering the lighted chamber
through the half-opened door. l
glanced into the room-no object was
visible save tie curtainld bed, within
whose sheets lay the intended victim
to a midnight assassin, and he, gra-
cious heaven, negro! For at that
moment a tall ferce-looking black ap-
preached the bed; and :.eyer were
Uthello and Desdemona more natural
ly repre>ented-at least that particu-
lar scene Of tie immortal Gald's con
ception.
was now all suspense; my heart
swelled INTO my throat almost TO sufto-
cation, my eyes to cracking, as made
a bound mIo the room.
The black villain had ruthlessly
dragged part Of the covering off the
bed, when the sound of my foot caused
! him to turn. He started, and thus