The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-27
THE PADDED ROOM At DERPwATRR.

BY MARY W. STANLEY GIBSON.

other. The "Ten jolly Drovers" was gem
OF a country inn. And the plump, conely
woman, In a widows cap and gown, VINO
stood curtesying in the porch. with great
silver tankard of "home brewed" in her hands,
''tahe the dust ont of the gentleman's throat
what of herr Why, she was a gem OF Il coun-
try landiady, to be sure.
I mentioned when my pen first touched this
pa per, that it was nearly dark when reached
Deepwater Station. A drive of four miles with
Jim, the coachman, had mace IL sun more
near and by the time entered the red-tiled
porch every owl had gone 10 roost, ana lamps
were twinkling in the kitchen and the hall.
Candles had been taken into room AT inc
right lust beyond the bar, for me, and the
sight OF {, tenn pting table for meal, hall sup
per and half tea, made me so hungry that /
at once s'feil to ~ Toasted like a king, and then
went To bed and slept without the least incur
sion of nigh tmare.
The week which had allotted for my holt
day passed rapidly away. i congratulated
myself on having found this happy valley
this home where no shadow OF care hrooded-
these friends whose lives had more or sum
shine and less OF shadow than any had ever
had before.
Rut .call no man happy till he dies" says
a wise Eastern proverb; and reJoin, call no
place paradise till you see its angels FOR
places like people, have their good ana bad
attendant spirits | found il so before my So
iourn at the Ten jolly Drovers was over.
On the last night ofmy stay sat late in my
little parlor below stairs. When took my
candle to go up stairs, the house was smut up.
third story, and could hear my friend jim
snoring on his settee in the kitchen, where he
always slept, with the house dog at his feet,
ready to defend the place If burglars should
take "A sudden fancy to visit 1T during the
small hours of the night.
The dog growled, but hearing my voice.
gave kind of satisfactory snort. ana betooK
himself to- siumber again. stole eau tionsiy
mp the creakng stairs. A gust OF ar coming
from the landing place, nearly blew my light
out, and, shading it with my hand, saw that
= .tnfh ns r..fr n IL,
! had never noticed before, stood ajar- 1t
seemed TO lead into 4 narrow pass;ige-and
wondering much how it could have escaped
my notice, l stepped in. Another door,
strongly barred with iron, was just before
me | hesitated moment-but something
stronger than mere curiosity-a klnd Oh
breathiess interest, that startled me, led me
on. i opened it. Not easily, hoWeVer,-tili
il was suddenly wrenched from my hand by
some one iuside--so suddenly that aimos
fell into large, sqnare room, hung viii dark
curtains and only lighted by an IRON ramp, , III
a wire case, that hung high up on the wall: The
door closed gently behind me, but L could see
no person in the room. Yet some thing GER
tainly wrenched it from my grasp.
] suppose | felt afraid. l remember was
very much inclined to whistle or sing-just as
used to be when in my boyhood had to
pass lonely church yard at night L walked
into the middle of the room, and pnt my lamp
down on the floor, because there was no chair
table on which i could leave 1t. Then L
took long look at my surroundings, feeling
more and more like whistling every mo-
Inent.
Not a picture hung on the wall-not an ar
ticle OF furniture made the place more home
like. A low dlvan ran around the room; AT
one end it widened and WAS furnished with
blanke is coun terpanes and pillows, now tossed
into a confused heap, The windows were
heavily shattered and barred-the gate was
also barred in, and wired-the shovel poker
and tongs had been emoved, also the fender
the floor felt strangely beneath my feet, and l
bent down TO examine il. 1t was padded
and covered over With elastic mating.
touched the walls, they Were not hung WI tn
black drapery as / had first imagined. but
padded also, and covered with a cloth looking
and feeling like leather What strange mys-
terry is this in this quiet out OF the way placei
Who dwelt in this room where safety was
evidently the first thing studied, where even
the solitary lamp twinkled, like a star, far out
OF reach? l sat down on the divan and won
dered Mt my discovery.
At last, as my eyes grew accustomed 10 the
darkness of the place, l saw something stii
near the bed-a moment later, heard low
sigh.
ssWho signs SO Pr 1 asked with beating
heart.
tall, dark figure rose from the ground. L
sounds romantic at this distance OF time, nu
it seemed anything but romantic then.
/ was almost frightened to death, and hat
no power to speak or tir, as IL advanced
slowly toward me. Glad in Il long, dark robe
like the habit of A monk, man stood betor'
me, pale, wasted and with long, White hair
and beard like snow. He gazed at me mo
ment i'll silence, and then sighed again heavi
ly. / gathered up my courage and said TO my
self that l must be dreaming, and that m,
first word would scare the illusion.
"Who are you, and how came you here -
asked
~ am lost soul, !" he said in a melancholy
voice. Lost forever, and forever, and for
ever
Again he sighed. Heaven knows that an
as matter Of fact rs any lawyer can very wei
be- and have little faith to spare for vision
and Authorizations but there was somethin
so awful in his look and tone, that my bloo
ran cold and for the moment believed tina
what had heard was true.
..But why do you seek 2" l managed t
.sYou were to come. Yon came" said tn
sad voice. "but will yon help me ~
He drew nearer and bent down, claspin
and unclasping his hands in a strange nervou
way. ,.-,,
suppose, when you came up ="
:. Upon the stairs Why-non ~ -
"No. Are you sure y
''Ouite."
.sNo blood!n He kept repeating. at
very strange. 1t is ali because did not Z
myself Ii had been out should have Gu
her throat from ear TO ear, you know an
that would have made beautiful path
walk I'M
nodded, though my heart died within mi
lyon know her blood is like the carmine,
he went on. Il cut her once-before she pu
with it. You would be charmed to see II
color--would you not"'
"No doubt, sir.
''Well, them / promise you some. l ca
lind my way to her, only you must lead II
through the passage. l can't go throug
there aione-l always see him If do"
'Whof'
"Charles-my brother Charles you know
~ Is very odd, - he added in an injured ton
- the minister said he was in hea wen; and,
tina. Is .ne case, don't see why he should a
going out" 80 = 7
"Shail go and see If he is there now ,''
sad, fancying a chance OF escaoe
"No," he answered, in a tarrihia VOICE x,,b,
his eyes began TO CLEAN. I" On second though
shall not go to her--she shall come To n : i
know how can bring herr - : - = !
He snatehed up the lamp had lef, ON :,
foor, and held ii that the fame touch.
the padding on the wall. In another nome
II would have been on fire, but the real dang
drove the imaginary cut OF my head, aad
sprang upon him. He dropped the lamp al
trample out the flame and then gave all n
strength TO the task OF keeping his talon.li
fingers from my throat. Up and down I
padded room we struggled, hg hting for life a.
death, yet making no noise and uttering
cry, The Stiffness terrified me. What won
not have given to haye heard the sharp ba
OF Towser below. sF4ffF
1t seemed an hour--I suppose il was n
really more than five minutes. But the m
MACS strength seemed TO increase as mi
gave way he held one of my hands behii
me, and, though kept him OF for Il til
with the other, he fastened upon nay threat
last. We had struggled down 70 the barr
door; IL was not quite shut, and In utter de
ground his seHIh, and uttered q strange or,
the blood rushed % my bead - his han
sizhtened about my neck; my eyes seem
asting from their sockets. was just gas