The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-01-07

old world memories, which her meeting
with Mary Atherton 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 we're burned
down almost TO the socket, and the fire was
dying fast. AS she turned TO Hing e. fresh
log into the CRATES, her, eyes fell upon the
dressing glass, and in it's reflection she saw,
or at least fancied she saw, the bed curtains
move. d. -.
She stood for moment gazing at the
mirror, expecting repetition Of the move
ment; but all was still, and she blamed her
self for allowing nervous fears to overcome
| her. Still it WINS an exerton, even of hel
brave spirit, to approach the bed and with
draw the curtains. She was rewarded by
finding nothing save the bed clothes folded
neatly down as if inviting her to press the
snow.wh,e sheets, and a luxurious pile oil
pillows, that locked most tempting. 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 muntle-piece, 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
difficulties thut had not occurred to her till
now, arose up before her. She was restless
, und feverish; and the ve1atioa of feeling so,
made her more wakefu. Perhaps il she
were to close the curtains between her and
the fire she might be better able to sleep
the Pickering light disturbed her, and the
moonbeams stealing between the window.
curtainsAast ghostly shadows on the wall.
So, she carefully shut out the light on that
side, and turned again to sleep. Whether
she had or had not quite lost consciousness
she could not well remember, but she was
soon thoroughly aroused by feeling the bed
heove under her, She started up and await
ed with beating heart repetition of the
movement, but it did not come. 1t must
have been return of the nervous fancics
which had twice ass lied her already that
night. Laying her head once more on the
pillow, she determined to control her
groundless terrors.
Again she started up! This time there
could be no doubt; the bed had heuved more
than once, accompanied by q strange CUR
Cling sound as if Of creature in pain. -
Leaning on her elbow, she listened with
that intensity Of fear which desires, almost
as much as it breads, recurrence of the
sound that made it. 1t came again, follow
ed by loud rustling noise, as if some
heavy body was dragged from under the bed
in the direction of the fire. Whnt could it
be? She longed to cal! out for help, but
her tongue clave to the roof of her mouth,
and the pulses in her temples throbbcd un.
til she felt as if their painful beating sound
ed in the silence of the night like the loud
tick of clock.
The unseen thing dragged itself along
until 1t reached the hearth-rug, where it
flung itself down with violence. AS it did
go, 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 the warm room. Even
this notion was disagreeable enough, but il
was as 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 pass over. Thus ressoning, she laid
herself down again.
By.und BY the creature began to snorc
and it struck her feverish fancy that the
snoring was not like that of dog. Aftel
little time, she raised herself gently, ane
with trembling hands drew back an inch Of
two of the curtain, and peeped out, think
ing that any certainty was better than sucl
terrible suspense. She looked towards thu
fire place, and there, sure enough, the huge
creature lay-a brown hairy mass, but o
whot shape it was impossible to divine, 81
6tful was the light, and SO strangely was i
coiled up on the hearthrug. By.aLd.by
began to stretch itself out, to open its eyes
which shone in the fickering ray of the fire
and to raise its paws above its hairy head.
Good God! those are not paws! The,
are human hands; and dangling from tn
wrists hang fragments of broken chains!
A chill of horror froze Ellen Sterling
veins, as a flash Of the expiring fire showe
:. her this clearly-far too clearly--and tn
conviction seized upon her mind, that sh
was shut up with an escaped convict. A
inward invocation to Heaven for aid ros
from her heart, as with the whole force c
her intellect she endeavored to survey III
danger Of her position, and to think Of tn
most persuasive words she could use to tn
man into whose power she had SO strangel
, fallen. Fur the present, however, she mu'
be still, very, still; s she must make no move
a ment to betruy herself; and perhaps b
= might overlook her presence until dayligl
}, came, and with it, possible help. The nigl
e must be far spent; she must wait, and hop
). She had not to wait long The creatu'