The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-06-20

pressed than ever. Yes, 1 sat, I sup
pose, for half an hour, strangely disin-
clined to move, but listening eagerly,
and wondering if 1 should hear the
knock again but it never came, the ST.
lence was unbroken.
Very little light now remained in the
apartment, and my gaze from my cor
ner fell upon the picture on the chair !;
it was about the only object discernible,
the rays of the twilight lingering longer
of course just beneath the high window.
Still merely regarding this object me-
chanically, l can hardly say what twas
that first seemed to make me look at it
with any thing like an attentive interest,
that first made me feel that was look
ing at it with my brain as we'll as my
eyes. I i'm" CINE it must have been a
certain sense of surprise at seeing it so
plainly, all else being very obscure. At
any rate, could now make out the form
and outline of the animal in strong con-
trast to the even half-toned back ground
of the canvas, and in way that l did
not think had been able to do before
Yes, there was the crouching creature,
whatever it was, dark and mysterious,
though with kind of iridescent light
about it, that made it palpable, plain,
even to nv imnerfect vision. A leopara
or cheetah surely, painted with an i'm
mense force and life-like vigor, and
represented as if in that writhing,
crouching attitude which Immediately
precedes the spring upon the prey. A
subdued flashing fire was almost visiblein
the animals eyes, the long curved tail
seemed upon the point of lashing itself
with the 1.-THE rage of the wild beast. l
grew quite excited as l discerned these
details, these striking evidences of the
artists skill. Really, the creature SEEM
ed almost alive, almost moving. So true
to nature was it that, as the fact i'm
pressed me, the chill and. dread under
which had before been laboring were
immensely increased, and, nervous and
miserable as | was, there started cold
drops upon my brow. Shrinking more
and more within myself, my teeth chat
tering, and with a horrible sense of
sitting, l was about to rise in sheer dis
may, when l was brought to my feet,
aghast and in actual terror, by plainly
seeing the animal move. Yes, undoubt-
eddy, for moment distinctly, there was
a writhing motion, and then, with one
angry sweep of the tail, the creature
seemed to spring forward into the black
ness of the room, and there remained
nothing upon the chair apparently but
the pale, plain, even-tinted tone of the
canvas! l rushed to the door panic
stricken, seized my hat from the table
in the ante-room, fled down the stairs,
and out of the house.
The pleasant evening air revived me !;
1 began to collect myself little, and to
question whether 1 had not been great
fool-a nervous, highly-wrought, I'M
reasoning fool. Was not like fright
ened child, dreading to be alone in the
dusk, and who in its panic endows with
life the shadow of some simple object,
and thinks it has seen a bogiep No, re-
fused quite to accept this as the expla-
nation. Out of condition as I was, was
not yet quite an imbecile; my wits had
not all deserted me, and nothing, upon
further consideration, would ever pur-
suade me that had been the prev of a
mere hallucination. That there had
been an unaccountable knock at my
door, | would swear with my last breath,
and that cold shivering state which has
supervened was no fancy. 1t was gone
now; l was perfectly calm, and save for
one great anxiety-my sight-un-
troubled. Turning and looking up at
the house as it stood, formal and gloomy
in the twilight, for an instant 1 thought
OF re-entering, but recoiled from the
idea as soon as formed. No, I could
not go back alone; weak, idiotic, con-
temptible as my conduct might seem,
shrank from the thought Of entering
those dusky rooms again without COM
panion. l was not forbidden to 90 out
OF doors in twilight or at night, and l
determined to walk round to my Doctor,
and as he knew the rooms to confide in
him, and asked him as a favor to 90
back with me for while. Unluckily,
as then thought, he was from home
had gone into the country, and would
not return until the following morning.
Clearly l could not expose my weakness,
If such it was, to any one else. knew
no one else in the place, and not speak
ing German, could not attempt an ex-
PLANTATION, even had | been willing, with
the porter or with the waiter from the
hotel whence l had arranged my meals
were to be sent. There was nothing for
it then but to go back alone, unless l
choose to rouse my servant, and really
that would be too foolish; no, l must
face it myself. So, plucking up cour-
age, l went straight back, re-entered the
rooms, the doors of which l found
just as | left them, slightly
aJar; lighted candle, walked
boldly up to the picture on the chair
and examined it. There was the animal,
spotted beast, panther, cheetah, what
ever il WAS exactly ,,axr 6rst aaa,,el