Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-11-18

through her fingers as before.
"Sairy," said |, again, with difficulty, for
my heart seemed to rise to my throat, and
lie beating there, lis it so later Then l
must get up" & Z"
She turned on me now with sharp sus-
picious look: II won't be given up to
them," she said. Inn.
mo, no, Salry," l said, soothingly
al tell you won't" she exclaimed rails
ing her voice to loud sharp key; IL know
they'll come for me, those evil spirits, and
try to drag me back to that cold, dark
place But won't go; won't CO."
Her voice had sunk to low muttering
she was feeling of the hatchet again, cast
ing sidelong glances at me.
mo, Sairy,p said l, rising with desper
ate effort, while my whole body and the
nght-dress had on seemed bathed in
chilly sweat, 1--WE won't let them come
Hand me myclothes that lie on that chair,
Sairy." To my surprise she obeyed me,
and L dressed myself, hardly able to stand.
For, think what it was, girls, ior a young
thing scarce twenty years Old with
young baby, BESIDES to be in the power of
a woman like tllisl --'-----'--------
When was dressed, we went down
stairs l first, for so she ordered me. o,
the horror of hearing that creature steal
after me as went down with Willie in
my arms, not daring to look behind, and
dreading every moment the fall of her
hatchet on my neck! But we got down
safe enough.
What day that was, girls Not mo-
ment would the creature leave me; not
one step would she allow me to take out
side though the poor cows were lowing in
a most pitiful way for some one to come
and milk them. Not door or q window
| 1 ii, H., Il
| up and down with Willie, crying and fret
racked my brains for some way of escape
| from her hands. But / could think of
nothing, O, if some of the neigkbors
would cemel How prayed to God to
send them 2 But no one came, and as the
| day wore on | grew desperate. The night
should not find us again alone with this
creaturel
"Sairy," said I, very quietly, after think
| ing minute, I'm going up stairs to lay
the baby on the bed" And with that |
walked to the stairs, she following me
close. y seg ~.
Hark, hark y said I, suddenly stopping,
when halfway up, "what noise is that in
the front room? Run, runi"
spoke like one in a terrible fright and
it infected her. With wild cry she
|
the kitchen. AT the same instant | ran
I for my life. upstairs. All! girls, I've run
\ that race over again many a night in my
slcep Before reached the door l heard
her mad yell, and the flying of her feet
after me. Gasping for breath, | reached
the room, slammed the door, and bolted it
just in time! Then 1 stood, painting and
listening to her outside. She was raving,
now; bowling and springing up against
the door like some wild beast. Then,
again, she would rush up and down the
hall, crying out in the, most mournful way,
till all of a sudden She would stop by the
/ door again, and batter against it till /
feared she would break it down.
AT last she grew quiet, and stole away,
muttering softly to herself l placed poor
little crying Willie on the bed, and gave
him q toy to play with to keep him quiet.
| Then | crept to the window, and looked
out. 1t was twilight now: everything
seemed still as death.
"What is she going to dog" 1 asked
myself "Will she set the house afire ~
And half dead with fright at this thought,
| began to think what 1 should do. My
window overlooked lane running past
our house, 1t was no great height from
the window to the ground. Should | let
baby carefully down, and then risk leap
myself?
1t was forlon hope, but there seemed
no other way. | was just tying baby into
large basket had found in the closet,
when heard the clatter of horses feet.
The rider, whoever he was, was coming up
the lane. Springing up, brushed to the
window. 1t was Dan Wilson, our neigh
boris" youngest son, lad of thirteen,
come probably on some message from his
| father He halted with an astonished look
as he saw my face.
"Husl, hush?" l said, fearfully; then
stretching out my hands to him: dan,
Dan, ride home directly. Bring all the
help yeu can; Sairy is down stairs raving
mad. For the love of God, save my poor
baby and mel" ha ,.1.
Dan turned as pale as myself fancy
but he gave me nod and galloped off like
the wind. took poor Willie out of the
basket, and, sitting down with him. kissed
him again and again. and began to cry a
little. | was feeling weaker now, than all
along. Some little time l sat so, when a
sudden bang on the door made me jump
up with a scream. II was 'Sairy3 again and
she'd got something heavy in her hand
the axe, perhaps-with which she was
pounding on the door. 1t was very strong
door; doubt if she could have done much
harm, with all her pounding but, in. the
dreadful state | was in, expected nothing
else. .yersT
! stood there a, minute, helpless and
moaning and then, with a sudden thought
/ darted into the closet, where, when
went for the basket I hadJspied a great
mon bar seized this, and came out with
it. | was in sort of wild fury now,
against this fiend who had tormented my
poor child apd, me so all day But my
! N,.Al, AIot
creatures head appeared, | would dash her
brains out if it was, possible, thought, for
was in kind of a despair. ! thought
God had forsaken me /; and, in my madness
| accused Him, and my husband, and every
i body else of cruelty toward me. gsE
7 Suddenly, heard the horses feet again,
and ran to the window. There was young
Wilson again, and a large party with him.
| / told them where she was, and TO be
very cautious; and then, having no power
to say any more, crawled to the bed, still
holdipgt the bar, and, sinking on the bed
drew Willie toward me very feebly, for
began to feel as weak as water. Sairy was
; listening now-she was as quiet as death
But, all at once, we heard the bursting
open of a door below, then low
voices, and the treading of feet. And
with that, the poor creature gave one ter
rible cry Of" The evil spirits are coming
for me- and ran, like hunted thing, along
the hall. That cry went through and
through me, like dozen knives, my
nerves were SO. unstrung y byt i struggled
and kept myself quiet, for. poor Whites
sake, Then the voices rose again, mingled
with the cries of that poor creature, and
sprung up stopping my ,eers,s and, heldiIng
down the ehoking in my thf0At, tillAViIlie
who had been quiet lately, began to scream
frightened blythe noise outside, and, half
distracted as / was, soothing him quieted
me down little. ,cdTA.' III
At last the noises ceased and,thefe came
shaking at my door. Mrs. Kennedy 7
cried Mr. Wilson's voice, "open the door 7
Iran and unbolted iti he sprang in, fol
lowed by others. ..,....,,
"Mrs. Kennedy for Gods sake /" he be
gan = H .'|t
But heard no more. They told me
an1a fhot knh htaa v.n,t.,s