Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-06-26
Wanted at the grOss Roads.

[ was in hurry to reach home. No
wonder. for it was the widest night
/ had ever known in all my life, and the
/ country over which took my way as
/ bad and dark as country roads in gem
/ eral. Consequently I was walking at a
/ great rate, with the collar of my rough
/ coat over my ears, and comforter tied
over my soft hat and under my chin, to
/ keep it on and to protect my ears, when
/ suddenly man stood full IN my path
| and caught me by the arm.
"HulO 90 said he, eYou're just In
| time you are wanted at the cross
/ roads tonight ~
! The voice was the voice of a rufIian.
/ I fancied myself attacked by a high
/ wayman.
Istood quite still, and strove to show
/ him by my manner that I was able to
I protect myself.
ssYVhat the deuce am wanted at the
crossroads for 2'' said I. "Unless
choose, it would be very hard matter
/ to get me there"
But instead of producing a pistol and
/ demanding my money or my life, the
man answered in an altered tone,
/ BEG pardon. made a made a mis-
take. I thought it was my brother, and
wanted to frighten him. Bad night sir"
.'Yo15 don't know the time, sir ?" he
/ asked.
It was seven when left the train at
L@,' I said.
''Thank ye, sir, r,''-safd the man. "Good
aGood night,'' said 7.
If his object had been robbery, prob
ably be had decided from my rough ap-
4 pearance that was too poor a man to
i be worth the trouble.
But after all, thought probably he
( spoke the truth. A man may have
4 such a voice without being a highway
] man, no doubt.
Sol went on hOmeWard, and soon
/ found myself under shelter, and par
/ taking of a warm and savory supper.
My mother was there and my brother
Ben. Ben was a great strapp1ng fellow
who could beat any other boy of MS
age for miles around, if it came tC
wrestling or boxing, and as good hui
mOred boy as ever lived ; boy al
ways to mother and /, though he had
/ exercised his right to vote already in
/ one Presidential electiHEF-
When supper was oRtir5 and we mao
chatted for an hour we went up stairs
/ together. We share one room together
The moment Ben's head touched the
pillow he always went to sleep. That
f night I followed his example.
/ But I did not sleep long without 2
/ dreaLn-a dream which felt rough griI
on my arm, and was reused by cry in
my ear
awake upi You're wanted at The
cross roads"
1t was so real, so paIpable, that when
\ I started broad awake actually believ'
4 ed that some one was in the room the
man who had met me on the road per
haps, and who intended robbery or vic
Ience. But when I had arisen, and III
my lamp, the room was empty, except
myself and Ben, who lay snoring on h1i
pillow.
went to the door; it was locked,
went to the window; the rush of tht
rain against the panes was all heard
I even went across the passage to my
mothers room. She was awake; theru
had been no unusual sound she wa
sure.
Only a dream born of my meeting
the strange man in the road, I felt had
awakened me. I went to bed and fel
asleep again. Again I was awakened
by the same words, this time shrieket
in my ear by an unearthly voice.
''Wake up wake up. You are want
ed at the cross roads,"
was on my feet once more, ant
caught Ben's hand as he came over to
wards my bed.
''Wbat' 'ails you % be cried.
'sNOthing," said 1. 'Did you hear
voice ?'
"Yours," said Ben, 'yelIing wake up
you fairly frightened me-"
fsBen," said I, 'sWait till I light thu
lamp; heard another voice. Their
must be some one in the house or out
side"
So again lit the lamp, but we search
'.Nightmare,' said Ben, when I tol,
= Ben; said /, awhat is there at tn
cross roads ?''
"a house" said Ben. He had live
in the neighbOrhOOd a long while, AM
zone little house, besides two oal
c. . trees and a fcnce. An old man live
= there-a rich man, and bit of a mIseI
; they say. His granddaughter keep
house for him."
ben, that fellow may have mean
harm to them. may be wanted a
the cross roads,"
''Brother,7 said Ben, ego to sleeI
You had d nightmare" and Ben pIung
ed in between the blankets, and wa
soon snOreing again.
also, in ten minutes, slept as sound
n ly as before, but the awakening 500
came again.
!, ]. opened my eyes to see a girl stand
!. ing at the foot of my bed. A girl il
white robes, with golden hair all abOu
d her shoulders, who rung her hands an
cried, ooh wake up, you are wanted a
the cross roads,"
I This time 1 started out of bed, bathe
III cold perspiration. ] trembled lik
a leaf. I had no doubt that ] had re
"Ben, !" cried, "Ben. for the thir
time L have been told that I am wante
at the cross roads, and I am gOing,'
And 1 began 10 dress myself as speed
- lily as possible, listening the while t
= the storm raging wilder and wilder tina
,s at any other period since its commence
ment.
a. Ben demonstrated with me in vaiT
At last he also began to huddle on hi
clothes.
"If you have gone mad I must z
with you and take care Of you, !" he saiC
"B0t fancy another man, going out i
q a storm like this to the cross roads, bC
y cause a nightmare caused him to do s,
,e and what would you think of him p
80 said nothing. All I could have az
,e sweTed would have been:
" 81 am compelled to go; must go.
y thought of me-"
p In ten minutes we were spIashin
through the mud and rain along IL
road. It was perfectly dark, now an
then blazing red star in the distanC
told us that lamp was beaming thr
q the cottage window, but otherwise "
would not have been conscious of OF
proximity to any habitation whateve
AT last nearing the spot where the roa
from S. crosses the road from P
we were indeed in as solitary a place
can be imagined.
n The house which abutted on the ven
angle of the roads, called in familii
parlance the Cross Roads, was the on
one for some distance iu either directiC
and certainly on such q night we we
- not likely to meet with many traveller
u All was quiet as the grave. We stoI
-. Quite still. In a mOTnar1E Ran t1r01ze n