The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-04-20

sible reason?'
"'I Insane people do not always stop to
reason was the calm reply. IF you do
not believe me, can show you where
their dead bodies are lying now. The
time grows short; will you remain here
to perish, or will you consult your own
safety by instant flight with meP
"But who are youY'
"Your friend, and the enemy of Sc
cret murderesses. The time is flying
fast-will you go or stayr
al will go with you = cried, SPRING
ing to my feet, and beginning, with
trembling hands, to throw on the vari-
GUS articles of dress that came first to
my grasp. But and paused an In
slant, scarcely able to comprehend the
startling events of the moment, what
sort of a place, then, is this Bolton
HallP
| ga hell upon earth-a charnel-house
"a place where they shut innocent peo-
pie up to die living deathsP was the
slowly uttered response; an answer
which made the blood run cold in my
veins. But you need not fear, now
that have come to your rescue. l will
conduct you to haven of safety where
none can harm you. Only be silent and
speedy
"I followed her, with limbs that trem-
bled SO that they would hardly support
me, into the hall, and thence down
narrow, winding stairway, which led
through side door, into the starlighted
silence of the night The dew sprinkled
my dress, as l hurried along the box
edged paths; mysterious shadows of as
pen, laurel and willow trees lay in dark
bars across the velvet-smooth grass, and
here and there a night-bird shrieked
through the thickets of dense-growing
shrubbery-still we kept on, on until
the rushing sound of water warned me
that we were approaching stream of
no ineonsiderable magnitude.
Suddenly my silent conductress
turned into an alley leading to the left,
and unlocked the door of small build
ing of some sort.
"'Stay here until I return she whis-
pered, and fear nothingp
"But, in spite of her injunction, did
feel a strange, inward quaking, as 1
heard the key turned once more in the
lock, and knew that was quite alone,
at the dead of night, in strange place.
By the dim starlight, shining through
high latticed windows, could see that
a narrow wooden bench ran round three
sides of the place, and that flight of
steps extended down to the waters edge
on the fourth. Evidently 1 was in
boat-house, and, somewhat reassured, l
sat down on the nearest end of the
bench, to try and still my throbbing
| heart, and convince myself that all
would yet be well. My rescuer would
doubtless soon return, and then 1 should
be enabled to make good my escape.
GAS sat there, huddled up and shiv-
ering in the chilly night air, with the
rush of the water sounding like mourn
full monotone in my ears, could not
but ask myself, over and over again,
what was the meaning of this strange
combination of circumstances? Did
such death-traps actually exist in
country like this? If so, where were
safety and security to be found? And
l trembled afresh at the bare idea of the
terrible peril in which had so uncon-
sciously stood. 1t was like a hideous
nightmare, or some fearful delusion of
fever-racked brain; yet, knew quite
well that was neither asleep, nor de-
lirious. No, it was the truth-the terri
BILE truth; one of those fearful adven-
lures which come to people perhaps once
in the course of lifetime, but not oft
ener. The sweet-voiced old lady, who
had welcomed me with such a shaw of
hypocritical kindness, the laughing, ra-
diant-haired child, who had hung so
fondly about mel shuddered as 1 re-
membered those occurrences, and people
| nt ha .rxh% hot n,,1r h. -
fore To me it seemed a period removed
from my present by the long lapse of
years!
"Thus waited there, shivering, trem-
bling, palpitating waited, and still
nobody came. 1 listened intently, but
all the sounds that / could hear were
the rustling of the woodbine which over
hung the lattice, swaying back and forth
in the dreary night-wind, the shrill cry
of summer insects, and the restless plain
ing of the river at my feet-and still the
| longed-for footstep of the rescuer came
not. And a new thrill and shudder came
over me as suddenly CHANGED to re-
member the post-boy's words
Nobody stays long at Bolton Hall 7
"And then, like a tender, reassuring
smile, the dawn began to crimson rosily,
and yellow light to creep in where the
stars and the darkness had reigned hith-
erto. 1t was morning once more. Gods
new day was born, pearl and ra-
diant, into the world. And, with the
shine and the glitter, new strength and
confidence came into my gradually sink
ing heart. Surely, surely my white
robed conductress would not linger long
now
"But the minutes crept by, slowly
lengthening themselves into hours, and
the vague, horror-stricken fear was borne
in upon me that had been utterly for
gotten in my solitude. AS this impress
sion seized on me, ] sprang madly to my
feet, rattling at the locked door with all
my feeble strength, shaking the mullions
of the lattices, crying wildly out for help.
But the dreary echoes of my own voice,
and the weird cry of startled birds, were
all that came back to me.
with new inspiration, that was
like glimmer of hope, l hurried down
the broad wooden steps. Why had
not thought of this beforeY 1 had never
been taught to manage boat, but be-
lieved that could do SO, in case of ex-
tremity and here, at least, would be a
means of escaping from prison-house
which began to be indeseribably fright
full to me.
But to my dismay, l perceived that
| ll L.