The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-03-02

come.
commodations butt was welcome to them,
such as they were." taz
Where is Isaac?" demanded my
guide. 1llssA
He has not come YETI
sat down on q wooden bench beside
the fire, with my valise close to me, while
the woman threw on fresh logs, drew out
round pine table, and produced bread,
cold meat, and bottle Of some spirituous
compound. / ate few mouthfuls of the
bread, but did not touch the other arti-
cles.
81 should like to retire as soon as pos
sible," said, for my WEAKNESS was exces-
sive.
Certainly" The woman started up
with alacrity.
"Where are you going to put him :
asked my guide.
cup chamber"
"Put him in Isaac's room."
"No."
"It's the most comfortable"
"I tell you no."
But here I interrupted the whispered
colloquy.
81 am not PARTICULAR don't care
where you lodge me, only make haste"
The woman's smooth apologies were pro-
fuse. "She only wished to make me COM
Portable, and Isaac's room always leaked
in wet spells" So was conducted up a
steep ladder that stood in the corner Of
the room into an apartment ceiled with
slopipg beams and ventilated by one small
I'd xpho onf hoo 81 cd
close against the board partition, and a
pine table, with one or two chairs, formed
the sole attempts at furniture.
The woman set the light-an oil lamp
on the table.
"Anything can get for you, sir ?"
"NothiDg, thank you"
81 hope you'll sleep we'll, sir. When
shall I call you ?"
cat 4 O'Clock in the morning, if you
please. must walk over to R station
in time for the O'Clock express"
She withdrew, leaving me alone in the
gloomy little apartment. I sat down and
looked around me with no very agreeable
sensation.
Wearied as had become, I felt no in
clination to sleep-in fact, it seemed as if
| had never been more wakeful in all my
life. walked up and down the narrow
room; lay down on the bed, trying to
700 slumber by listening to the ceaseless
drip, drip of the rain upon the roof; but
all in vain; my brain seemed preternatu-
rally active.
81 will sit down and write to Berenice,"
I thought. "That will soothe my nerves
and quiet me, perhaps"
| I'D ha lad hn fire CT
glowed redly on the stone beneath; my
companion and the woman sat beside it,,
talking in a low tone, and third person
sat at the table eating-a short, stout,
villainous- looking man, in q red flannel
shirt and muddy trowsers.
asked for writing materials. A bottle
of ink, stumpy pen, and couple of
sheets Of soiled paper were brought out OF
little cupboard iu the chimney, and re-
turned to my room to write to my wife.
"My Darling Berenice!"
I paused and laid down my pen as con-
cluded the words, half smiling to think
what she would say could she know of my
strange quarters-she, my fair Italian
flower, now reganing the lost roses under
the blue, balmy sky Of her native land.
| Sweet little Berenico She, at least, was
spared the perils Of this stormy mid
night!
Not until both sheetswere covered did !
lay aside my pen and prepare for slumbegr.
As folded the paper happened to glance
toward my coueh.
Was it the CLEAN Of human eye oh.
serving me through the cracks OF the board
partition, or was it but my own fancy
! Whatever it was, it sent a cold chill
through the very marrow Of my bones.
took my light to reconnoitre. There was
a crack there, but only blank darkness
beyond yet could have sworn that some
thing had sparkled balefully at me.
took out my watch-it was l o'clock.
1t was scarcely worth while for me to un-
dress for three hours sleep would lie
down in my clothes and snatch what SUM
Der l could. So placing my valise close
to the head Of my bed, and barricading the
lockless door with the two chairs, ex-
tinguished the light and laid down.
At first l was very wakeful, but gradually
q soft drowsiness seemed to steal over me
like misty mantle, until, all Of q sud-
den, some startling electric thrill coursed
through all my veins, and sat up excited
and trembling.
A luminous softness seemed to glow and
culver through the room-no light Of moon
or star was ever so soft or penetrating
and by the little window I saw Berenice,
my wife, dressed in floating garment OF
white, with her long, golden hair knotted
back by blue ribbon. Apparently she
was beckoning to me with outstretched
hands, and eyes full of wild, anxious ten
derneSS.
sprang to my feet, and rushed towards
her, but as l reached the window the fair
apparition seemed to vanish into the
stormy darkness, and was left alone. AT
the self-same instant the sharp report of a
pistol sounded-I could see the Jagged
stream of fire above the pillow-straight
straight through the very spot where, ten
seconds since, my head had lain.
With an instantaneous realization of my
danger, swung myself over the edge Of
the window, jumping some eight or ten
feet into the tangled rosebushes below
and as I crouched there, recovering my
breath, / heard the tramp of footsteps into
my room.
sis he dead ?" cried voice up the lad
der-the smooth, deceitrul voice of the
woman with the halfclosed eyes.
"Of course he is" growled voice
back; 'sthat charge would have killed ten
meuI A light there, quick and tell Tom
to be ready to dispose Of it,"
"It!" A cold, agonized shudder ran
through me as I recalled what cit"