The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-10-06

effort of will, and lay perfectly motionless, ex
cept that partially closed my eyes, keeping
them only sufficiently open to watch the MIR
ror. AS quick as lightning my mlne tooh III
the situation. In the few minutes OF my ao-
sence from the room, while talking TO oman III
the entry, thief, robber, posslDle Hluruer
er. had stolen in by the piazza windows, and
hod hidden himself either under the bed or
behind it's draped head. He was doubtless
armed: and if cried out, or attempted to es-
cane from the room, he could easily reach the
door before could, and for his own security
would probably put me to death. Dinah was
too distant. and too feeble and clumsy, to afford
me any assistance, and besides was by this time
fast asleep in the third story. The man doubt
less knew that my husband had received large
sum of money, and had gone off across the
river, leaving me alone, or nearly alone, IN the
house He had entered, caring only for money,
and anxious above all things to escape qnde-
tected and unrecognized. If let him know
that I was aware of his presence, / should ex-
pose myself to murder. My obvious policy
was to Keep quiet and feign sleep. thought
also of the money, and was not altogether will
ing to resign that without an effort to save it,
| and to have some clue to the identity OF the
thief. confess, however, that this last consid-
Grafton was not very strong one, and am
afraid that if could have seen my way clear
to an escape from the room, l should have fled
incontinently, without stopping to see more
than that terrible hand.
moment, which seemed an hour, passed
while these thoughts rushed through my mind.
1 lay perfectly still, with my halt-closed eyes
watching the mirror. Slowly and noiselessly
the frightful hand pulled up the owner, until L
could see the head and face reflected IN the
glass, and glaring at me with fierce, yet weary
n
evil passions written in every hneament.
could scarcely refrain from shuddering at the
sight of his hateful yisage, and speedily closed
my eyes to shut it out.
I was not quite ready for the ordeal through
which 1 knew | must soon pass. L wanted to
move nv light-stand q little out of the way,
and to SO arrange the bed clothes that l could
spring from the bed without impediment l
therefore gave little sigh, and moved, as If
about to awake slightly opening my eyes at the
same time The head and hand instantly dis
appeared. I then composedly made the desired
changes in the position of the stand, and the
arrangement of the clothes, put my watch safe
with the key under my pillow-so near the edge
that they could easily be taken out, as knew
they would be-extinguished one ofmy candles,
said my prayers, and closing my eyes resigned
myself to my fate, with no very sanguine or
definite hope of extrication from my perilous
position. ,..,
made my breathing regular, and little
louder than when l was awake, and lay with
my cheek on my hand, counterfeiting sleep. AT
last the stiffness became more terrible than
even my first agony of fear. Several times l
| fancied that heard a soft step approach from
the place of concealment. AS ottenl was &C.
ceived. Then again that dreadful stiffness, in
which l counted the ticking of the watch
through the pillow! 1t was a positive relief
when he came ont from behind the curtain,
stopped at the table, and stood looking at
me, as was well aware, though my eyes were
closed. I forced myself to breath regularly
and audibly. He came closer; he bent over
me. He passed the lighted candle slowly be-
fore my face two or three times felt the heat
anidssaw the light through my closed lids, which
must have quivered though he did not seem to
hobserye their motion. Heaven gave me strength
not to move or cry out. Satisfied, apparently,
he put back the candlestick on the stanc, and
his hand crept softly and slowly under the pill
low, and one by one, he removed my watch and
the key of the safe. He stood so long looking
at me that felt impelled to open my eyes sud-
| denly upon him.
| AS he walked toward the safe, did partly
open them, and cautiously watched him through
my eyelashes. heard him fumbling with the
NV eyes were wide open, but 1 closed them in
time not to be detected. Watching him steal
thily saw him open the door of the safe, which
he entered without withdrawing the key fomr
the lock.
Here was the opportunity for which l had
waited and watched. Isprang lightly from the
bed, with one bound reached the safe, dashed
the door to, turned the key and with one long
and loud shrek fell PROSTATE and senseless on
the floor of the dark room.
How long l lay upon the floor do not know
probably for few minutes only-but as L
was unconscious, it seemed when l came to my
self, as if the interval had been long one. L
was aroused by his blows upon the iron door,
and found myself weak after the long nervous
tension, but still calm. | remember the satls-
faction with which thought, while lay there
before rising, that he could not escape, mingled
with a vague and foolish dread he might III his
| rage burn the valuable contents of the safe. He
pounded desperately on the door, and swore
! fearfully at finding himself entrapped. But as
| I took no notice of his outcries, he soon grew
quiet -
ed myself with all possible haste, and with
trembling fingers, turning often to look at the
safe, from under the closed door of which L
r.ore than half expected TO see blood trickling
why, / cannot tell, except that my mind was
full of images of horror. was soon in readi-
ness. had no means of ascertaining the time
as he had my watch in his pocket, and there
wa. no clock in the ROOM Taking the candle,
hastened to arouse Dinah, who, as / shook
her slowly opened her eyes and with scarcely
more than her usual slownesss pronounced her
formula: "Well, Miss Lille, what shall l fly
Lord massy what's de matter wild de child?
You amt seen ghost have you, honey?"
"No, Dinah; but Fye seen something worse
than a ghost. I've caught robberr, and he's
the clock, that licked slowly and deliberately
-as-as how could Dinah's clock help doing? ?