The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-01

plStol-sh0t--poor JacoDy must rave been |
murdered in his bed, and it would doubt
less be my turn next! Dead men tell no
tales.
I was without arms except small clasp
knife; knife which I had when school
lad, and still carried from long habit
This would probably be Of little or no SER
vice in any coming encounter, but / got
it ready nevertheless, tying my hanaker-
chief around the haft SO as to obtain
frmer grip. Nothing in the room [ could
have piled against the door could have op-
posed for ore moment the entrance of any
one determined on coming in. examined
tie window again, hoping.to find sufficient
space between the bars to allow of my
creeping through and dropping to- the
gronnd; but the hope proved futile. l
groped my way back to Nthe bed, and sat
down on the edge of It'll | trembled no
longer The frat surprise was over, and
although the suspense was terrible, pre-
pared like man to meet the worst that
could happen to me. 4 felt very cold,
chilled to the marrow, So laid down my
knife for moment, andIwrapped my trav-
cling plaid carefully hound me. My
thoughts wandered awayto my mother
How she would wonder What had become
of her boy, and sit at home with sad pa
tiencc, month after month, waiting to greet
him who would never crsss the Threshold
more; but little sob that burst irrepress-
IDLY from my heart, warned me not to give
way, and recalled my thoughts to the i'm
mineat danger before ME. Y Yes, | would sell
my life dearly, if they did not shoot me
down before had time te make one effort
for my deliverance. Butlvhy did they not
come? A death-like silence reigned
through the house; not whisper, not a
football; silence and darlness as of the
gravs, intense and horrible, not long to be
| borne without madness Was My bed
room door really fast? Had |, in my ner-
vous haste, examined aiiciently to be
sure of the fact? l rose, and gropea my
way to the door, and exsssSsaed it carefully
again, assuring myself sh;s time that it
must really be secured ln the other side.
AS I aaid before, there Has descent Of
, two steps into the. roea ;sNad as l moved
my bs1s teet aAng tiies3 Ssteps in my eli
! iorss U open TIA 8 gos 81 cnasof then
! INTO q cool LOUD 'aething YAicl
J JACK IS th5as II Z Z IA ahho8. SO | VA S
but boz, remember, ana gcarcely reeov
| ercd from a Long. iipess tbrQpghbon b
1 oYer-srudy; ny nerVs5 were sui we9k
Z and this last horror was mere than / coull
! bear. a sickness, as Of death, crept owe
5 me; and iqll 10 the tlooF
When regained NY coasoiopaness til
: room was still quite aarks bat the outlin
: Of the window stood olG, faint gra.
. sqgare, from the surgoulding blackness
/ and knew the blessed Idayhght was a
t hand. With a sbudde1s l drew mysel
farther away from the doer, away into tn
y farthest corner of the foom, and ther
, crouched up against the pail, sat, expect
ing l knew not what
$ The terrible stiffness which had or
9 pressed me SO heavily before, still reigne
Q Through the house. mol 1.-THE taintest nun
J mur Of voice, not the lghtest football o.
!, the floor, anywhere to be heard. VIII
: had been fastened up in that gloom
4 room? Did they intendto leave me ther
a to starve? But ior whatPurpose? Wha
3 was to be gained by such step? Wha
n had become Of Jacoby? Was It he VIII
u had given utterance to hat cry Of agon
y in the dark! l exhausted thousan
q conjectures as crouchod in my corne
= watching the dawn slowly brighten, an
y y still keeping my eyes liked on the dool
y under which l knew thin red streal
was slowly oozing. co uld see at least,
"a shining patch on the dark oak step, whel
y it had fallen drop by dire p during the lon
u night hours. | could not take my eye
g oil it, they seemed welded to it by terr
u BILE fascination: | watched it while tt
e day broadened by imperceptible degree
u L got up and went slowly towards it.
~ must try the door again Perhaps wit
70 daylight to assist me, might discov
eo some mode of escape. All, what gre
~ dark patch still creeping slowly under Il
q door! Slowly approached it. Near
nS and nearer, s
en Thank Heavent not -siood, but waite
In the revulaion of feeling caused
this discovery, sank onmy knees by t
u side of the bed, and burst into passi
~, ~ of sobs and tears; and became there
~ stronger and calmer, and again felt t
= sweet hopes of life nestle, warmly rou
ire my heart.
We On trying again the door, which "
he strong and heavy, and made Of dark {
Nv oak, l ascertained for d fact that it W
10. fastened outside; the keyhole 1 found
nc be covered by plate on the other side.
NO | examined the window once more, b
nd the iron bars were too close and strong
mt afford the slightest chance Of escape th
th way. The chimney, too, after gIant
ne was abandoned as hopeless. That un.
en- countabls stiffness still continued, althoU
he 81 waa now broad day, l would break It
( at lany rigk, happen what might. I we
nd back to the doer and shook it, and sho
~ il, and hallooed wiskaA my strength, es
me ing aooby and thelandlOrd by name; |
he ahore came 70 RESPONSE but q few d
,ed echoes, and when they died away, siler
md fellyon the place once morecr lsss
We, Z There was small semicireular opsni
ore near the top Of the door, probably ints
but ed originally as means. Of ventilation
uld the room, and while casting about 70