The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-09-28
Il NIGHT OF TERROR.

L imagine each line III that ghastly face
but this won't do. If | must tell the story
l had best commence at the beginning.
l spent last summer at the seaside-it
was not in the least fashionable watering
place but so quiet that the things that
| would have been of little or no interest else
where, there became wildly exciting.
Among the new arrivals. one day, there
came a party that interested me 10 an eX-
traordidary degree-a lady with her daush-
ter a maid.
The daughter, Miss Linsee. Jennie Lin
see was one of those persons whom you
feel sure has history. Tall, fair hair,
| with dark eyes and a sensitive mouth. She
was extremely handsome but her face was
one of the saddest ever saw in my life.
thought her face sad before | knew her,
but afterward, in the pauses of converssl-
tion. l have seen that expression deepen,
or strengthen rather, into one of perfect
misery.
Once in particular l remember noticing
this we were speaking of hands, aud ad-
mired heIs, saying that they locked SO
strong aud yet were so delicately shaped.
| wondered at the time what there could
have been in this simple remark to distress
and annoy her. But since I've heard her
story, understood not only :his, but many
other things that seemed very strange to
me.
| Three years ago Miss Lnsee was visiting
friend-a young girl of about her own
| age-at Eer home The Hudson.
1t was large, rambling, country, house,
| with an Unusual number of sleeping rooms,
| and Jennie, on her arrival, was the only
guest, so that on each side of her the rooms
were unoccuVied.
The evening she arrived her friend in-
sisted on her going to bed early, saying
that she must be very weary but Jennie
insisted that she was not tired, and aOsC-
lutely refused to go to bed
At last regular romp ensued, and Jen-
MES friend locked her guest in her room,
| shouted good might through The key-hole,
and ran laughing down the long hall.
Jennie smiled as she listened to 1be foot
| steps growing fainter and yet fainter, and
then turning to the loi.s oval mirror, pro-
ceeded to take down her hair. This mirror
reached from the floor to the ceiling. and
hung directly opposite The bed, and was
partially draped with muslin.
| AS Jennie brushed her hair and iDdiffer-
emily looked at herself, she fancied tina: she
! saw a movement amid tue shadows about
the bed. She looked again the becstead
was low and broad, the shadows deep
but Jennie felt sure that she was not mis-
taken, but that a man lay extended at full
| length on the floor.
For a moment she was breathless with
terror: her first impulse .hen, womanlike,
WAS to scream but Jennie Linsee was no
coward, and after a minute or 50 of strong
self f-control, was rather amused at such AL
adventure.
Il will leave the ROOM" she said to her
self, as if she had .foigotten something,
''and | will turn the key ON the outside
good heavens - and she stood appalled, at
the thought. The door was already locked
| What should she do? She dared not call
for help. A tnoug Int struck her.
alice ~ she cried, come back a mo-
ment. forgot to tell you something"
Her voice trembled. Again and again
she called. All was silent. She lis. ened
for an answer. Was ii imagination, or did
she hear 4 faint muttered oath from under
the bed?
AT last she decided to 20 to her bed
quietly, leaving her watch, poitmounaie
and jeweiry where the man could easily
get them, and she would pretend to fall
asleep.
First. she inclined the mirror, so that
lying in the bed she could see i'll it the lie
Election of everything that went over the
room. Then going to the fire place She
calmly lighted each candle i'll the branches,
saying aloud, with a laugh:
al hope | shall not set .he house ON fire,
but | never could resist caudles, and mean
to have an Illumination for once"
Then, with an i'll concealed shudder, and
| SlON dS IL B'lbe w htA O"h SANNoN4cAi
Jennie went to bed.
For hours it seemed 20 her. but we can
not tell how long it was, Jennie lay, trying
TO breathe safely, yet regularly, straining
her ears to catch the fdintest sound, EeI
eyes to see the slightest movement under
the bed.
At last, in lie mirror she saw the dark
body move. She could distinguish "a hand
with. Stay? Was that gleam a knife
Il am to he murdered, them" she
thought, and with the callnness of despair
size watched.
The knife had a terrible fascination foI
her: now il flashed in the blue light, as tlie
man slowly emerged fIom the beti, crawl
ing flat on his face.
Was thele nothing she could do? Must
she simply wait until the man rUse 10 kill
her?
"lf only had a rope" she thought, 81
could make a slip moose and throw Ii oven
his head ~
So thinking, she mechanically glanced
about the room. Her eyes caught sight oi
a picture hanging on the wall 10y stout
red cord. Quick as thought the picture
was unhung, the cord in her trembling
hands. She could her the slow, cautious
movements. Should she be too lateo AT
| last Ihe moose was made. No need now 10
! watch the mirror.
| The mans head and shoulders were all
ont from under the bed. Al tEas moment
he raised himself aud glanced in the mirror
and saw jennie sitting up. lie saw heI
but one moment. He half-lurned, with his
legs and part of his body still under the low
bed. But i'll that moment the noose fell
over him, and Jennie was pulling At the
scarlet rope with all her strength.
The Lext morning, When ,he servant
went to call Miss Linsce. she knocked again
and again. Obtaining no reply, the woman
went to her young mistress. telling hei
that her guest must be i'll. Alice WAS up
in the least distui bed, but with ;,-ligLt song
on her hips danced down the coI'Idor.
JENNIE size cried, knocking at lie,
friends door, may | coue ia? ?''
No reply came, but in its stead low.
surgling iugh-Jeunie had such a riettN
laugh.
Friphteue5 she knew not Nhy A lie,