New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-04-17

lifted, half pushed 1t against the door.
Not content with this, she seized table,
| to increase the strength of her defence.
The leg was broken, and when she touch-
! ed it it fell with crash to the t1oof. A
long echo went sounding through the
house, and she felt her heart sink within
her. But the echo died away, and no
| one came; so she piled the fragments of
the liable upon the chest Of drawers.
Tolerably satisfied in this direction, she
proceeded to examine the windows. They
were all we'll protected with iron bars.
The walls were papered, and. after care
| full examination, seemed to contain no
signs of secret door.
| Mrs. Martin now sank down into a
chair to reflect en- her position. AS was
natural, after having taken all these pre-;
cautions, the idea suggested itself that
they might be superfluous, and she smiled
at the thought of what her friends would
say when she related to them the terrors
Of the night. Her child was sleeping
TRANQUILITY, It's rosy cheeks half buried in
the pillow. The fire had blazed up into
bright flame, whilst the unsnufed can
die burned dimly. The room was full of
pale trembling shadows, but she had no
superstitious fears. Something positive
could alone raise her alarm. She listen
ed attentively, but could hear nothing
but the bowling of the wind over the
root, and the pattering of the rain against
the window panes. AS her excitement
diminished, the fatgue-which had been
forgotten-began again 70 make itself
felt, and she resolved to undress and 90
| to bed.
| Her heart leaped into her throat. For
moment she seemed perfectly paralyzed.
She had undressed and put out the can
die, when she accidently dropped her
watch. STOPPING to pick it up, her eyes
involuntarily glanced towards the bed.
A great mass of red hair, a hand. and a
cleaning knife, were revealed by the
light Of the fire. After the first moment
OF terrible alarm, her pesence of mind re-
turned. She felt that she had herself cut
OF all means OF escape by the door, and
was left entirely to her own resources.
Without uttering cry, but trembling in
every limb, the poor woman got into bed
by the side Of her child. An idea--a
plan-had suggested itself. 1t had flash.
ed through her brain like lightning. 1t
was CAe ouly CHaHce lolt.
| Her bed was disposed that the robber
could only get out from beneath it by a
narrow aperture at the head without
making a noise; and it was probable
that he would choose, from prudence, this
means of exit. There were no curtains
in the way, SO Mrs. Martain, with terrible
decision aud noiseless energy, made a
running knot in her silk scarf, and held
it poised over the aperture by which her
enemy was to make his appearance. She
had resolved to strangle him in defence
of her own life and that of her child.
The position was an awful one; and
probably, had she been able to direct her
attention to the surrounding circum-
stances, she might have given way to her
fears, and endeavored to raise the house
by screams. The fire on the heartburn
attended to-had fallen abroad, and now
gave only a dull, sullen light, with an
occasional bright CLEAN. Every object
in the vast apartment showed dimly and
uncertainty, and seemed endowed with
a restless motion. Now and then
mouse advanced stealthily along the floor,
but, startled by some movement under
the bed, went securing back into it's hole
The child breathed steadily in its uncon-
scious repose; the mother endeav-
ored also to intimate slumber, but the
man under the bed, uneasy in his posi-
ton, could not avoid occasionally max
ing slight noise
Mrs. Martin was occupied only with
two ideas. First, she reflected on the ex-
traordinary delusion by which she had
been led to see enemies in the people of
the house and a friend in this red-haired
man; and, secondly, it struck her that as
he could fear no resistance from woman
he might push aside the chairs that were
in the way, regardless of the noise, and
thus avoid the snare that was laid for
him. Once even she thought, while her
attention was strongly directed to one
spot, he had made his exit, and was lean
ing over her; but she was deceived by
Pickering shadow on the opposite wall.
In reality there was no danger that he
would compromise the success of his
sanguinary enterprise; the shrieks of
victim put on his guard. might alarm
the house.
Have you'ever stood, hour after hour
with your fishingrod in hand, waiting
| with the ferocious patience of an angler
for nibble? If you have. you have
some faint idea Of the state of mind in
which Mrs. Martin-with far other inter-
ests at stake passed the time, until an
old clock on the chimney piece told one
hour after midnight. Another source of
anxiety presented itself-the hrc had
nearly burnt out. Her dizzy eyes could
! scarcely see the floor, as she bent with
fearful attention over the head Of the bed