Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-10

best men Of the force are on his track, |
and 1 don't think he'll slip through |
their fingers. II IL a puzzle 10 ME, |
though, where he can be In hiding here !
abouts; the country Is 30 open, should !
think he'd find Il hard work 10 keep
cOver.n
The gentlemen we're still discussing
the matter when we left them. As /
stopped on the upper landing 10 say
goodnight 10 Eleanor-her room was AZ
the opposite end OF corridor from
mine--a blast OF wind struck the great
staircase window behind us and one Of
the shutters, partially torn from It's fas-
tening, came crashing against the glass
with q noise that reverberated like
thunderclap through the quiet house. ]
threw both arms around Eleanor, with
a terrified scream; and the next mo-
ment, realizing my folly, and weak
from the nervous strain Of the evenings
talk, burst into a passion Of hysterical
crying.
"My dearl' said Eleanor, "my
dear l"--and held me TO her, smoothing
my hair with her strong warm hand.
You must not stay alone such q night
as this, in that great room Of yours, you
foolish child" she said. "Why, we
should have you in brain fever before
morning, Ellicel What do you say TO
my making you visit for the nightP
might be useful in tying up shutters, you
know, or soaring hobgoblins; and you
might find little leisure to sleep. Shall
1 Gomez"
tearfully entreated her to come
was not a heroic young person,
you may perhaps have remarked
and we were soon established In the
great room 1 was then occupying. /
had given up my own private and par
ticular little "bOWer''-a COSY, sunny
place opening directly from Aunt Hes
ter's room-to a small cousin, who, be-
ing still young enough to need occa-
sional peepings in upon during the night,
was naturally established as near Auntie
as possible. This being the only room
then vacant, was forced to take pos
session of it. And what a room it was !
Quite large enough, l am sure, for a
small banqueting hall; it had been the
state bedchamber in colonial days. II
had too many doors for one even to be
sure one had counted them correctly I;
and every door, like the windows, was
curtained with some heavy, somber
drapery; and the floor and wainscotings
were Of dark wood. You can fancy it
was a cheerful sleeping-place for a nerv-
GUS person, on a stormy night.
We prepared for bed slowly; and
while was brushing out my hair by the
fire, Eleanor was ''rummagingH' hither
and thither about the room, bringing TO
light its many quaintnesses, and seem
ing to enjoy herself heartily. OPENING q
drawer in tall old cabinet which stood
near one of the curtained alcoves, she
CHANGED upon some odd bits Of bric-a-
brac that Interested her for she fingered
long over them. noticed that one OF
them, as she lifted it, seemed to have, in
the freight, the CLEAN of steel; and
was about to ask her what it was, when
the wind, suddenly scurrying down the
wide chimney, sent the Goals flying ovel
and beyond the hearth and in the hur.
ry of gathering them up, l forgot my
curiosity.
Not long after, we blew out our can
dlesi and, comforted and protected by
the sense of Eleanor's dear and strong
companionship, it was not long before
fell asleep.
woke suddenly, with a sense of sti
fling and oppression, and became con
scious that 1 was struggling with botf
hands to free myself from some weigh
4 which was being close pressed agains
my face. My eyes once fully open,
saw, to my amazement, that it was tht
coverlid from whose pressure over my
mouth was struggling 10 free myself
and that Eleanor's hand held it there.
She was very pale; there was no colo
in all her face but the burning gray o
her eyes and they were looking dow
into mine with such a acommand in then
to be silent and motionless as no spokeI
word could have made more forceful.
In the moments pause, after my con
sciousness fully came, l heard the dis
tant clocks across the river strike one
Then the storm, which had lulled a mo
ment, broke forth again with a roar a
of loosened demons and through the
tumult, Eleanor spoke, in whisper 81
low that senses less terror-keen thai
mine could not have caught o word:
"Ellice, / want you TO be perfectl
quiet. 1 have held this against you
mouth for fear that, waking, you Nigh
cry out. If you will keep quite quiet
and do as l. bid you, you will save bot
+ our lives.n
1 solemnly believe that if she had said
. instead, If you scream, you will los
both our lives,i' I'should have screame
I outright, in the madness of helpless fear
But those words, {. save our lives" he'll
I just hope enough to lift me out of th
terror Of the moment toward pOssibl
self-possession. -ias.I will be quiet, ="
, tried to whisper, but my dry lips ooul
= only form the words soundlessly.
"Yes, believe you will, she said
4 and took away tho pressure from m
/ face. "Listen, there is a man in tha
, closet yonder; have seen him. II
} lpushed aside the curtains to come ont
) but he heard the servant stirring in th
) rooms above, and closed the curtains t
g wait till all was quiet. That must hav
| been half an hour ago. He will tr
: again, soon.n tPaEt4 "a.
She paused moment, for the storI
D had lulled again, and she feared ths
: even her breathless whisper might b
!. heard. AS the wind rose again, sh
= went on: t.. ..l.t
"There is loaded pistol yonder, /
Q the upper drawer of that cabinet.
+ saw it there tonight. want it. Wit
o it in my hand, shall be perfectly SAT,
d l shall presently speak aloud, as if I
d wake you shall moan, as If 10 pain
s and shall beg you to bring me th
f vial of laudanum in that drawe
/ And you will cross the room
: and bring me that pistol. And then
9 shall bid you go to the next room fc
blankets to wrap me in, and you viii
8 once outside this door, rush to Unc