Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-11-18

Did L scream, you ask, Katie No,
my dear. What kept me from it? Per
haps it was fright perhaps it was my
baby's dear little lips pressing against
my breast, begging me TO be calm. for
his sake. No; said one silent prayer
to God, and lay still, watching her.
Suddenly she turned and looked at
me; knew now what the queer look In
her eyes meant-fhe creature was crazy
and there lay Willie and / in her
power.
''Sairy, " said I. looking right 10 her
eyes, though my voice sounded hollow
and strange to me, not like my own,
IS it time to get up p
She said nota word, but looked away
again, nodding her head up and down
two or three times. and drawing the
hatehet through her fingers as before
'Sairy, J" said /, again, with difficulty
for my heart seemed to rise to my
throat, and lie beating there, is it so
late? Then must get up.
She turned on me now with a sharp,
suspicious look "Iwon't be given up
to them" she said.
mo, no, Sairy, / said, soothingIy.
II tell you [ wen'tP' she exclaimed,
raising her voice to a loud, sharp key !;
II know they 'llcome for me, those evil
spirits, and try to drag me back to that
cold, dark place But l won't go ; [
won't go"
Her voice had sunk to low mutter
ing; she was feeling of the hatchet
again, casting side long glances at me.
No, Sairy, said I, rising, with a
desperate effort, while my whole body
and the night-dFess I had on seemed
bathed in a chilly sweat, I'VE won't let
them come. Hand me my clothes that
lie on that chair, Sairy.' To my sur
prise she obeyed me, and I dressed
myself, hardly able to stand. For,
think what it was, girls, for a young
thing scarce twenty years old, with a
young baby, besides, to be In the DOW
er of a woman like this
When J was dressed, we went down
stairs I first, for 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 h2tehet on my neck
but we got down safe enough.
What day that was, girls Not
moment would the creature leave me
not one step would she allow me to
take outside, though the poor cows
we're lowing in a most pitiful way for
some one to come and milk them. Not
door or a window would she allow to
be opened | walked up and down
with Willie, crying and fretting all
day, nearly, poor little fellow, and
racked my brains for some way Of es-
ape from her hands. But [ could
think Of nothing. o, if some of the
neighbors would come How [ prayed
to God to send them But no one
came, ond as the day wore on I grew
desperate The night should not find
US agaiu alone with this creature
'Sairy," said I, very quietly, after
thinking a minute, I'm going upstairs
to lay the baby on the bed And with
that | walked to the stairs, she follow
ing me close.
clark, bark ~ said I, suddenly stop
ping, when halfway up, "what noise
is that in the front room? Run, run -
spoke Ike sylzs 8f1g gsiats
she rushed to the ro@m-a small one
adjoining the kitchen. At the same in
stant ran for my life upstairs. All
girls, I've run that race over again
many night in my sleepi Before
reached the door / heard her mad veil.
and the flying of her feet after me.
Gasping for breath, I reached the room
slammed the door, and bolfed it just
in timei Then I stood, painting and
listening to her outside. She was ra-
wing, now; bowling and spriDging up
against the door like some wild beast.
Then, again, she would rush up and
down the hall, crying out in the most
mournfuI way, till all of sudden she
would stop by the door again, and bat
ter against it till feared she would
break it down.
At last she grew quiet, and stole
away, muttering softly to herself I
placed poor little crying Willie on the
bed. and gave him a toy to play with
to keep him quiet. Then I crept to the
window, and looked out. 1t was atwi-
light now everything seemed still as
death.
myself. 'eWiu she set the house aire?"
And half dead with fright at this
thought, I began to think what should
do. NV window overlooked a 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?
It was a forlorn hope, but there seem
ed. no other way. I was just tying ba-
nv into a large basket I had found in
the closet, when I heard the clatter of
a horses feet. The rider, whoever he
was. was coming up the lane. Spring
ing up, I rushed to the window. 1t was
Dan Wilson, our t'neighbor's" young
est son, lad of thirteen, come prob
ably on some message from his father.
He halted with an astonished look as
he saw my face.
"Hush! hush 20 I said, fearfully
then stretching out my hands to him :
ssDan, Dan, ride home directly. Bring
all the help you can; Sairy is down
stairs raving mad. For the love of God,
save my poor baby and me!'
Dan turned as pale as myself, I fancy;
but he gave me a nod, and galloped of
like the wind. took poor Willie out
of the basket, and, setting down with
him, kissed him again and again, and
began to cry little. was feeling
weaker now, than all along. Some
little time I sat so, when sudden bang
on the door made me jump up with g
scream. 1t was Sairy, again and
she'd got something heavy in hel
/ hand-the axe, perhaps-Wlth which
she was pounding on the door. 1t was
very strong door / doubt if she
could have done much harm, with al
/ her pounding; but, in the dreadful
state I was IN, expected nothing else
| I stood there minute, helpless anc
/ moaning and then, with a sudden
| thought, I darted into the closet
where, when I went for the basket,
| had spied a great iron-bar. I seizeC
this, and came out with it. 1 was in {
sort of wild fury now, against this
fiend, who had tormented my pool
child and me so all day. But my minC
was made up the moment that crea-
lures head appeared, I would dash hel
| brains out, if it was possible, though
for 1 was in kind of a despair.
! thought God had forsaken me and, il
my madness, 1 accused Him, and M
husband, and every body else, of cruel
ty toward me.
Suddenly, heard the horses fee
again, and ran to the window. Their
was young Wilson again, and Iarg
party with him. I told them wher
She was, and to be very cautious; an,
then, having no power to say an.
more, crawled to the bed, still hold
: ing the bar, and, sinking on the bed
drew Willie toward me very feebly
for 1 began to feel as weak as water
Sairy was listening now-she was a
quiet as death. But, all at once, w
heard the bursting open of door be
low, then low voices, and the treadin
of feet. And, with that, the poor crea
ture gave one terrible cry of, 1.-THE evi
spirits are coming for me" and rar
like a hunted thing, along the hal