Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-05-02
THE MIDNIGHTPERII,; Or, SAVES
BY A PHANTOM.

THE MlDNlGHTPERIL; Or, SAVES
BY A PHANTOM.
The night of the 18th of October-shal
I ever forget its pitcl.y darkness, the roa
of the autumnal wind through the forest
and the incessant pour down Of rain !?
"This comes of short cuts" muttere,
petulantly to myself as l plodded along
keeping close to the trunks of the trees tt
avoid the deep ravine through which
could hear the turbulent stream some fort,
or fifty feet below. ny blood ran cold as
thought Of the possible consequences of
misstep or move in the wrong direction
Why had | not been contented to keep the
right road =?
Hold on Was that light, or are my
eyes deceiving me
stopped, holding on to the low resinous
boughs of a hemlock that grew on the edge
Of the bank, for it actually seemed as if the
wind would seize me bodily and hurl me owe
the precipitous descent.
It was a light-thsnk Providence-it wal
a light, and no agnis tatuus to lure me or
to destruction and deatha
tllolloo-o-o ~
Ny voice rang through the woods like a
clarion. I plunged onward through the
tangled vines, dense briars and rocky banks
until gradually nearing, I could perceive a
figure wrapped in an oil cloth cape OF
cloak, carrying a lantern. AS the dim
light fell upon his face l almost recoiled.-
Would not solitude in the woods be almost
preferable to the companionship Of the
wrinkled, withered old man But it wal
too late now.
whats wanting?' he snarled forth
with a peculiar motion of the lips thai
seemed to leave his yellow teeth all bare
81 am lost in the woods; can you direc
me to R station ?"
eyes R station is twelve miles
from here"
'.Twelve miles p
I stood aghast.
"Can you tell of any shelter I could OBJ
tain for the night p
enc" ....
"Where are you goiDg?"
'To Drew's, down here by the mapl
swamp"
els it tavern ~
emo"
'Would they take me for night ?
could pay them we'll"
His eyes cleaned j; the yellow stumps
stood revealed once more
II guess so !; folks do stop there some
times"
"Is it far from here p
"Not very about half a mile
''Then make haste and let us reach it
[ am drenched to the skin"
We plodded On, my companion more
than keeping pace with me.
Presently we left the ravine, entering
what seemed like trackless woods, ane
keeping straight onward until lights gleamee
6tfully through the wet foliage.
It was ruinous old place, with the win
dows all on one side, and the pillars of {
rude porch nearly rotted away.
"A woman answered my companion
knock. He whispered word or two t.
! her, and she turned to me with smooth
voluble words Of welcome.
She regretted the poverty Of the accom-
mediation but was welcome to them
such as they were.
"Where is Isaac 2" demanded my
guide.
"He has not come in yet"
[ sat down on a wooden bench besid
the fire, and ate a few mouthfuls of bread.
II should like to retire as soon as posi-
ble," said I, for my WEAKNESS was cz
cessive.
''Certaiply )" the woman started up will
alacrity.
"Where are you going to put him ?" aske
my guide.
up chamber"
"Put him in Isaac's room"
cts the most comfortable.
II tell you no.
I But here interrupted the whispered
colloquy.
II am not PARTICULAR don't care wher
you put me but make haste, please"
So | was conducted up steep ladder tina
stood in corner of the room into an apart
ment ceiled with sloping beams and vent
lated by one small window, where a &C
bedstead, crowded closely against boar
partition, and a pine table, with two chairs
formed the sole attempt at furniture.
The woman sat the light-an oil lamp
on the table.
"Anything more I can get you, sir
said she.
Nothing, thank you"
II hope you'll sleep well, sir Whe
> shall I call you? ?"
> cat 4 o'clock in the morning, if yo
t please. I must walk to R. station /
time for the o'clock express
"Pll be sure to call you, SIR
She withdrew, leaving me alone in tn
gloomy little apartment. I sat down az
l looked around me with no agreeable sens
tons.
II will sit down and write to Alice, "
e thought "that will soothe my nerves al
quiet me perhaps"
I descended the ladder. The fire glow
redly on the stone hearth, and my compa
ion and the woman sat beside it, talking
a low tone, and third person sat at the
n BILE eating-a short, stout, villainous Loo
: ing man, in red flannel shirt and We
muddy pantaloons.
I asked for writing material and return
to my room to write to my wife.
'My darling Alice"
L paused and laid down my pen as l &C
II cluded the words, half smiling to think wi
s she would say, could she know OF
atrapoa otortore