Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-03-31


hing wrong" he added i'm lower
voice, about the dormitory,.- and
should be only too glad ii your vigil
ance could only discover it. 1t is n
most mysterious circumstance. The
appears to me to be most ef-
lcient in fact l am assured 1t il by
authorities, and yet ii l put
he most healthy boy there, in three or
our days he becomes poor and haggard.
It's very extraordinary thing, and
most annoying. Saundcrson, he add
I'd, pointing to the mysterious boy, who
was looking into the fire with the
strange, abstracted look l had noticed
before, Is the perfect of your dormito-
tory, and will initiate you into any of
your customs. Good night.n
In 4 quarter of an hour all the boys
were safely in bed, aud the lights out.
| should have mentioned that my bed
room commanded a view of the dormi-
tory by means Of window which |
could open and shut at pleasure. The
doctors parting words had connected
themselves in my mind with the mys-
terious boy. felt disinclined for sleep,
SO shading my lamp, l stationed myself
at the window, and took up ~ book. /
heard the clock strike eleven--twelve--
one. BY restless impulse which l
could not account for, l felt constrained
to go round the dOrmitory, ut the risk
of disturbing It's occupants. All was
quiet. The twenty-five boys were all
peacefully on, and as look
cd ut each one in turn, l bore witness
to the truth of the DOCTORS assertion as
to the pallor and haggardness OF the in
mates Of my dOrmitory. They might
have been scholars at Dotheboy's Hall.
Nearest my window slept Saunderson.
The odd impression that had attracted
my notice seemed to have given place
in sleep 10 an expression of peaceful in
nocence more befitting his years, and as
he lhy with one arm stretched over the
quilt, ! thought him even nice-looking.
l had not been in my room over five
minutes before j was attracted by a
sound from the dOrmitory, and looking
through the window, saw Saunderson
rise from his bed and approach that of
his nearest neighbor. He leant over
him, and-Oh, heaven the sight SEEM
ed to paralyze me
saw him with some sharp instru-
ment open u vein In the boys neck,
and applying his lips he drank long
draught Of blood ....
In a moment all was explained: the
pallor of his companions his own
strange manner. SaundersOn was n
vampire!
had read Of these monsters, and had
regarded them as the creatures merely
OF popular superstition. Now, mt the
midnight hour, l found myself face to
face with one, and with one, too, who
was destined to be my near companion,
perhaps for years.
Meanwhile, the vampire-boy had quit
ted his first victim, and, to my mex
pressible horror, was smacking his lips
and rubbing his stomach after the man
ner of n drunkard who has taken Il
draught OF more than usually generous
wine. He passed on to the next bed,
and repeated his loathsome operation.
Five beds did | see him visit in this
manner, while the power of motion
seemed dried up In me with very hOr-
ror. cssayed to shout, but the sound
died upon my lips. ! struggled to leap
thipugif the window and tull upon the
monster, but, luckily tor me, or murder
might have been the result, an unseen
power seemed to rivet me to the spot
Suddenly l turned and fled down the
corridor like II maniac.
To arouse the doctor was the work
of n moment. / tried to explain it to
him in few hurried words, but my ag-
itatiOn was so great, ana my speech SO
incohercnt, that l must have appeared
to be wandering. l dragged him into
my room and pointed to the open win.
dow, left the terrible facts to speak foi
themselves. '-
A moment afterward I saw him leap
through the window and alight ut saun.
derson's feet. | saw the boy raise his
lips from the sixth victim, and meet
tile gaze of the doctor. saw him fling
himself ut his icet, and heard him crave
in piteOus accents for mercy. IT s.-
"The impulse was upon me" he said
" could not resist it. On, am nliser-
able-miserable!" a
His wall was so pitcous that felt my
loathing last turning into commisseia-
ton. Yes, | pitied this monster. This
was the terrible secret he had borne
about him; this was the cause, more
surely than the leprosy OF old, which
separated him from hls beings
and made his inmost soul cry out, TN.
clean uncican'' Surely he was to bt
pitied.
| looked into the DOCTORS eye to read
there ii his feelings were akin to mine
but he was little accustomed to ALLOW
his face to be an index to the soul with.
i'm. i could see naught. He merely
said, "This must be seen to-" Then he
added, Mr.. Merton, you arc agitated
you had better retire. He left the
room with SaundersOn, and heard the
key of the turret chamber turned.
The vampire was in solitary cOnfine.
mcnt, with no blood but his own tC
prey upon!
turned into bed, and tried to com.
pose myself to sleep; but 1t was not t.
be. l felt shock of an earthquake
and the next moment l woke up in the
coach which was jogging over the rough
stones OF NJ High streets.
!" 1 fear you have been dreaming, sir, y
said al opposite neighbor.
had indeed.
But the most curious part is yet to
come. -
In due time really did reach N.
The coach put up ut the White Hat, SC
l had no need 0i a boy, vampire or 9th.
erwise, to show me the way to the
Grammar School. met with kind
welcome, and supped with him and his
vie in private. In the pleasures OF the
social meal | could afford to laugh al
my strange dream, merely noting that
the doctor war singuiarly like the doc
tor my fertile BRAIN had conjured up
and that what 1 saw of the school or
AShkhtiuS uOiC Uu ClWtA iSSSIhDuilCS ~
its phantom counterpart. But then
had had u very minute description botf
OF the one and tho other, 80 no grca
wonder after all,
THE boys are gone to bcd," said tht
doctor, rising and lighting my candle
"and dare say you will not be sorry Il
follow their example. have had a bet
prepared in my dressing-room, so tina
you may not bc disturbed. Tomorrow
night you can take charge of your dor
lnitory. There are twenty-five boy
under your supervision"
What a singular coincidence"
thought, as / retired, and cudgeled IN,
brains in vain to recall Ii any one coult
have revealed to me this iteHl oil the III
tcrnal economy OF the NJ. Gramma
school. In this process fell into IA pro
found and drcaniiess sleep, from wnicl
/ was recalled in the morning by tn