East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1859-10-13

| to fling fresh log into the grate, her
eyes fell upon the dressing glass, and in
its reflection she saw, or at least she fan
cied she saw, the bedcurtains move.
She stood for moment gazing at the
mirror, expecting 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
rewarded by finding nothing save the
bed-clothes folded neatly down, asif in
viting her to press the snow-whIte sheets,
and luxurious pile Of pillows, that look
ed most tempting. She could not resist
the mute " itation to rest her wearied
limbs. Allowing herself no time for
further doubts or fears, she placed her
candle on the mantle piece, and stepped
into bed.
She was very tired, her eyes ached
with WEAKNESS, 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 that had not
occurred to her till now, arose up before.
She was restless and feverish and the
vexation of feeling so, made her more
wakeful. Perhaps if she were to close
the curtains between her and the fire she
might be better able to sleep-the flick
ering light disturbed her, and moon
beams stealing between the window cur
tains cast 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 heave under her. She
started up, and awaited with a beating
heart repetition of the movement, but
it did not come. 1t must have been a
return of, the nervous fancies which had
twice assailed 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 heaved
more than once, accompanied by a strange
gurglng sound, as if of creature in
pain. Leaning on her elbow, she listen
ed with that intensity of fear which de-
siires, almost as mnch as it breads, re-
currence of the sound that caused it. 1t
came again, followed by loud rafting
noise as if some heavy body were drag
ged from under the bed in the direction
of tho fire. What could it bo? She
longed to call out for help, but her tongue
Glove to the roof of her mouth, and
the pulse in her temple throbbed until
she felt as if their painful beating sounded
in the silence of the night like the loud
tick Of clock.
The unseen thing dragged itself along
, until it reached the hearth rug, where it
: flung itself 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
t chain, had sought shelter beneath the
: bed in her warm room. Even this notion
= was disagreeable enough, but it was
, nothing to the vague terror which had
hitherto oppressed her. She persuaded
: herself that if she lay quiet no harm
would happen to her, and the night would
, soon pass over. Thus reasoning she laid
r herself down again.
e By-and-by the creature began to snore
t and it struck her feverish fancy that tho
a snoring was not like that of dog. Aftel
: little time she raised herself gently anC
e with troubling hands drew back an incl
or two Of the curtain, and peered out
t thinking that any certainty was bette
e than such terrible suspence. She looked
o towards the fire place, and there sur
o enough the hugh creature lay--a brown
+ hairy mass, but Of what shape it was i'm
possible to divine, so 6ltful was the light
IT and strangely was it coilcd up on tn
y hearth rug. BY and by, it began t
Y. stretch itself out, to open its eyes, whic
shone in the Pickering ray Of the fre,an
t. to raise its paws above its hoary head.
r, Good God Those are not paws The
a are human hands And dangling fror
,, the wrists hang fragments of broker
" chains. M
! A chill of horror froze Ellen Stirling
- veins, as naSn Oh tue expiring lit
:, showed her thus clearly--far too clearl.
7, and the conviction seized upon he
!, mind that she was shut up with an escar
!. ed convict. An inward invocation t
= = Heaven for aid rose from her heart, a
:, with the whole force Of her intellect sh
y endeavored to survey the danger Of he
IL position and to think Of the most persuf
!, sive words she could use to the man int
"A whose power she had so strangely falleI
= For the present, however, she must b
=, still, very still she must make no move
!, n ment to betray herself; and perhaps b
i might overlook her presence until da.
! light came, and with it possible hell
70 The night must be far spent; she mu'
20 wait and hope.
She had not to wait long. The crei
" ture moved again-stood upright--stas
,e gered towards the bed. For one momer
-one dreadful moment-she saw his fac
,k his pale pinched features, his fashin
2, eyes, his black bristling hair, but, than
or God he did not see her. She shrun
I'd behind the curtains; he advanced to u
m bed slowly, hesitatingly, and the clankin
TX sound of the broken chains fell menaciI