The Osceola times., 1879-02-15
! thought, "that will soothe my nerves
and quiet me, perhaps"

descended the ladder, the FIRE still
glowed redly on the hearth beneath
my companion and the woman sat besid,
it talking in low tone, aud third per
son sat at the table eating, short, stout
villainou+ looking man, in a red fanne
shirt and muddy trousers,
asked for writing materials and re
turned to my room to write to my wife
f, my darling Alice"
paused and laid down my pen as
concluded the words, halt smiling te
think what she would say could she
know Of my strange quarters.
Not till both sheets were covered did
! lay aside my pen and prepare for slum.
Der. As | folded my paper happened
to glance toward the couch.
Was 1t the CLEAN of human eye oh.
serving me through the board partition
or was it my own fancyY There was q
crack there, but only blank darkness be.
, yond, yet could have sworn that some.
/, thing had sparkled balefully at me.
l took out my wstch-it was one
O'CLOCK. 1t was scarcely worth while for
me to undress for three h0ure' sleep; !
would lie down in my clothes and snatch
what slumber / could. So, placing my
valise close to the head of NY bed, aud
barricading the lockleA door with two
chairs, ] extinguished the light and lay
down.
At first was very wakeful. but grad>
ually a soft drowsiness seemed 10 steal
over me like a misty mantle, until, all
of a sudden, some startling electric Thrill
coursed through my veins, and l sat up
excited and trembling.
A luminous softnees seemed to glow
through the r00m-no light Of the moon
or stars was ever 90 penetrating-and by
the little window saw Alice, my wife,
dressed in floating garments OF white,
with her long. golden hair knotted back
by blue ribbon. Apparently she was
coming TO me with outstretched hands,
and eyes full OF wild, anxious tenderness
sprang to my feet and rushed toward
her, but as reached the window the fair
apparition seemed TO vanish into tine
stormy darkness, and l was left alone.
At the self-same instant the sharp report
of the pistol sounded-I could see the
Jagged stream Of fire above the pillow
straight through the very spot where ten
minutes since my head had lain.
With an instantaneous realization OF
my danger swung myself over the win
dow, jumping some eight or ten feet into
tangled bushes below, and as crouched
there recovering my breath / heard the
tranpof footsteps into my room.
"Is be dead p cried voice up the
lsdder-the smooth, deceitful voice Of the
woman with the half closed eyes.
"Oi course he is," growled q voice
back that charge would have killed
ten men. A light there, quick and tell
Tom to be ready"
A cold, agonized shudder ran through
me. What den OF midnight murderer
had l fallen intol And how feariully
narrow had been my escaped
With the speed that only mortal ter
ror and deadly peril can give, l rushed
through the woods, now Illuminated BY
a faint glimmer of starlight. l know
not what impulse guided my footsteps-
| never shall know how many times
crossed my own track, or how close ]
stood to the brink OF the deadly ravine
but merciful Providence encom passed
me with guiding and protecting care
for when the morning dawned, with
faint, red bars of orient light against
the stormy eastern sky, / was close ia
the high road, some seven miles from
R.
Once at the town, told my story Ia
the police, and detachment ~as sent
with me to the spot.
After much searching, and many false
alarms, we succeeded in finding the ruin
Gus old house but it was empty-our
birds had flown; nor did ! recover my
vslise, and watch, and chain, which lat.
ter had left under my pillew.
"It's Drew's gang" said the leader oi
the police, "snd they've troubled III
these two years. ] don't think, though,
they'll come hack here just at present"
Nor did they.
But the straDgest part of my story II
yet to come. Some three weeks subse-
quently received letter from my sister
who was with Alice iu her English home
"a letter whose intelligence filed me
with surprise.
al must tell you something very, very
strange" wrote my sister, "that hap
pened on the night Of the i7th Of Jcto
Der. Alice had not been we'll for some
time; in fact, she had been confined Il
her bed for nearly week, and wa
sitting beside her reading. It was lat
the clock had just struck one-whel
all at once she seemed to faint away
growing white and rigid ~ . corpse.
hastened to call assistance, but all ou
efforts 10 restore animation was in vain
l was just about sending for the doctor
when her senses returned ~ suddenly q
they had lett her, and she sat up in bed
pushing up her hair and looking wildl,
around her.
Alice" exclaimed, how you hav
terrified US all Are you i'll 2"
"Not ILL.," she answered, "but / fee
70 strange. Oracle, i have been will
my husbandl
"And all our reasoning failed to cen
vince her of the impossibility Of be
assertion. She persists to this momen
that she saw you and was with you ol
the l7th Of October--or rather on tn
morning OF the 18th. Where and hov
she can not tell, but we think it mus
have been dream. She il better now
and l wish you could see how last she !
improving"
| This is my plain unvarnished tale.
do not pretend TO explain or account 70
is mysteries. l simply relate fact
! Lot r,svcholoUista unrav vel the lahvr,u