The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-10-16


herself for allowing nervous fears 70 over
of her brave spirit. to approach the be
warded by finding nothing save the be-
clothes folded neatly down as if inviting he
| to press the 500 vi hite sheets. and . luxu
rious pile OF pillows that looked most temp
ting. She could not resist the mu.c invi,a
herself no time for further doubts or fears
she placed her candle on the mantle piee
and stepped into bed.
| She was very tired, her eyes ached Will
WEAKNESS. but sleep seemed to fy from her
Old rscollections th.onged on her memory
thoughts connected with the business shehat
still to get through. haunted her and diff
culties that had not occurred to her till nov
arose up before her. She was restless anl
| feverish aud the vexa,ion of feeling 60
made her more wakefu. Perhaps if sh.
were to close the curtains between her anc
the FIRE she might be better able to sleep
the Pickering light disturbed her, and the
moonbeams stealing between the window
curtains cast ghostly shadows on the wall
So. she carefully shut out the light on shs
side, and turned again to sleep. Whethe,
she had or had not quite lost consciousnssi
she could not well remember, but she wa,
soon thoroughly aroused by feeling the bed
heave under her. She started up and awai
ting with q beating heart a repetition of the
movement, but it did not come. II must have
been return Of the nervous sancies which
had twice assailed her already that nigns.-
Laying her head once more on the pillow
she determined to control her groundlsss
terrors.
Again she started up! Thi, time there
could be no doubt the bed had heaved
more than once. accompanied by a strange
gursling sound as if Of creature in pain.
Leaning on her elbow. shs listened with
that intensity OF fear which desires almost
as much as it breads a recurrence of the
sound that caused it. II came again. follow
ed by loud rustling noise as if some heavy
body were dragged from under the bed in
the direction of the fre. What could it be
She longed to call out for help. but her
tongue clave to the roof Of her mouth, and
the pulses in her temples throbbsd until she
felt as il their painful beating sounded in
the silence Of the night like the loud tick OF
q clock.
The unseen thing dragged itself along un-
Ill it reached the hearthrug, whore it dung
itself down with violence. As it did so she
she heard the cl.nk Of chain. Her breath
came less painfully as she heard it. for it oc-
,urred to to her that that the creature might
% nothing worse than tho house dog. who.
,aving broken his chain. had sought shelter
the bed in the warm room. Even
his notion was disagreeabls enough. but il
vas as nothing to the vague terror which
4 ad hitherto oppressed her. She persuaded
,0rSalf hat oh IL. h.p -o,,1A
happen TO her.and the night would soon pass
over. Thus reasoning. she laid herself down
again.
BY aud by the creature began 10 snore,
md it struck her teverish fancy that the
snoring was not like that of the 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 certainly was better than such
fearful suspense. She looked toward the
IRE place. and there. sure enough, the huge
creature lay: q brown hairy mess. but of
what shape il was impossible to divine, 50
itful was the light. and so strangely was it
coiled up on the hearthrug. By and by, it
began to stretch itself out. to open it's eyes
which shone in the hickering ray Of the
lire, and to raise its paws above it's hairy
head.
Good God those are not paws! They
IRE human hands; and dangling from the
wrists hang fragments of broken chains
A chill Of horror frozs Eliza Strings
veins as q fash of the expiring fire showed
her this clearly--far too clearly-and the
seized upon her mind that she
was shut up with an escaped convict. An
10 ward invocation to Heaven for aid, rose
rom her heart, as with the whole force Of
,er intellect, she endsavored to survey the
langer OF her position, and to think Of the
most persuasive words she could use to the
nan into whose power she had SO strangely
allen. For the present, no owever. she must
% still, very still she must make no move
nent to bstray herself; and perhaps he
night overlook Der presence until daylight
,ame, and with it. possible help. The
hight must be far spent she must wai:.
md hope.
She had not to wait long. The creature
moved again-s,oood upright-staggered
oward the bed. For one Monochrome
earfui moment--she saw his face, his pale
,inched features. his flashing eyes, his
black bristling hair but. thank God ! he
lid not see her. She shrunk behind the
hs advanced to the bed, slowly.
broken chains fell mensciogly on her ear
He laid his hand upon the curtains, aud, for
! few moments fumblcd to fnd the opening.
These moments wsre all in all 70 Eliza Stir
ling Despair sharpened her senses she
found that the other side Of the bed was
not set 20 cless against the wall but that she
could pass between. Into the narrow space
between she contrivsd to slip aoiselessly.
She had hardly accomplished the difficult
feat. and sheltered herself behind the cur
tains. when the creature flung itself on the
bed, and drawing the bedclothes around
him, uttered . sound more like the whin-
nying Of horse than the laugh of . human
being.
For some little time Mise Stirling stood in
her narrow hiding place. trembling with
cold aud terror, fearful unless somo ungusr-
ded movement shosld betIay her. and brisg
dova on her . fate she dared nos eontem-
plate. She lifted up her heart in prsysr for
courage and when her comPosure had in
ZONE degree rsturusd. it occurred to her
.has il shc could but rsaoh the window. she