The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-02-10

ucT- Ouc Was lSSlIccs anu ICbcTiSl anu
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 flicker
ing light disturbed her, aud moonbeams
stealing between the window curtains 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 heaye under her. She started up, and
awaited with beating heart repetition Of
the movement, but It did not come. It
tancies which had twice assaied her al
ready that night. Laying her head once
more on the pillow, she determined TO con-
troll her groundless terrors
Again she started up This time there
could be no doubt the bed had heaved
more than once accompanied by strange
gurgling sound, as 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, recurrence of the
sounds that caused it. 1t came again, fol
lowed by "A loud rafting noise, as if some
heavy body were dragged from under the
bed in the direction of the fire. W hat
could it be9 She longed to call out for
help, but her tongue Glove to the roof of
her mouth, and the pulses in her temple
thro5bed until she felt as if their painful
beating sounded in the silence Of the night
ike the ioud 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. ler
breath came less painfully as she heard it,
for it occurred to her that the creature
might lie nothing worse than the house
dog, who having broken his chain, had
sought shelter beneath the bed in her
warm room. Even this notion was disa-
greoable enough, but it was nothing to the
vague terror which had hitherto oppreSs-
Ell her She persuaded herself that if
she lay quiet no harm would happen to
her. and the night woald soon pass over
Thus reasoning, she laid herself down
again.
By and by the crea ure began to snore,
and it struck her feverish fancy that the
snoring was not like that ola dog. After
little time she raised herself gently, and
with trembling hands drew back an inch
or two Of the curtain, and peered out,
thinking that any certainty was better
than such terrible suspense. She looked
toward the fire place, and there. sure
enough, tie huge creature lay-a brown,
hairy mass, but Of what share it WAS i'm
possible to divine, so ftful was the light,
and strangely was'''it coiled upon the
hearth rug. By andby it began to stretch
itself out, TO open its eyes, which sFTone
in the flIckerins ray Of the fire. and to
raise its paws above its hoary head
Good God Those are not paws they
are human hands And dangling from
the wrists hang fragments OF broken
chains.
A chill Of horror froze Ellen Strings
veins, as fash Of expiring fire showed
her thus clearly-far too cearly-and tie
conviction seize! upon her mind that she
was shut up with an escaped con yict. I'm
inward invocation to Heaven for aid rose
from her heart, as with the whole force Of
her intellect she endeavored to survey the
dangers Of her position, and to think Of
the most persuasive words she could use
to the man in,o whose power she had so
strangely fallen. For the present, howev-
er, she must be still, very still; she must
make no movement to betray herself, and
perhaps he might overlook her presence
until daylight came, and with it possible
help. The night must be far spent; she
must wait and hope
She had not to wait long. The creature
moved again-stood upright-staggered
toward the bed. For one moment-one
dreadful moment-she saw his face, his
pale. pinch Ell features, his flashing eyes
his black, bristling hair but, thank God ,
he did not see her She shrunk behind
the curtains he advanced to the bed slow
ly. hesitatin9ly, and the clanking sounds
of the broken chains fell menacingly on
her ear. He laid his hand upon the cur
tain, and for few moments fumbled TO
find tie opening. The moments were all
in all to Ellen Stirling. Despair sharpen
ed hersenses; she found that the other side
of the BED was not so close against the
wall but that she could pass between. In
to tue narrow space between she contFived
TO slip uoiselessIy.
She had barely accomplished the diff
cult feat, and sheltered herself behind the
curtains, when the creature flung itself Oh
the bel, and drawing the bed-clothes
around him, uttered sound more ike
the whinnying Of horse than the laugh
of a human boiug.
For some little time, Miss Stirling stood
in her narrow hiding place, trembling with
cold and terror, fearful lest some unguard-
ed movement should betray her, and bring
down OH her fate she dare not contem-
plate. She lifted her heart in PRAYER fol
courage, and wnen her composure had in
some degree returned, it occurred to heI
that if she could but reach the window
she might, from that position, possibly at
! tract the attention OF some passer by, and
/ be released from her terrible durauce.
Very cautiously she attempted the per
ilous experiment; her bare feet moved
noisel.ssiy across the floor, and fr;endl,
ray of moonlight guided her safely towarC
the window A. she put out her hand
towards the curtsius her heart gave