Wilmington journal., 1873-07-18
fathers house. -,

y
never been permitted to 90 ont on the
open raod quite alone like this; but far
from being afraid, I held up nly head
and tried to whistle, and strutted
along as though 1 had been a Major
General.
don't know how far I had walked
or how long; L had very vague idea
OF the way, supposing I had to follow
the road. But I had gone far enough
to tire n little fellow ont like me pretty
thoroughly; for when sat down on q
log by the wayslde to rest, presently
slipped down on the soft turf, and
screened by some tall weeds from the
Immediate view of any passers-by
went to sleep.
L must have slept hours. I WIS
awakened by dazzling fash, and
sensation as though something had
burst in my head, and then I heard
groans, and there was another flash
and report that made me jump up
| screaming.
The next I knew somebody had
pounced upon me, and was sill sitting
my screams with his hand.
| 1t was Il man with n black mask on.
as could see by the moonlight, though
[ was too frightened then to know it
was mask.
A gray-haired old man, too covered
with blood for me to know him as Mr..
Clemens, lay doubled up in heap in
the mi IDLE of the road, and still
smoking revolver on the ground be-
side him. In the distance I could hear
the sound of retreatiag carriage wheels,
Mr.. Clemens horses having taken
fright and run
The terrOrs of my infantile days had
been mysterious black man, with
whom my nurse had been wont to
threaten me, but out of whose memory
L had III Il measure grown until this
revival of his superstit ous presence.
stopped screami ag in the intensity
of my fright at his bodily appearances.
When he uncovered my mouth, I could
only clasp my hands and gasp:
"Please, Mr.. Black Man, / will he
good, Mr.. Black Mani"
He seemed to consider while he held
me fast, and while he considered 1
could see his eyes shine through the
mask, and L remember thinking in the
midst of my terror how much the eyes
were like Raynall Ford's.
He had on q long, black oil-cloth
coat, with the collar turned up high,
and though the sleeves were very long,
could see strangely white and slen-
der hand, and on one of the fingers,
glittering like an eye of fire, large
diamond.
''He's got a ring like Mr.. Ford's,
too, [ said to myself, with shudder
He put me upon the ground pres
emily, and still holding my hand led
me rapidly away. After a little, seeing
(my limbs were numbed with horror,)
he took me in his arms and strobe on
faster than before.
When he put me down again it was
i'll my nncle's grounds, though I did
not know it then, and before he Quilted
me he bent down and said
Don't you know me, little Dick?
I'm Phil Dering."
fell down on the grass whore he
left me, and at once became uncon-
sciors. The sun was high when 1
awoke and staggered toward the house,
and up to the bre kfast room, where
my uncle was reading the ..Times, and
Hortense doing the honors of the
table. l shall never forget the start
led look she gave as | stood in the
doorway.
[ was too exhausted to speak for
some time, and when I could talk must
have given II most disjoinied account
Of what l had undergone.
But it was, in it's fragment, of na-
ture to cause my uncle to go out with
couple of servants 10 examine the
road upon which [ had been.
They found old Mr.. Clemens lying
quite dead (he had been shot twice.,
and laying by him was the fatal weapon
by which he had been slain.
It was Phil Dering's revolver, and
that morning Phil was arrested 10Y
murder.
I lay i'll some weeks ami d-lirious. !
don't know what ] talked abont, brt
whatever | said, it about broke my
cousins heart, and she would have
kept every one but herself away from
hearing me, ii she could.
I should not have known Hor!anar,
she was SO changed.
When L began to get better, I iin-
prov d rapidly, and was soon strong
enough to play about again Then one
day my uncle took me in the carriage
to the trial-Phil's trial fort.ie Ini rider
of Mr.. Clemens. lie talked to me all
the way, and tried 10 make me under
stand about an oath, and Thai [ was +"
tell before Il great many people al! that
| could remember about tie night Mr.
Clemens was murdered. Though
did not want to talk about it at first,
it had been so terrible, ! was parsIa-
led by my uncIc's gentle talk, am.
promised to do as hc wished, / w:s
not at all prepared, however, to zee
Phil there.
Nobody interrupted or questioned
me till | had finished, and the court
was 50 still that you could have heard
n PIN drop. ! had forgotten nothing,
and beginning at my setting out to go
to Phil, L told them about my going t"
sleep by the roadside. and what awoE0
me, ana 7 told all about tie 'blac:.
man as I called iiiln, and what %
said t. me when he put me down in
my riicie's grounds.
There WAS :,n evident sensation in
ronr5 at this portion uf nay tale, an,t
ever, body locked at Phil, and Raynall
Ford, who had stood where ! lad not
seen him before, pressed forward, ana
pntting slender hand upon the rail
ing, leaned qnitr over that he might
see Phil's face, and gave one OF his,
half au iibl" French misses. pom
that hand gittrred the rim" ! renlan-
bpred so well.
1t was only natural, i suppose, that
I should add to my already finished
IT, ital that the mysterious ''blac.
man had Il ring like Mr.. Fords.
There was another sensation then,
and RaynaII Ford turned upon mr.
showing his white teeth, as il he would
have torn me. | was but child, and
scarcely recovered from long illness
As that man turned toward me TINS,
saw, or seemed to see. the eyes Of that
terrible being whose arms had ciaspcd
me that vrr-tobe-forgott"n night,
aud whose shape of terror had printed
itself in letters of torture upon my
childish brain.
I cried out sharply:
at is the black man. Don't let him
get me - and covered helpiessly IN
my uncle's arms.
There was a wild cOmmotion in an
instant. RayDali Ford made a guilty
dash for the door. and when somebody
stopped him, put the mnzzle of a loaded
pistol to his lips and blew his brains
out,