The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-19
A NIGHT OF TERROR.

haunted me ever since 1 heard it.
Constantly at night, before / fall
asleep, l imagine each line in IN t
gnastiy tace-but this won't do. Ii l
must tell the story had best commence
at the beginning.
suent last summer at the seaside-it
was not in the leas a fashionable water
lng-place, but so quiet tnat the things
that w ould have been of little or no ill.,
terest elsewhere, there became wildly
exciting.
Among the new arrivals, one day,
there came party that Interested me to
an extraordinary uegree-a lazy Win
her daughter and maid.
The daughter, Mlss Linsee. Jennie
Linsee was one of those persons whom
yvu lcel sure has history. Tall. tan
naIr, with dark ey and sensitive
mouth. She was extremely handsome:
but her face was one of the saddest
ever saw IN my lie. l Thought ner lace
sad before | knew her, but atterWard, III
the pauses OF conversation, have seen
Lhat expression deepen, OF strengthen
rather, into one OF perfect misery.
Ouce III pai ticular l remember no.
ucmg this; we were speaking OF hands,
and l admired hers, ,ying that lhey
luoKed SO strong and yet were SO DELI
cutely shaped.
| woudel ed at the time what there
could have been in this .mple remark TO
distress and annoy her. But slnce I've
hearu ner story. understood not ohiy
tnls, but many other things lhaC seemed
very strange TO me.
Inree years ago Miss nsee was WIS.,
itlng lrlend-a young s.rl OF about her
own ugI-at her nome o. lle hudson.
L. WAS Il large, ram ling, country
mouse, with an uAusual number OF sleep
ng rooms, and jennie, on ner arr Ilval,
was the only guest, SO that on eacn slue
of npr the rooms were unOccu pea.
The evening she arrived ner friend in-
sis ed on het going to bed early, saying
| Lnat sne must be very weary; bat Jcnnlr
ms sJeu tnat she was not tIIed, and ab-
| soluttly refused to so to bed.
! Az last ii regular rUmp ensued, and
Jeunle's lrIenu locked ner gus IN her
room, suouled gDOd-nignJ tnIougn The
key-uole, and Ran laugu!hS uo"n Inc
long nall.
| Jsunle smiled as she listened to the
footsteps growing fainter and yet
laluter, ana then turning 10 LAe long
oval ulrror, proceeded " take down
ner h ,lr. AUS mirror reached from the
fl Jor to the ceiling, and hung directly
IuDposile tie b,d, ANA was partially
| urupeu with muslin.
/ As Jennie brushed her hair and indit
iereEIIy looked at herself, she iAncie"
that sut saw a movement amid the suad
vws about the bed. Sne looked again
the bcuslead was low and broad, Llt
shadows deep; but jeanne felt sure tna1
she was not mistaken, but that /
man lay eXtenued AT iull length on The
fl ,or.
For moment she was breathless will
intlulan
Ike, was TO scream; bat JENNIE Llnset
was no coward, and after minute or 81
, OF strong sel!-cUntroL, was rathe
/ amused AZ such an adventure.
II Will leave tue roum," she said II
her, eli, as il she had lol gotLen som
lining. land | Will turn the key on tn
nutsItie-rood heayensr' and she $1,000
= apvaIled at the Thought. Inc Goor wa
\ already locked! Wnat should she do
she dared not cali Tor help. A though
: struck ner.
ment forgot 10 tell you sometnlns."
Her voice trembled. Again and again
= she called. All was silent. She listenet
) for an answer. Was il Imagination, .
uld she hear Iaint muttereu oath iron
under the bed!
I At last sne decided to 20 to her be-
5 quietly, leaving uer watch, portmonnait
Z and lie Helry Wuere the man could easlly
y ret Lnem, and sue would pretend TO fal
asleep.
e First, she inclined the mirror, SO tina
!, living IN the bed she could see III IL III
u reflection ot every thing tnat went owe
D The roUm. Then going to the hre-pIac
:! she calmly lIgnted each candle III I'll
c branches, saying aloud, with a laugh;
d 81 nope shall not set the house 0
II | I lt n 1
), and | mean to have ap illumination 10
once"
Tnen. with an ilI-concealed shuddel
and Slowly, as il going to her own exc
cuuOn, Jennie Went TO bed.
, For hours it seemed 10 her, but W
, can not .eIl how long it was, Jennie LAY
: trying to breathe safely. yeC regu'a ll
: sLrain!ng her ears to catch the lalntes
t sound, ner eyes to see the slgut /
: mUY rmenJ unuer the bed.
!, Az last, in Tie mirror, she saw til
i dark body move. Sne could distinguis
: a hand With. Stay? Was that gleal
:" kniie!
. II am to be murdered, then," sh
u thought, ana With the calmness of de
I SPAR sne watched.
Ihe knife had a terrible fascinatio
= for ner; now it flushed in the blue Ign
u as the man slo Aly emerged from the be-
II crawling hat ON his lace.
e Was tuere nothing she could do
u Must she simply wait Until the man rOs
i 70 Kill her!
"It 1 only had rope," she though
Il could make a sAp.noOse ana tNro
: IL over his headV'
u so thinking, she mechanically glance
about Jue room. Her eye caugnt sigh
4 of IA picture hanging on the wall by
Il stout red cord. Qdck as thought tt
. picture was unhung, the cord in ht
} trembling hands. sac could hear IL
slow, cautious movements. Should ST.
be too late? At last the moose was mad
No need NOW TO watch the mirror.
The mans head and shoulders wei
:, all out from under the bed. AT that IN
W ment he raised himself and glanced
=" me mirror ana saw Jennie sitting u
= He saw her but one moment. He hal
q tu ned, with his legs and part OF hi
" body stllI under the low bed. But
= mat moment the moose fell over hin
:, and Jennie was pulling at the scarlt
o rope with all her strength.
. Tie next morning, Wnen the servar
= went 10 call Miss LIhsee, she knOcke
n again and again. Obtaining no repl
- Lne woman Went to her young mlstres
n telling her that her guest must be il
II AlIce was not in tho least disturbed, bl
q. with light song on her lips dance