Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-02-01

Was going mad, or did my eyes play

~ ~ - ~ Az ~ -
Was I going mad, or did my eyes play
me false? Slowly, but Enthusiastically,
did the figure begin to stir: it moved
restlessly on its stony couch, and finally
sat upright clear and distinct in the
the terror that seized on me at this fear
eyes strained, lay as if fascinated, un-
able to take my eyes off the object of my
terror. This was certainly no trick of
imagination, but fearful reality. New
er had 1 experienced moments of such
mental agony as when 1 lay covering
among my wrapp:ngs, with straining
eyeballs fixed on that fearful thing
ghost. demon, what ?-mOving opposite.
Presently it rose and stood upright in
the aisle, looking around as If in search
of something. tried to draw one of
the druggets over my head, for I could
not bear the sight longer; but as NOV
ed yell rang through the stiffness, and
the figure rushed at me. How 1 found
power to rise know not, but l have
remembrance of mad flight down the
nave and round the aisles, with that
fearful pursuer behind-On, on, like q
vision in a dreadful dream; and then
another fiendish yell, a clutch of cold
fingers at my throat, and-darkness and
vacancy:
my dear madam, I assure you it is
only q fainting fit; our dear young pa
tient will be quite herself again in few
moments" were the first words that fell
on my ear as opened my eyes again to
consciousness. I knew the bland tones
of little DR.. Grey, our local Esculapius,
and their friendly and familiar sound
was so reassuring that struggled feebly
into sitting posture. and looked round
to find myself still in the church, but
the centre of an excited group of all the
magnates of Dullerton. Poor Aunt
Anne knelt at my side sobbing so hys.
terically that she split on the floor the
glass of water she tried to carry to my
lips. Dr. Grey, affable as ever, The
would have been affable at an earth.
quake was feeling my pulse; Mr. Scott,
Saunders, and quite asmall crowd stood
around.
20, my child, my poor, dear child !"
sobbed Aunt Anne, in incoherent self
reproach, II shall never, never forgive
myself-what you have undergone
and all my care1essness-but could any
one have imagined such thing hap
pening?"
SIS it" I began, shuddering, as the
events of the past came back on me with
all their horror.
"Calm yourself, my dear young lady,"
said DR.. Grey I'VE will not think any
thing about the disagreeable shock we
have undergone; there was nothing SUI
pernatural, only a very unfortunate ac-
cident; but we are all safe now, and we
shall go home and have q good nights
rest and forget all this annoyance"
It was some time, however, before I
enjoyed that "good nights rest" for my
nerves had undergone serious shock;
and some days passed before I was even
able to hear the explanation of my sad
venture.n :
Itappears that after had gone out
!. Aunt Anne's next-door neighbor sent
request that she would take tea with
her, az she was not quite we'll and want
ed cheering up. Kind hearted Aunt
Anne obeJed the summons, of course,
but on her return home about half-past
nine o'clock was greatly alarmed to find
, was not yet in. Molly, the maid, had
taken for granted had Joined her at
iety till her mistress returned alone
l
turned to the first man available in all
sudden calamities and Mr. Scott being
close at hand, she hurried off to him in
her alarm, while Molly started for the
cottage of Jim Bates, our local police
t man. Reused from his studies, Mr.
Scott remembered that had borrowed
, the key for the purpose of going to the
church some hours previously, and
thither he and Aunt Anne hurried
, Molly on her part encountered Jim
Bates in the street with q crowd at his
|, reels. I wss not the only person who
} had disappeared that evening. A pau
| per lunatic in our work house, who had
long been suspected of homicidal ten
denotes, had suddenly committed a
, murderous assault on another of tie in
mates, and escaped during the subse
quent confusion. For some hours Jim
Bates and his assistants had been scour-
[ ing the neighborhood in search of this
Dangerous maniac, till at last some one
recollected that Saunders and his wife
\ were cleaning in the church at the
/ time he effected his escape, and
that it was just possible he bad slip
) ped in there and been locked in
, This, in fact, proved to be the case.-
The lunatic must have been lurking in
the church when entered it; with the
restlessness of an infirm brain he had
wandered about, mimicking the atti.
tudes of the quiet efgies Ground, and it
was while thus posing" for Crusader
that he first attracted my attention. My
involuntary movement first drew his
attention to me, and reused him to an
other outburst of maniacal fury. I
have little doubt that owe my life to
the providantial entry of the party with
out, who heard my screams and the lu-
} | atic's yell, and rushed in just as he had
clutched me. The poor creature was
overpowered with great difficulty, and
taken back to the work house; he did
not survive many days, dying in one of
his paroxysms.
, 1t was some time before I recovered
!, from the effects of that terrible night !;
and even now, though thirty have rolled
away, the sight of a marble cross legged
Il Crusader on tombstone always gives
!, me an uncomfortable sensation.
have certainly never again wished
to encounter adventures :" my one ex-
} perience has fully satisfied me.
PEOPLE WE OFTEN HEAR OF. BUT
SELDOM SEE.-The boy who obtained q