The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-12-02
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be astir, that my said would come I'd
call me as usual, and awake that ghast-
ly sleeper. And might he not have
time to tear me, as he tore the sheen.
before any aid could arrive2 At last
what l dreaded came to pass--a ligbt
footstep on the landing--there IS a
tap at the door. A pause succeeds.
aud then the tapping is renewed, and
this time more loudly. Then the
inadman stretched his limbs, and ut.
tered his moaning cry, and his eyes
slowly opcned---very slowly opened,
and met mine. The girl waited q
while ere she knocked for the third
a time. l trcmbled lest she should
open the door unbidder--see that
grim thing, and by her idle screhms
aud terror bring about the worst
Long before strong men could arrive
| knew that should be dead--and
what DEATH The maid waited, NO
doubt surprised at my unusually
sound slumbers, for was in general
ia light sleeper and an early riser, but
reluctant to deviate from habit by en-.
tering without permission / was
still alone with the thing in mans
shape, but he was awake now. I saw
the wondering surprise in his hnggard
bloodshot eyes; saw him stare at mo
half vacantly, then with q crsfty ret
wondering look; and then I saw the
devil Of murder begin to peep forth
I from those hideou5 eyes; and the lips
to part as in succ. and the wolhsh
teeth to bare theinaelNcs. But I was
not what ! had been. Fear gave me
a new and desperate composure----a
courage foreign to my nature. ] had
heard Of the best method ofmanaging
the insane; | could but try; did try.
Calmly, wondering at my own ieigncd
calm, l lrouted the glare Of those ter
lrible eyes Steady and undaunted was
my gaze--motionless my attitude. I
Imaryeled at myself, but in that agony
of sickening terror I was outwardly
firm. They sink, they quail abashed,
those dreadful eyes, before the gazo
Of q helpless girl, and the shame that
lis never absent from insanity bears
down the pride ofstrength, the bloody
drawings of the wild beast. The
lunatic moaned and dropped his shag.
ICY head between his gaunt squalid
hands.
lost not an instant. | osp, and
with one spring reached the door,
forced it open, and with shriek. rush.
ell through, caught the wondering girl
by the arm, and crying to her to run
for her life, rushed like the wind
along the gallery, down the corridor,
filed the house as she ded beside mo-
| heard q long.drawn, raging cry, the
roar OF wild animal mociSed of its
prey, and I knew what was behind me.
I never turned my head flew rather
than ran. was in the hail already;
there was arush Of many feet, an out
cry Of many voices, Il sound Of scut-
/ fling feet, and brutal yells, and onths.
and heavy blows, and | fell to the
lgrQund, crying. Save me.' and lay
in swoon, / awoke from delirious
trance Kind faces were around my
bed. loving looks were bent on me by
Iall, by my dear father and dear sis.
tiers butt scarcely saw them before
/ swooncd again
/ When / recovered from that long
liIlncss, through which had been
-Inurscd 50 tenderly, the plying looks
] 1 met made INC tremble. asked for
a looking glass. II was long denied
me bat my Importantly prevailed at
Ilast--a mirror was brought. My
youth WAS gone at one fell swoop.---
The glass showed me a livid and hag-
gard face, blauchcd and bloodless ~
of enc who sees spectre; and in the
ashen lips, and wrinkled brow, and
dim eyes, could trace nothing ofmy
old self. The hair, too, ietty aud
; rich before, was now as white as snow;
and in one night the ravages of half
a century had passed over my face.
: Nor have my nerves ever recoved
their tone after that dire shock. Can
you wonder that ms life was blighted.
. that my lover sh-ank from me, so sad
Il wreck was |?
am old now--old and alone. My
sisters would have had me to live
: with them, but chose not to sadden
their genial homes with my phantom
face and dead eyes. Reginald mar
= red another. He has been dead
many years. l never ceased to pray
for him, though he left me when / was
bereft of all The sad weird is nearly
over now. ! am old, and near the
end, and wishful for it. have not
been bitter or hard, but / cannot bear
to see many people, and am best alone.
= try to do what good can with the
worthless wealth Lady Spcldhurst left
\ me, for, at my wish, my portion was
shared between my sisters, What
i ueed had of Inheritance S---l, the
, ? shattered wreck made by that one
= night of horrol
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ei IT, II il related that In the town