The Lincoln County herald., 1872-02-01
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
BY AN OLD DIPLOMATIST.

Janeiro, l passed u night Of horror,
which morning revealed under the most
paiuiu ly distressing circumstances, and
the mourful results Of which could have
been So easily prevented had It not been
for negligeece on my part, that l have
never ceased to blame myself for the
horrible death that occurred.
A rich trader from the interior called
at the consulate to transact some business
10 regard to the shipment Of hides and
tallow, aud as he came bringing q letter
Of introduction from an old friend Of
mine, l extended to him the hospitality
Of my residence.
He was q sociable, we'll informed man,
had been engaged 10 the cattle trade,
both in California aud Australia, aud
could relate thrilling incidents by the
hour, und SO interested me by his ccnver
sa.iou that forgot an important busi-
ness transaction, and found myself com.
PEELED TO make my excuses atter tea, for
the purpose Of attending to it, leaving
the trader on the veranduh to enjoy his
smoke. was absent longer than l had
intended to be, and returned to ind my
guest had retired for the night.
also found upon my table bottle,
accompanied by note; but supposing it
to he some present Of wine or other drink,
which was the daily recipient Of, l left
it to he examined, and perhaps tested by
my guest and myself at the breakfast
table next morning, aud retired.
The weather being very warm, it was
my custom to leave the inner doors Of my
residence all open for free circulation
of air but this night [ retired, feeling
an unusual oppression from the heat, and
there seemed to be some strange forebod.
ing of fear that held me in wakefulness
until far into the night; uud then when
sleep came to me it was in ftful starts,
fiIed with hidcous dreams, from which |
would awake with cold pers piration on
my brow.
1t was perhaps two o'clock when was
aroused by a most unearthly groan and,
sprinsing up ia bed, saw the most fear
full sight that | ever bcheld, almost freez
ing the blood in my veins-a hideous
form robed in white, with its mouth and
clothing all fecked with bloody foam.
each hair seeming to stand separate from
the other upon its head, and its eyes
deathly glaring as it came towards me
with outstretched hands, uttering the
most unearthly groans In horror,
sprang out of bed and ran, pursued by
, the awful form, as l crouched here and
there to escape it but on it came, grow
ing more fearful as it approached. At
last thought of the latticed close. in
!, the adjoining room, and fed for it. my
very knees knocking with fear, reaching
it and closing the door as my ghostly
pursuer put his hands through the broad
lattice work, reaching far in after me
but was safe from pursuit at last, and
. in the feeling Of security my strength gave
G way, and there lay upon the floor in
helplessness, as stared out ct the fearful
form that was clinging to the lattice
) trying to reach me, while it urged the
n mos. pi,ful means.
The excitement had been too much fol
4; my weak frame, as | had only recovered
from an exhausting illness, and l swoonet
. away under it. How long lay in an in
sensible condition knew not but wher
$ | revived, the horrible form was still
there, but it had fallen by the door, ane
9 was lying still, with its white face up
n turncd, and its eyes fixed iu a deathly
d glare.
Oh, heavens, what could it be l
d was no phantom Of air, and yet could
believe it to be human form; was j
d some victim Of q premature burial from
t the plague that had torn away from the
o mpr. sonment of the coffin, and come t.
I pursue me with its deadly contagion?
Il shuddered to think 1t: and then wa!
o forced to remain in my fright and weak
T. ness within reach Of the fearful anC
CHASTITY form, visible from the dim light
I | always kept burning in my rooms q
night. The moments dragged by like
hours, and hours seemed like ages, auG
> still day would not come.
). Again l swooned away, and when mex
/. revived, the broad Daylight was stream
d ing in on the stark, stiff from lying a
the door.
d Oh, heavens, it was the trader Ant
10 yet it was di6cult 10 those fearfully dis
e torted and foam covered features to rec.
n osnize him but yet it was my guest, ant
'r such host What an unintentional turl
my hospitality had taken! And what
" 70 pitiful appeal my guest was making II
- me, had l but known it!
y l rang for the inmates Of the house
and they came and gazed on the fearful
It yet pitiiul sight.
D. My servant came, and threw moro ligh
upon the matter by telling mo that ,h'
trader had given him the bottle and note
= aud particularly insisted on his giving i
l. to mo and calling my attention to it OF
10 my return. The note was brougt, l reat
it, and all was explained, alas too late.
The trader was subject to fearful Ct.
. and tho bottle contained the only mcdica
preparation that would restore him snt
- his note explained all this, and requested