Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1859-03-24
While ] was gazing on this dwelling, /
heard q loud shriak and ora nf tho

issued from it, and almost Immediately af
terwards the head of beautiful girl appear
led in the open window. Her countenanc,
depressed the greatest alarm, and in voic,
lof almost supernatural anguish, she criee
Iout--
"Help! Help! Helpw
am positive the word was uttered thre,
times distinctly. In moment I had rushed
to the window, and in another moment
was in the apartment beside the fair girl.
1t was gorgeously furnished room, every
article in it evincing the greatest taste
The floor was covered with thick Turkey
carpet, the furniture was of the most mas.
sive rosewood, and large chandelier shed
a flood of light through the whole apart.
ment.
ture before me, the room was unoccupied.
l had just time to notice the extraordina-
ry beauty of this lady. She could not have
seen more than twenty summers. Her hair
was a glossy auburn, and fell in natural
ringlets on neck and shoulders white as the
driven snow. Her form was modelled in
the most gracefuond charming manner
| her countenance, despite the terror depicted
on it, was the most lovely I had ever seen.
Her eyes, which, in repose, should imag-
Inc were heavenly blue, were now lighted
up with intense fear.
The moment entered the room she seiz-
ed me by the hand, and pointing to cor
ner OF the room, in accents of terror she ex-
claimed:
'Oh, save me--save me from that mon
ster !r'
| looked in the direction where she point
ed-the space was empty!
| thought | was dreaming-I rubbed nv
eyes and gazed first at the girl before me,
and then at the empty corner. The young
lady's fear was too natural to be simulated.
Then the idea struck me that this unfortu-
nate girl was a lunatic and proceeded to
address some consoling words to her. @
My companion appeared to pay no heed
to my words. but kept shrinking farther.
back, dragging me With Lnr.zs 1z1a
''Save me-" she ejaculated-''h comes
he comesp' see he is creeping along the
foor-O God! he will murder me, and you
stand calmly by, and will not help me-he
comes! he comes!
She now retreated to the farthest extrem-
ity of the chamber, and pointed with her
finger to the floor.
There was nothing to be seen! and yet
strange to say, heard a kind of rustling,
as if some one were dragging himself along
the floor.
Il see no oner' I exclaimed in hoarse
whisper. S.
''There-there he is! do you not see his
large bony hands? look look protect
me from him save men'
Her countcnance now expressed such
mortal agony, that it presented a horrible
spectacle
She continued to gaze on the invisible
monster, as if fascinated l felt
her shiyer in my grasp-her throat appear
ed all at once to be constricted-he eyes
protruded, and she uttered fearful groan.
placed my hand on her neck, and oh hor-
ror of horrors I could feel long bony
hand encircling it, and yet when [ gazed
there, [ could see nothing. I could dis
tinctly trace the fingers of this hand, the
knuckles and even the nails.
[ felt that [ was losing my senses-the
poor girl before me was evidently expiring.
A sudden resolution seized me, [ threw my
self on the empty space where [ supposed
the fearful thing might be, and although
nothing was visible to my sight, my arms
were clasped around some material body
1t was soft and yielding to the touch, and
struggled in my grasp. To my joy l dis
covered that this attack had caused the
monster to release his hold on the poor girls
neck; she uttered a cry of joy, and rushed
out of the apartment.
4 fearful struggle now ensued between
me, and my invisible enemy; his long bony
arms encircled me and pressed me with pro-
digious strength-but | also appeared to be
endowed with supernatural power, and by
some means I got hold of something which
felt like hair-it was crisp and wiry.
pulled it with all my mil ight-an unearthly
kind of sound bearing some resemblance tt
groan, and yet differing entirely from it
Gf l may use the contradictory expression
issued from the monsters chest He with
ed and struggled with renewed energy in m,
grasp, and dragged me about the room as
[ we're child. 1t struck me at the TIM
that he wanted to bring ME over to SOM
particular spot in the floor. He soon ac
complished his purpose, when to my horro
I felt the floor give way, and [ began t.
sink down, down into an unfathomabl
abyss.
The creature had relaxed his hold, and
. knew [ was sinking alone.
: do not know how long this descent con
tinued, for became unconscious. Whel
; l regained my senses, found myself on tn
r damp cold ground, and in utter darkness.
/ rose up in standing posture and walk