The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-01-08

jungle, for the auspicious moment to spring
upon his deienseless prey.
81 lay so still he believed me to be asleep,
and was leaving his hiding place to commence
his desperate work.
81 rose lightly in the bed upon my knees,
and so remained waiting to do battle for my |
lif1, and for the life of my precious child,
lying so close to me wrapped in his warm
and rosy slumbers
go, God the agony of those moments
81 knew not whether he world creep out
at the foot of che bed, or to the right or left
side of it.
"Watching, lynx-oyed, stil kneeling,
waited moment longer, and by the crimson
glow of the embers, his face was reflected in
the looking-glass which had hung standing
above the chest Of drawers that had stood
opposite the foot of the bed His hideous
face, with its horrible mouth, with ITS green
ish fangs, and those frightful, leerng, beast
ial eyes how they looked.
"IIe was grinniug as he poked his head
out, and the light gowed on his counte-
nance.
CAS- l gazed upon him, in an instant
hope of salvation flashed through my mad
brain.
"The crimson scarf had worn mufilcd
around my neck during my travels, was ly-
ing across the bed Preached ont with quick,
nervous grasp and caught it, and then waited
for him to creep far enough from under the
bed to throw this scarf, like a lasso about his
neck
81 leaned eagerly forward. lie crept
along almost noislcssly, and then warily
lifting his head he shook back the tangled
shock Of sandy hair from over his eyes, and
at the same moment threw the scarf around
his neck.
"llad it missed its aim | would have been
lost, but God guided it with unerring pre-
cision, and, planting my feetogainst the foot
board, pulled with all the frantic strength
could command.
''The attack coming so suddenly, dispos-
sessed the robber of his sef-command, and
only his head being from under the bed he
had no power to use his hands. felt the
wi. roes of his body houndering upon the
! floor beneath me; but not even after he be-
came quiet did release my clutch upon tho
scarf.
"Once remember heard footsteps steal
ing close to the door, and then they paused
as if some one was listening, and all being
quiet they retired as cautiously as they had
approached.
81 dared not call out. knew the man
was dead. but if shreked for help, would
not the host and his wife become my mur-
derers when they be'leld their dead son.
"IIow l lived trough those hours is a
mystery to me. cd was with me.
The embers die out, and left me aud the
throttled corpse, and the happy child to-
gether in dense darkness and so watched
for the dawning day and the coming of my
husband
''Leaden-footed the hours dragged by, and
at last the first rays of the morning sun shone
in at the window. l dared not look at the
awful thing that lay prone upon the floor,
lest should lose my reason.
II could not release my hold for had
grown rigid. was paralyzed.
"On the still, clear air Of the morning at
last heard Clarke's voice in the court be-
low.
"'Halloo mine host! Did my wife como
last night?'
81 could not distinguish the answer.
MY reason tottered.
81 knew nothing more until months after
wards-at least distinctly.
Il have a faint recollection, and fearful
one, of the bursting in of my room door, Of
glimpse Of a hideous face with black
ened tongue, and eyes starting from
their sockets, and of our boy starting from
his happy sleep to greet his father. After
this all was blank for weary weeks.
Clarke has.told me since that suspicion
rested upon the host and his wife.
"rhey hushed the matter up quickly, and
the would-be robbcr and assassin was buried
quietly enough,
"When next looked in the mirror, my
face was prematurely pinched and wrmkled,
and my hair was as silvery gray as it is to-
day.
''We moved from Anselmo, and returning
to our native state we batted with the bray
est until fortune came to US.
''But the wealth of the Indies, the bliss Of
an eternal, teluric paradise, could never re.
store to me the freshness and fairness of my
| life. before that one fearful Night Of Hor
ror -
A NEBRASKA JUDGE.
A probate Judge, in western country of