Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-12-02

supper, | asked to be shown to my
room, and was conducted mp flight of
ricketty old stairs, to small square
room, where my guide left me. Pro-
ceeding to examine the apartment, l
found that itcontained one small win
dow, which look ont on a dark black
alley. The furniture consisted of
bed, couple of ch,irs, q stand, and a
heavy oxen cupboard, some three feet
high aud abont eight feet long, with
strong side doors. The appearance of
the room did not dispense the gloomy
feelings of distrust that I experienced
when | first saw the building. How
ever. / determined to make the best of
it nov l was here.
Noticed, before coming to the room,
WAT thick masses of clouds we're gradu-
ally gathering over the city, and the dis
tant rumbling of thunder, with sharp,
quick flashes or lightning, that quiv-
cred across the western horizon. de-
noted an approaching storm.
| Being very tired, Immediately dis
ROBBED and jumped into bed, and was
fast falling into q dreamless slumber,
when low, scratching sound attracted
my attention. 1t seemed to come from
some place in the room, but could
not tell exactly where. My nervousness
Increased as the sound continued, till /
determined to ferret out the cause of
the disturbance l jumped from the
bed, and looked cautiously around the
room for some time, but could not dis
cover anything. The sound had entirely
subsidized, and nothing could be heard
save the wind, which whistled mourn
fully by the window, or the distant
rumbling of the thunder.
At last [ concluded that it must be
the window blind, or some such object,
driven by the force of the wind against
the house. Arriving at this conclusion,
| again jumped into bed, and lay for
long time, vainly endeavoriDg to sleep;
but finding it impossible, busted my
self watching the expiring flames of the
taper, till stray gust of wind whistled
through the broken window and extin-
guished the object of my attention.
The storm, which had long been
threatening, now burst forth in all its
wild grandeur. The rolling thunder
grew louder at each successive report ;
vivid flashes of lightning darted across
the heavens, illuminating the room
with its lurid flame, 50 that every OBJ
ject was plainly visible the next mo-
ment pitch darkness followed so impe-
netrable that the most prominent OBJ
iects were perfectly hidden TO the eye.
While lying there, looking out from
under the bed clothes, trembling with
fear, the scratching sound commenced
with renewed vigor, making the room
resound with the peculiar noise which
had before annoyed me.
Large drops of perspiration stood
upon my brow, and rising to sitting
posture, [ trembling gazed out into
the darkness, trying to discern the OBJ
jects as the lightning flashes penetrated
the room.
At that moment vivid sheet OF rad
lance passed before me, and in an in
slant beheld mans arm protruding
from the cupboard, while the hand
glusped, as if for support, the strong
oaken door.
Irealized my situation Immediately,
and springing from the bed I grasped
a heavy boot which lay near, and
brandishing it over my head, breath
lessly awaited for the lightning again
to appear. 1t was but moment ere a
living fame quivered through the air,
revealing thehead and shoulders of as
will famous looking man as ever be.
held. The left hand supported the
creeping form, while the other clutched
tightly large revolver. The hand was
uplifted and our eyes met. Asquick as
thought | bounded straight for the ras-
cal, yelling,
"You Internal villain p
The only answer l received was the
sharp crack of pistol, the bali whist
ling by and lodging in the room near
me. The next moment the heavy boot
came down with terrible crash on the
rascal's face, making him yell some
thing that was unable to understand,