The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-08-10

tne WniIllllR SuOWndkes Ill nuiho anu mutc
despair. A fierce wind was wailing and moan
ing round the house. There was every APP
pearance of an impending storm. How
long, how dreadfully long the day seemed in
dragging the weary hours along. Would it
never, never reach its close?
Darkness set in sooner to-day than usual
Thank heaven for that! The weather pre-
diction has been verified. A severe storm,
increasing momentarily in fury, ragged and
shrieked abroad. The snow had changed
into rain, which the bowling blast drove in
fierce gusts against the easement. Margaret
sat by the sitting room fire trying to sip her
five o'clock tea. She had not tasted anything
the whole day long. and had only yielded to
the opportunities of the kindhearted cook
to eat something at last. At any other time
she would have hugged herself with delight
in comparing the snug, luxurious picture
within to the wretchedness and discomfort
without. The leaping freight reflected it.
self in the polished brass feHder, danced up
the engravings on the wall, chased itself
among the warm -colored furniture, till it
found itself playing at hide and seek in and
out of the heavy crimson hangings. The
lamp had according to custom not yet been
lit, as Margaret loved to sit in the dusky
twilight dreaming, and building the airest
of airy castles. But this evening her
thoughts were occupied with other things.
They were painfully dragging along the same
road they had been pursuing all day. The
vague fears aud terror had increased in in
tensity as time wore on. When she essayed
to give them shape or color, she skunk back
appalled,. She dared not. She sat watch
ing the grotesque shadows the freight cast
upon the walls. What.funny fgues they were
appearing and disappearing, nodding at each
other, bobbing up ard down, pursuing each
other suddenly; then so suddenly vanishing.
What strange effects the leaping flames pro-
duced. She pushed aside the tray aud
wheeled her armchair into her favorite cor
ner by the chimney. Six o'clock and il
might be quite another four hours before
was How the rain beat against the win
dows and the wind howled down the chin
ney. She shivered as she drew her scar
more closely around her. What in tn,
world should she do to escape from the pain
fulness of her own thoughts till her husband
return? There were several books and mag
aznes lying on the table; among the latte
to-day's paper She recolected she had no
read it yet. She would do so now. Tn,
freight was quite bright enough to read by
so she would not ring for the lamp.
Murder There it was written in larg
capital letters, staring her in the face S,
soon as she unfolded the paper. Murder
! CHASTITY and foul She covered her eyes witt
her hands and every one of her limbs SCENE,
to keep time separately but the horror
fraught word that kept echoing in her ear
mruder! The little pet canary on the win
dow seat, caught up the burden, murder
murder The cricket behind the heart
. kept chirping murder 1t seemed to be eV
erywhere above, beneath her, around hel
The vague haunting fears had suddenly &C
quired shape. Now she knew the dread tina
, had been upon her all day. She uttered
hysterical gasp as, with violent effort, sh
! rose to approach the piano. She woul
throw off this leaden horror and play som
q lively music. As she moved, the crimso
f curtains seemed suddenly transformed int
a sea Of blood, while the pendulum of tn
clock upon the mantle licked with agonizin
reguarity-drop, drip, drop. She essaye
| To Il rbl lnIy h.. ah,,,
b or other nothing but funeral dirges woul
! come from the quivering keys, with the il
cessant refrain of murder She closed I'll
. instrument with crash, and went back
:, her seat by the fire. She stared into til
A glowing embers. which seemed so many ey
- glaring at her with baleiul light. There ju
y, below the big blue flare, there was funr
e face. An ASS face it seemed with wit
!. expressionless mouth and long tapping eai
% How ridiculous it locked winking and bin
ing at her with its stupid eyes; and thu
it changed, and its patient expression W
suddenly transformed into sullen threa
= eniag one, which grew and grew until
:, had acquired positive ferociousness. T.
y funny long ears disappeared, and in the
y stead rose strange distorted shape, wi
menacing and cruel eyes and diabolic
- sneer, which somehow or other resolved
. self into her brothers face, and then tt
q slowly vanished into confused mass, out
', which gradually grew the face Of her hl
VI band, calm and stern, but, oh how mela
~ cholly. Then the blue flare shot out will
:. = sudden whirr and tlutter and quickly disa
peared while the cavernous depths benea
y formed itself into something at first h
g rid and indistinct. A something that
" hollow cavities for eyes and CHASTITY droC
~ ing under jaw, which grinned and GRIM
~ at her in derision, while, with torturing d
a' = tinctness, it shaped itself into deathhe!
Yes. There was the skull, and there v
'"' her husband, with the weird, melaucht
~ eyes. Now the blue flare shot out aga
while her husbands face disappeared
m the skull remained. The livid--ha pla,
at hide and seek in and out those holl
~. cavities-hissed and spluttered betw
~ those dreadful, grinning jaws.
w How the infuriated blast howled and
bis tied against the easement, as if in mock
led of being shut out, and trying all its po
re-. in forcing itself into the presence of
10. lonely, trembling watcher within; v
Nc. nothing to keep her company but that
mo full dehths head glaring at her from. am
,ss the burning embers. Hark was not tn
,ld voice calling "Let me in, let me in !"
es pulses already numbed with horror, seer
If to stop beating entirely. "Let me in,
hat me in" No. IT'S only the voice of
,rt. wind shrieking out its ruthless fury, sou
ste ing and sailing among the leafless branC
nj. Let me in, let me in p' rattling
,ne sweeping in fierce gusts down the chin
ID at me In Lat ma In y trhn hnloG,l 4