The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-01-30

/ recumbent effigy, the figure was now
wanting. Y ct, as | looked across now
l distinctly saw a figure lying on the
/ slab. Mr. Scott has actually filed up
/ that blank tomb at last" / thought
I and l strained my eyes to distinguish
( what kind of a figure he had selected
/ Its legs were crossed, l was sure there
/ fore it must be a crusader. The only
/ distinct part about it was the crossed
/ legs, for pillar hid the upper part of
( the body from my view. Looking
/ steadily at it l fancied twas it only a
/ fancy y that the legs moved AS this
! pleasant idea occurred to me, the moon
/ again disappeared /; another few seconds
/ and it shone out again and ventured to
/ look across once more to reaSsure myself
/ There was no movement in the rigid
/ form but the legs were crossed no lon
ger. Could [ have been mistaken in
thinking they were so Impossible
/ Yet they were most certainly uncroSsed
now. Again the light waned, and again
! appeared. This time l lay looking with
| all my power, unable to move or stir
Was l going mad or did my eyes play
me false Slowly, but unmistakably,
did the figure begin to stir; it moved
! restlessly upon its stony couch, and final
/ ly sat bolt upright, clear and distinct in
the moonlight. l can not attempt to
describe the terror that seized on me at
this fearful sight, Never have | expe-
rienced moments of such mental agony
as when lay covering among my wrap
/ pings with straining eyeballs fixed on
that fearful thing-ghOst, demon, what?
moving opposite. Presently it arose
/ and stood upright in the aisle, looking
[ around as if in search of something.
/ tried to draw one of the carpets over my
head, for l could not bear the sight lon
/ ger but as ! moved yell rang through
the stiffness, and the figure rushed at
me. How I found power to rise l know
not, but l have remembrance of mad
fight down the nave and round the
aisles, with that fearful puTsueT behind
on, on, like a vision in a dreadful
Sdream and then another fiendish yell,
a clutch of cold fingers at my throat,
and-darkness and vacancy
s'AIy dear madam, L assure YOU it is
only fainting fit our dear young pa
tient viii be quite herself again in a few
moments" " were the first words that fel
upon my ear as l opened my eyes to con
sciousness. I knew the bland tones o.
b little Dr. Gray. our local Escuiapius, anC
their friendly and familiar sound wa
so reasSuTing that / struggled feebly in
: to a sitting posture. and looked round e
find myself still in the church. but tn
centre of an excited group of all tn
; magnates of Dullertou, together witt
, Aunt Anne and Mr.. Scott.
1t was some DAYS before l was suffic
f iently composed to hear the explanation
of my adventure "
It appears that after | had gone out
Aunt Anne's next door neighbor sent
request that she would taketea with be
3 as she was not we'll and wanted cheering
\ up. When she returned at half-pas
p nine, she was greatly alarmed to find
@ was not in: and hurried off to Mr. Scot
Y to give an alarm, while Molly, the sci
I want went for Jim Bates. our local pc
= liceman Reused from his studies, Nj
Scott remembered I had borrowed tn
l. key for the purpose Cf going TO tn
= church some hours previously, an
& thither he and Aunt Anne hurried
Molly, on her part, encountered il.
= Bates OF the street with crowd at h
+ heels. l was not the only person wh
< had disappeared that evening. A paJ
# per lmatic in our worlhouse. who ha
m long been suspected of homicidalsteT
~ denotes. had suddenly committed mU
I derous assault on another of the inmate
g and escaped during the subsequent col
:, fusion For some hours jim Bates an
.r his assistants had been securing II
u neighbOrhoOd in search Of this DANCE
m Gus maniac. till at last some one recO
70 Iected that Saunders and his wife we
# cleaning in the church at the time
effected his escape, and that it was ju
m possible he had slipped in there and WI
+. locked in. This, in fact, proved to
If the case The lunatic must have hee
,r lurking in the church when entered j
h. With the reSUleSSnesS OF an intiTm brai
1e he had wandered about. mimicking Il
,r attitudes of the quiet eiligies aroun
,G and it was while thus posing for or
III sader that he first attracted my atte
as ton. Ny involuntary movement fiji
: drew his attention to me, and rous'
- him to another outburst of maniac
fury. 1 have little doubt ! owe my Ii
s. to the prOvidential entry Of the par
ne without, who heard my screams and t
We lunatic's yell, and rushed in just as
IT. clutched me. The poor creature W
e. Oyerpowered with great difficulty, a.
T taken back to the workhoUse he d
n not survive many days, dying in one
IN his paroXyiSmS.
ev Il was some time before / recover
a from the effects of that terrible nigh
Ilv and even now, though thirty years ha
,e- rolled away, the sight of, a crOss-legg
M crusader on a tombstone always gI'
as me an uncomfortable sensation. l Ia
nv certainly never again wished to encoJ
X ter adventures. -'-LoHdoT Society.