Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-06-02

colloquy.
~ am not particular-I don't care
where you put me, only make haste"
So was conducted up steep ladder
that stood in the corner of the room
into an apartment ceiled with sloping
beams and ventilated by one small win
dow, where cot bedstead crowded
close against the board partition, and n
pine table with two or three chairs
formed the sole attempts at furniture.
The woman sat the light-an old oil
lamp-on the table.
II hope you will sleep well, sir.
When shall ] call you ?"
cat o'clock in the morning, if you
please. l must walk over to R sta
tion in time for the o'clock express"
"rll be sure to call you, sir"
She withdrew, leaving me alone in
the gloomy little apartment. sat down
and looked around me with no very
agreeable sensation.
"I will sit down and write to Alice"
l thought; " that will soothe my nerves
and quiet me, perhaps"
descended the ladder; the fire still
glowed redly in the hearth beneath; my
companion and the woman sat beside il
talking in n low tone, and third person
sat at the table eating-a short, stout.
Misunderstanding man, in a red flannel
shirt and muddy trousers.
asked for writing materials and re-
turned to my room to write to my wife.
Ny darling Alice"
paused and laid down my pen as
concluded the words, half smiling to
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
slumber. AS / folded my paper hap
pened TO glance toward the couch.
Was it the CLEAN of human eve oh
serving me through the board partition,
or was it my own fancy? There was a
crack there, but only blank darkness
beyond, yet l could have sworn that
something had sparkled balefully at
me.
| took ont my watch it was o'clock
1t was scarcely worth while for me to
undress for three hours' sleep. | would
lie down in my clothes and snatch what
slumber l could. SO placing my yalisc
at the head of my bed and barricading
the lockless door with two chairs, ex-
tinguished the light and laid down.
AT first | was very wakeful, but grad
ually soft drowsincss seemed to steal
over me like a misty mantle, until
all of q sudden n startling. electric
thrill coursed through my veins, and
sat up excited and trembling.
Aluminous softncss seemed to glow
through the room-no ligh. of the
moon or stars was ever so penetrating
and by the little window | saw Alice.
my wife, dressed in floating garments
of white, with her long golden hair
knotted back with blnc ribbon. Ap.
parently she was coming to me with
outstretched hands, and eyes full Of
wild, anxious tenderness.
l sprang to my feet and rushed to.
ward her, but as / reached the window
the fair apparition seemed to vanish into
the stormy darkness, and | was left
alone. At the self-same instant the
sharp report of a pistol sounded-I
could see the jagged stream Of fire above
the pillow, straight to the very spot
where ten minutes before my head had
lain.
With an instantaneous realization OF
my danger | swung myself over the
edges Of the window, jumping some ten
feet into the tangled bushes below, and
a. crouched there. recovering myself,
heard the tramp of footsteps into my
room.
els he dead p cried voice up the
ladder-the smooth, deceitful voice of
the woman with the balf-closcd eyes.
"Of course he is" growled q voice
back; "that charge would have killed
ten men certain"
A cold, agonizing shudder ran through
me. What den of midnight murder
ers I had fallen into And how fearfullv
narrow was my escape
With the speed that only mortal ter
ror and deadly peril can give, / rushed
through the woods, now illumined by
faint glimmer Of starlight. / know not
what impulse guided my footsteps-I
never shall know how many times I
crossed my own track, or how close
stood to the deadly ravine-but
mcrciful Providence encompassed me
"A n