The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-06-25

There I g must q some some ono gin 'rl 'tH9ss t9ss
= So l again light the lamp, but
we searched in vain. 1/j9rqg, al
(, Nightmare" said Ben, when / |
told him my story @iL H. -
"Ben," said |, "what is there at
the Cross roads?' rvrt q |
. "a house" said Ben. He had
lived in the neighborhood, a long
while, and l not long. e- ri
"One, little house, besides two
oak trees and fence. An old
man lives there--a rich man, aud
a bit of a miser, they say.
Ills grand daughter keeps house
for him"
"Ben, that fellow may have
meant harm to them. | may be
wanted at the cross roads"
nBrother," said Ben, ego to
sleep. You had nightmare" and
Ben plunged in between the blank.
cts, and was soon snoring again.
l also, in ten minutes, slept as
soundly as before, but the awaken
ing soon came again.
i opened my eyes to see a girl
standing at tho loot of my bed. A
girl in white robes. with golden
hair all about her shoulders, who
wrhng herishands and cried, "Oh
wake up, you are wanted at the
cross roads, ..s bsI.4.S ia.i..
This time | started out of bed,
bathcd ina cold perspiration. l
trembled like a leaf. i had no
doubt that | had received super
natural warning. lt ts-a h.
Ben" cried, ben, for the third
time have been told that | am
wanted at the cross roads, and am
going"
And began to dress myself as
speedily as possible, listening the
while to the storm raging wilder
and wilder than at any other peri
cd since its commencement.
! Ben demonstrated with me in
vain. AT last he also began to
huddle on his clothes.
IN you'll have gone mad | must
90 with you and take caro- of you"
hersaid.
"But fancy another man going
+ out ina storm like this to tho cross
roads because nightmare caused
him to do 80, and what would you
think of fhim?'
l said nothing. All l could
, have answered would have been
II am compelled togo; must go
I dare not refuse whatever may b(
t thought OF me"
: In ten minutes we were splash
, ing through the mud and rain along
the road. 1t was perfectly dark
| now and then n blazing red star il
= the distance told us that q lamI
,. was beaming through tho rain il
somo cottage window, but ether
wise we would not have been con
! scious of our proximity to an!
habitation whatever. At last near
> ing the spot where the road from
S. crosses tho road from p
I, we were indeed in as solitary
place as can be imagined.
y The house, which abuttod OF
: tho very anglo of the roads, callet
in familiar parlance the Cros
: Roads, was the only one for som
distance in either direction, am
certainly on such u night wo wer
', not likely to meet many traveller:
n All was quiet as the grave. W
stood quite still. In momen
Ben broke out in one Of his wildcs
laughs.
= WELL" he said, chow now?-
= Will you go home now, and hav
= another nightma Q ," ...
= But hardly had the words escar
d ed his lips, when shrek broke o
:, the air, and a woman's voice pIair
' ly coming from the interior Of th
y cottage cried J"
:, "Help! help! help
IT IT '"Bcn," said !, "we arc wante
's m at the cross roads, and then ur
~ dcrstanding each other, withor
q more words we made our way TO
i window, through which ligt
: shone. A muslin curtain drape
IN the panes, but through it we sa'
an awful sight.
- An old man lay on the floor, an
~ over him bent a rufiian, clutchin
~ his throat, and holding pistol
- his ear while another man graspe
Vi a shrieking girl by the arm
~ girl ina floating night dress wit
=. such long golden hairas belonge
:" to the girl on my vision.
h NOJ InOulCub Wuo W w WNobS'
= Ben flung his weight against ii
-, :" slender lattice and crushed it il
90 and wo had grappled tho ruffiar
at before they knew whence the a
tack came, or how many foes wei
ot upon them.
- " | do not intend 10 describe IL
~ os struggle; indeed L could not, if
cd would. But wo we're strong me
nj and inspired by the cries of Il
- helpless old man and the terrific
~, nv girl, we soon had ono of the vi
~ lians bound, and tho other lyir
,p' ~, prostrate on the floor.
70 Then Ben started 70. assistanc
i, and before morning both were
KS Jail, Ben admitting, as we shoe
az az each other by the hand, that ."y
,sa were wanted at the cross roads
=. ~, The old man was not a mise
~ 80 but he had.saved some few tho
~ sands for his old age, and liviI
., mora plainly than he need ha
" done, had given rise to the rumC
u a