Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-02-02
was close by, and ! knew.sthat one
call through the deathlike stiffness

do was to gaze, gaze, gaze into tn
darkness. Suddenly, and a thro'
stung through every nerve, l hear'
distinctly from behind the wainsco
against which my bed was placed
a low hollow moan, followed on tn
instant by a cracking, malignan
laugh from,the outside of the room
/ was utterly unable to move o
speak: every other faculty seemed
to be lost in the one idtense strail
of eye and ear. There came at las
the sound of a halting step, the tap
ping of a crutch upon the floor
then silence, and slowly, gradual,
the room filled with a pale, cold
steady light. Everything around
was exactly as / had last seen it il
the mingled shine of the moon and
fire, and though ! heard at inter.
walls the harsh laugh, the curtain,
at the foot Of the bed hid from me
whatever uttered it. Again, low
but distinct, the piteous moar
broke forth, followed by words in Q
foreign tongue, and with the sound
o..
a figure started from behind the
curtain, dwnrfed, deformed WON
an, dressed in long, loose robe OF
black, sprinkled with golden stars,
which gave forth dull, fiery CLEAN
in the mysterious light. One lean,
yellow hand clutched the. curtains
of my bed; it glittered with jewel
ed rings long black hair fell from
a golden circlet over the stunted
form. / seen it all as clearly as /
now sec the pen that writes these
words, the hand that guides it. The
face was turned from me, bent aside
as il gree1ily drinking In those an
gnished moans. / noticed even
the .streaks of gray in the long
tresses, as / lay helpless in dumb,
bewildered horror. % ga
"Again!" she said hoarsely, as
the sounds died away in indistinct
and advancing a step she
tapped sharply with her crutch on
the cedar wainscot; then again
louder rose the wild, beseechiDg
voice, this time the words being in
"Mercy, have mercy! not on me,
but on my child, my little one she
never harmed you. She is dying,
dying here in the darkness; let me
but see her face once more. Death
is very near; nothing can save her
now; but grant one ray Of light
and l will pray that you may be
If forgiveness there be
for such as YOU"
"What, you kneel at last Kneel
TO Gerda, and kneel in vain. A ray
Of lighti Not if you could pay
FOR 1t in diamonds. You are mine.
Shrek and call as you will, no 9th
er ears can hear. Die together.
You are mine to torture rs / will
mine, mine, mine."
And again an awful laugh rang
through the room. At the instant
she turned. Oh, the face of malign
horror that met my gaze. The
green eyes famed, and with some
hing like the snarl of a savage
BEAST she sprang toward me; that
lideous face almost touched mine ;
he grasp of the skinny jeweled
rand was all but on me, when-I
l tainted.
For weeks / lay in mental horror
Ind weakness so intense that even
low / do not like to let my mind
iwell on it. Even when the crisis
vas safely past / was slow to rally /;
ny mind was utterly unstrung. I
ived in a world Of shadows. As
winter wore by and brought us to
he fair spring morning, when at
asst ! stood by Roberts side in the
I'D church, it was cold, passive,
almost unwilling BRIDE / cared
neither to refuse or consent TO any
hing that was suggested, so Rob-
,rt and Archie decided for me,
willie / brooded sullenly and care
essly on the memory Of that terri
'le nigbt-sn mol ID sfMfgI1 II
To my husband I told all one
in the sammy Bava'ian val
ey. and my ws'ak, frightened mind
lrcw strength from his. BY de-
yress the, ha',pied horror wore
away. and when we,,came home,
nearly two wears afterward, | was
IS strong and blithe rs In my girl
v. w. r.. II. -, 80 lf.t