Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-10

hard substance striking the earth at regular
intervals. I crept to the window and looked
out into the moonlight, which was now fast {
disappearing behind a gabled roof. Instead
of illuminating the entire plot OF ground,
the faint rays now fell slantwise into the gar
den, of which more than one-half was swal-
lowed in black shadow. But | clearly dis
tinguished two figures. Do you remember
Millias' Vale of Rest? When | saw that
picture, years afterwards, L could not help
shuddering. 1t recalled SO vividly the attl-
tude of the two sisters | beheld them IN
that terrible moment. The women were dig
ging grave; the elder one with all her mas
culine energy; the younger, reluctantly, as
it seemed, removing, with slow strokes OF the
spade, the black earth, and pausing long be
tween each. Once she looked up, and the
moonlight fell upon her wan, haggard face
She put back the long silver-lighted hair from
her brow; she leaned upon her spade; and
then whisper like serpent 5, IN her ear,
urged her to her task again. i
Should | fall asleep now, | was dead
man. / knew it. No strength, no agility
could save me. The dread of this became so
acute, that it worked upon my Imagination
began to think felt drowsy. numbness
seemed creeping over my limbs. weight
was falling gradually on my stitiened eyellds
| praved, in an agony of terror, that might
not be killed asleep-that might, at least,
have a fight for my life.
Suddenly Lori raised her head and listened
The sound to which she listencd-a whistle,
SO low that | could scarcely hear twas re-
peated. She crept stealthlly across the gar
den. and raised the latch of the postern,
which evidently did not open from the out
siie A man came ina burly, thlck-set
fenow-and the door was closed again. The
} three stood together for moment IN the
moonlight Lori and the man looked up at
nv window took care they should not see
, me). while Gretchen turned her head away
ani wrung her hands. Then all three came
; slowly and noiselesslv toward the house.
!; Now or never, was my moment for escape
l There was one chance for me. | had seen
! how the door opened. II could
= MANAGE IN reach it, But if | hes
n itated. few minutes hence the drugged beer
:. yht complete its work, and be unable to
move hand or foot. | opened the window
softly. and looked out There was drop OF
: about twenty feet into the garden (Which
t il will be remembered, was some feet below
Y the kitchen again.) If jumped this, the
d noise must attract attention and might
q spr,in or break nv leg into the bargain. An
- expedient occurred to me. | had not replac-
y ed the flooring which | had removed. The
) board which ran the full length of the room
e measured nearly sixteen feet. Leaning, as
g far as | could stretch. out of the window,
1t manoced 10 rest one end of this board upor
IS the ground. the other against the house wal
Of some four or five feet below me.
>, | had scarcely accomplished this, when
- heard the sound of feet outside my door,
F" bolt withdrawn the handle turned NJ,
ne barricade would obstruct the doorway fo1
at some few minutes but for some few minute
ar only had lust time to swing myself iron
ce the window-siIl by my hands. To get both fee
GO round the plank, To slide 10 the ground t
IN fiv like the wind, To raise the postern latch
when the crash of falling table and char
reached my ears. | ran know not
which dircction-up one street, and down an
of other. on. on. iancying heard the sound q
feet behind me. no soul visible, TO right O
-. left. At last. brcathlcss and exhausted
down bv the river side. | came TO soldiers
guard-housc- \ sentry was at the door
10 there was the ruddv light of the men 5 pipe
as and of a lantern within No haven was eve
ne more grcatful TO shipwrecked mariner
re fell down upon the step, the sergeant an
he his men came and stared, demanded wit
% oaths what wanted, and as | could NJ
sneak at first. declared was drunk. ThcI
W as in half-inarticulate phrase poured OF
he nv strange tale. they changed their mInd
he and declared | was mad But as | was a
e amusing rather than a dangerous lunatl
ce, and served to beguile the tedious hours of It
no night. they let me remain among them
60 asked the same stupid questions over ana oV'
aoain laughed their horse-aughs and sp;
III all around me. until dayhreak Then the
eS- directed me t. the cathedral. and left then
wo One of the sacristans was unlocking Il
he doors as | got there. | found my knapsaC
ed untouched in the duskv corner OF the col
ne fessonal there, utterly worn out, at las
nc with the excitement of that eventtul night,
~ leaned back, in the gray morning hight al
- fell asleep.
lie The sun was high when awokc the te
to of the devout were shuffiing in to their NOR
yer ;ncr prisons. | shouldered my knapsack al
of crept away NV head ached my limbs f'
ri chill and numb Had | been dreamln:
of Were they no more than mere shadows OF t
brain which had left behind them so de
- and terrible an impression? met a sacr
Ii tan-not the one whom remembered I
night bcfore-as | was going out. stopp
hat 70 question him. Did he know anything
hey the two fair-haired women who had been
mo- vesners last evening? | described them.
lor stared at me and shook his head. In l
was crowds that came there daily how could
arly tell whom meant? | left him, and enter
the a humble little gasthaus hard by where TO
few eroschen, | broke my fast. Here m;
rse. the same inquiries | even essayed to tell
,e a story: but | saw that like the soldiers.
ilky pconle thought me wandering IN my WI
With They told me, rather derisively, that
S of better tell my story to the poilce- but II
and could hope 10 he believed, unsupported
lyer nv extraordinary statement was. by
re- nraof whatsoever? If | could not test
reality of these events to my own ahsol
had satisfaction. was it likely that others wo
nv regard them as anything but the creations
had an excited imagination?
INTO | wandered Tor couple ol hoo'l7 W "
pass the city, trying 10 ma my way ~ III. h
lers, the exterior OF which leil Get r''iii '
be- recognizc | could not even trace the roa
erty had taken. and at last gave II up.
had conviction slowly and reluctantly grew VI
fore me that | was suffering from the eHeets
nd vivid nightmare. Its impression RENAL
had painfullv strong on my mind for many d
,ity. { | left Cologne the same afternoon
indeed for some weeks | never tell asl
r to without living over again those terrible ho'
ton But the effect of all things must wear on
re- time. and as months rolled on the memor
ther nv night in Cologne became to me no IL
The than a remarkable experience of the stra
rona pbantasmacoria which the mind may con.
me up, and invest with every appearance OF
the aiitv. when volition is removed drew
wake and over again, in my sketch book, the h'
nent of those two sisters they had appeared
row. me; f; and wrote down, with extreme pal
not ularitv. every word they had said, and e'
the small circumstance of my dream.
re- One winter s evening in the following Y
tv | again passed through Cologne. on my
0 an home I was richer man now than
little been eighteen months agony foot was
d bv the rung of the ladder for had painte
rible picture which had sold well. 1t was no
leep. ger necessary TOR me 10 carry aoou'
for worldly possessions on my back, or to
keep out the poorest gasthaus. The steamer /