Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-24

soon fell asleep, and dreamed hor-
rible, m--superinduced BY the late
supper-wbich woke me mp.
i glanced toward my companion there
he Law. calmly az ever, and l noticed that
bis shirt sleeves were visible: SO be mad
evidently rot gone to bed with his coat
on even if he had neglected to remove
his other garments. Turning my eyes IN
the other direction, was amazed and
startled, to perceive that Tor rather We
were not alone! There, comfortably
seated near the table, their backs toward
lie, were two men!
] was about demonstrating en- the out
rage of their intruding on our privacy,
and requesting them to find some other
quarters, when a remark from one OF
them instantly arrested the impulse, and
queer and very unpleasant sensation
crept over me.
"Bill, we'd better straighten him ont,
at oncep
They were rough-looking men. The
one who made the remark was thick-set,
muscular fellow, while his companion was
smaller, and, judged, younger.
81 don't like the job, much" said the
one addressed as Bill.
"Pshawl Well get well paid. What
are ye afraid of? You Jest catch him by
the legs, and I'll fix him off in a iiffyw
[ listened to this conversation, peeking
through a small rent in the bed-curtains,
with mingled horror and indignation, at
the cool and business-like way in which
they discussed the intended murder of
fellow creature There are twol of us, /
thought, if my bed-fellow can be depended
on, and before I'll be butchered in cold
blood by these ruffians, / III make desper-
ate fight and die game; but what have l
to defend myself with nothing but my
hands; and doubtless these fellows are
we'll armed. While these and many other
thoughts flashed through my mind, the
mysterious intruders were carrying on a
whispered conversation, in tone too low
for me to hear its import, although l
strained my organs of hearing to their
utmost. Then they rose from their seats,
and advanced toward the bed, noiselessly
and stealthily. I turned to awake my
sleeping companion, fumbling neryously
under the coverings for his hand. l
grasped it, and as Ibid SO 1 gave cry
of horror and dismay, and sprang from
the bed, fer my fingers encircled tie cold,
olamnly hand IF a corpse!
The two men started back in undis-
guised terror, as 1 confronted them, and,
as if speechless at my unexpected appear
ence, without word, turned and fed from
the room, and l herd them tumbling
down the START, as they beat precipitate
retreat.
I rushed out of the room into the hall,
scarcely knowing what was doing,
shouting, fire murder thieves Heads
began to peer out of the doors of the other
rooms, and / became conscious of the fact
that / was rather scsntily dressed to ap-
pear before strangers. returned to the
room, and had partially dressed myself,
when the landlord appeared at the door,
evidently excited and alarmed.
"Where is the ghostf" he demanded.
"Ghost / don't know anything in re
gard to COST, but two ruffians entered |
my room while 1 was asleep, and would |
probably have made ghost of meif had |
not awakened and driven them away !
One of their victims lies in that bed, stiff
and cold-murdered, l suppose, as they |
to murder me They must have
killed him before went to bed. He never |
moved after 1 retired"
The landlord gazed at me in bewilder- |
ment. what does all this mean Z" he |
asked, with considerable emphasis; "this
is not your room !"
"Then whose is it, 1 should like to
know l was shown to it by your man,
and slept in that bed" said, pointing |
to the curtain and couch which I had so |
lately occupied.
"This room-ob, I see now; that thick
pated Jake has made blunder, and put |
you in the wrong room. This is, or rather |
was, Mr.. Wilson's apartment, for he died
suddenly this morning. We sent for the
coroner to hold an inquest, but as he was
confined to his house by sickness, he sent
a couple of men to take charge of the
body until the friends of the deceased,
who were telegraphed for, could arrive"
A light suddenly dawned upon me. All
was clear enough now, except the inquiry
about the ghost. This the landlord ex-
planned. He said the two men whom 1
had taken for assassins, awakened him
with the information that they had been
driven from the room in which they had
boon watching by ghost. They were so
positive and emphatic in their declara-
tons that he had come up to see the appa-
rition, or to clear up the startling mys-
terry.