The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-31

gnashing his teeth. ''You watch her!
No! by the lake Of sin! She is mine;
we were married in Heaven; our mar
riage is recorded in the Lambs book.
Yes, Carlotta, will take thee away"
stood for moment motionless, but
not idle. was determined to defend
my charge; to save the dead from be-
ing carried off by the maniac. Hooked
around the room for weapons. A heavy
hickory cane stood within my reach,
and eagerly L grasped it. The mad
mans face was turned from me, and
with upraised weapon / approached
him. Soon l WAS near enough / paused
to strike, when be suddenly turned,
and With shrek sprang at me- l
struck, however, but the blow fell upon
his shoulder.
Then we met and clinched in = struw-
gle of life and death. [ eXerted all my
strength, and we swayed from one end
Of the room to the other. Why did not
Mr. Carver come to my assistance? Sure
ly he heard the noise our struggling oc-
caSioned. but no help came. The
breath of my mad antagonist seemed
flames as it touched my face, and soon
er than had th)ught was borne to the
floor, where lay weak and completely
in his power. He bent over ME and
took from his pocket II vial, the con-
tents OF which saw ut glance were
prussic acid. L saw his object and the
speedy death in store for me.
tried TO scream, but my effort pro-
duced nothing but whisper, which
made the fiend grin triumphantly. Sud
denly he seized the cane and thrust one
end OF it into my mouth, to prevent me
n n IN hn t. 4.
corked the vial and gradually lowered it.
Was there no helpP Mr.. Carver and
his wife must be initiating the seven
sleepers Thus thought at that dread
ful hour. The poison was within reach
of my lips. My prayers (the first / had
said for years) were going aioft, when
a noise near tho coffin attracted tho
maniac's attention, and he sprang to his
feet and strobe thither.
He seemed to forget me, for he began
handling Carlotta again. His move
ments were slow, and / watched him
with my strength slowly returning. At
last, the coffin was tenantless, and its
tenant lay on the floor. The maniac
stopped and began to rearrange the dis
ordered grave clothes preparatory to
bearing her away.
YES" he said aloud, addressing the
dead. II will restore thee to life. We
will live in Heaven forever, then. We
will be happy. l will be King and thou
shalt be Queen. How grand, Carlotta.
l will hurl Jupiter and Juno from their
thrones and we will occupy them. Ha!
han'
BY this time l felt my strength fully
regained, and, grasping the cane, I
cautiously regained my feet. [ stood
upright a moment without attracting
the maniac's attentions; then l sprang
forward and brought the heavy cane
with all my might down upon his un-
protected head. He sank to the door,
the blood trickling down his forehead
like great beads. He was insensible.
placed Carlotta in her coffin, and
hurried down stairs to the chamber Of
Mr.. Carver and his wife, which found
with some difficulty, for it was in q
distant part of the house. wondered
not they heard not the madman's
shrek, or our struggle succeeding it.
In few moments l related my story,
and, accompanied by Mr.. Carver, re-
turned to the room, where we found the
maniac i'll the position had left him.
We dressed his wound, secured him with
ropes. andthc following IN Orning he was
taken to a lunatic asylum from which
he had escaped.
From my friend learned that the
mailman was named William Comstock,
and was chemist by profession. He
had loved the beautiful Carlotta, and
upon her refusal to wed him became in
sane. After being an inmate of the
asylum q week he effected his escape,
and all search for him was fruitless. 1t
was supposed that when he heard of her
dcath-which he did by means unknown
to any person but himsclf-his crazy
brain conceived the plan Of stealing her
from her coffin.
Poor Carlotta was buried, and as /
stood by her grave, recalled the
scenes Of the past night, and shuddered
when l thought how near death 1 had
been. Had not a rat made noise in the
dresser, [ would not have met you to-
day, reader.
| have sat up with the dead since,
but not alone and whenever I am sum-
moned to such duties inquire if any
asylums have lost any of their inmates
lately. That is what streaked my hair
with silver.