The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-07-13

was watching her steadily but STEALTH
| ly, under cover of the outside dark
ness, through the half open door. She
did not utter sound, or make move
ment, she only sat rs white and rigid
as statue, with her eyes fixed il
agonized intensity on the polished sur
face of the mirror that was cleaning
and glancing in the firelight over hel
head
For awhile-she could not tell how
long-thera was no further movement
lot the door. Then again it stirred
slowly, and this time not q mans hand
but mans head appeared, thrust
through the opening. The CHEEKY fire
leaped high in one broad ruddy blaze
at the moment, and she saw 4 wild,
fierce face covered with matted
beard and surrounded by unkempt
hair; a face thin, and lined, and
squalid. but with eyes that glow
ed like burning Goals, and an expires
sion that would have chilled the blood
if it had been met from behind the
iron gratings of a maniac's cell. In
q moment she knew that Peters, the
murderer, whose hands were still red
with the blood of his wife and child,
was behind her, and that she was help
lessly at his mercy. To the last day
of her life, Annie Somers never knew
what she thought or did then. She
had only a vague remembrance of cry
ing to God in the extremity of her
despair, of clasping the sleeping child.
close to her heart, and rising to her
feet, as the door at last opened suffi-
ciently to admit, not the face enly, but
Il slouching figure, that moved stealth
lily across the floor, toward the crib
The fire, which had been blazing so
brightly before, now suddenly gave
signs of dying down, and the light, to
her great CONSERVATION, grew much
DINNER. 0, horror ! was she to be
left in derkness She would have
given anything to be, able to push to-
gether the brands that were falling
apart but she dared not.
As yet the man had not noticed her,
but was fumbling in the crib, as if
looking for something there. She
could not tell, however, when he might
turn on her, and she dared not stir
hand or foot, for fear of attracting his
attention She looked at the door,
through which he had entered. If it
were only possible to reach thatl But
she saw at once that it was not. He
stood directly in her path, and barred
the way efectually. She looked then
at the other door, remembering with n
sudden thrill of hope that it had a
key in the lock, and that she might
fasten herself in with Rose. Could
she reach it? She was much nearer
to it than the man was near to her,
and she determined to make the eff
fort. She began to move in that di
rection, but the first rustic of her gar
ments made him turn round, and in a
moment he was at her side, and his
hand was grasping her arm. The
movement was so quick, the grasp so
tight that, involuntarily, she gave vent
to her terror and repulsion in a scream.
The same instant she realized the folly
of this, for the baby, startled out of
its sleep, stirred, and began to cry.
"Oh you've got it here, have you ?"
said her almost unseen assailant, in a
hoarse, cultural voice. Pm not GO
ing TO hurt you-leastways, not if you
don't give any trouble; but l want
this young 'un. Pm out arter 'em all,
and L thought I'd come here fust,
cause the doctor, he was coed to me
wonst."
Good to you p cried the doctors
wife, finding her voice in one wild ap-
peal. "Oh! then, for Gods sake,
don't return that goodness by hurting
his child !"
"I mean to kill it," said the mad
man, doggedIy. 81 began with mine;
and don't mean to stop till I've kill
ell 'em all "Give it up, d-n you'll
or Pll stab it in your arms?"
There was the murdcrous CLEAN of
a long, sharp knife in the sinking fire
light, one short, fierce struggle, in
which the woman's little figure wres-
tied with the mans strong arms, and
then with her dress torn in every di
rection, and the arms she had thrown
over her child streaming with blood,
Annie Somers tore herself away from
the grasp that strove to hold her, fled
like a deer across the room, flung the
door of the dressing closet in the face
of her pursuer, locked it, and sank on
the floor in that extremity of physi
cal exhaustion, which is only not in
sensibility, because the mind holds its
fortress steadily, despite the failing
forces of the body.
She was too far spent to move or
speak, but she was perfectly conscious
OF all that went on around her. She
knew that Rose. startled and frighten-
ed as she was, had yet sense enough
to take the baby, and try to quiet its
convulsive cries; and that the baffied |
madman on the other side of the door
was hurting a volley of curses at her;
but it was some time before she could |
utter a single word. Then she only |
gasped:
Take a sheet from the bed !"
The room was dark--a faint, pale
moon, which now began to struggle
the stormy clouds, giving the
only light-but Rose obeyed at once.
The exigence of the minute impressed
even her, and, when she brought it TO
her mistress, she only said, in hush
ed, awed tone
Miss Annie, what kin you do ?"
'1 can let you and the baby down
from the window" answered the 9th
er, in a quick, nervous whisper
isHush not word. 1t is the ONLY
chances I think can do it safely,
and then you must run for your lite.
lie will break that door down in
go, ma'am why don't you call