Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-10-01
AN HOUR OF TERROR.

"If you please, ma'am," said Betsey,
the hired help, presenting herself in the
doorway with her arms dripping with
hot soap-suds, and her calico skirts fes-
TONED about her spare form in way
which Worth never would have mag
ined, "there's an insane man in the
barn."
| had just settled myself comfortably
down to my morning task of coloring a
cluster of slender stemmed blue hare
bells, which Donald had brought in, a
trophy of his before-breakfast walk up
the mountain. Baby was sweetly Sleep
ing under the pink lace draperies of her
crib. Tommy and little Donald were
fishing for minnows in the meadow
stream, and was heartily congratulate
ing myself upon the success of my idea
of renting mountain cottage, "far
from the busy haunts of men," for the
sultry summer months.
Where" quoth l, to myself, as l
glanced around the cool, little library,
with its homemade hangings of butter
1ly-patterned chintz, its japanese screens
and the decorated china which myself
had arranged on impromptu shelves and
brackets, Sin all the dusty, heated city,
will you find a nook like this, with the
scent of giant pine-trees floating in at
the easement, and the whistlingO of black
birds filling up the silenceP l declare, it
is enough TO inspire any onel / could
almost write novel, or an epic, if it
wasn't for pabv. and the children, and
Syllabus, and frozen custards, that
Betsey can't be got to comprehendln
Thus, Tapped in Elysian dreams, and
secure in my own estimation, Betsey'
announcement came like thunder.c clap
upon my hearing. 1 dropped my
camel's-hair pencil, and sat gazing
blankly upon her ghastly countenance.
"A--what?" gasped.
GAN insane man, ma'am," said Bet.
sey. Leastways, that's what Deacon
Gadsley shouted out, as he was a-gal
lopin' by on horseback to catch the
down train with the mailbag, hollerin'
good and loud, as he's aware l amt
quick o. hearin'. Tell your missis,
says he, 'to call the children in-there's
an insane man in the barn, says he"
"But, Betsey," cried /, involuntarily
clutching at the baby's crib, cit cant
be possible!"
"That's what Deacon Gadsley said
ma am, and I'll take my Bible oath tc
it," said Betsey, nodding her head, with
q countenance expressive of entire con.
viction.
"Then, why didn't he come to oul
helpP" | exclaimed, wringing my hand:
helplessly.
"Don't know, ma'am," said Betsey
"unless it was because the mail-train
like time and tide in the spelling-book
waits for no man.
But what are we to do?" | almost
sobbed, my courage and presence Of
mind nearly deserving me, as | pic
tured to myself the horrible vision of q
crazy lunatic dancing about among the
hatchets, scythe-blades and hay cutters
in the barn.
"Don't know, ma'am," said Betsey
viewing me with a sort of mild con
tempt, as one of the helpless city ladie:
who become pOwerless under the pres.
ence of any sudden emergency, Gun.
less you call in the boys, and lock the
barn-doors just as quick as possible"
| looked appealingly at Betsey.
"Betsey," said l, "would y0u mind
locking the barn doors, like dear, good
soul, WRITE I run aftor Ieo-,'al]- ~sa-sto..a-
my?"
Betsey cleared her throat emphatic.
ally.
"Not if know it, ma'am!" said she
81 hain't no more Partially than other
folks for crazy people, My uncle, he
was assistant-keeper in the huntsville
Lunatic Asylum, and he was choked tc
death by one of the patients forty-odd
years ago. And don't mean that sort
of thing shall run in the family, ma'am
not if can help it,"
"Then," cried l, driven to sudden re.
solve, "stay here with the baby, Botsey
Don't leave her, for your life, while ]
90 after the boys. Good heavens! II
the wretch should be attacking them
even now!n
With almost superhuman speed and
swifmess, ran down along the edge OF
the woods, seized Tommy and Donald
each by one hand, and dragged them
home, not even pausing to explain mat.
tiers to their bewildered little ears.
"Come, children-come!" | painted
"Oh, do make haste! We must get back
to the house Immediately
But I've left my fishing hook, mann
ma" pleaded Donald, with a longing,
lingering look over his shoulder.
Cant we stop in the barn, mamma, %
cried Tommy, "to see if Mr.. Jones has
sent the coSset lamb he promised us?'
"Children, " said l, pausing to regain
my breath, sat your peril keep away
from the barn! there is 4 crazy mar
there. Heaven only knows what VIC,
lence he may attempt TO pcrpetrate. Run
to the house-run as fast rs you can't
9lnd, pausing only to see them flying
like swat little antelopes, up the ter.
raced siopes of the lawn, | fastened
s-5siF+ianched cheeks and wildly-beatina
heart, to the barn, and was fortunate
/ rnOuorh tO spCuraNbOfb doors bv 'V-o,Jor