The Red Cloud chief., 1882-09-22

- stsfke. vhea be ssddsoly tsEssd.
I'D with . shrek Prang q -
struck. however. bat the blow SeIl upoa
his shoulder.
Then Ne INST and clisched Ia = strug.
dc a lie snd DEATH I sxerted MI my
strength, and We swsyed from one end
Of the room 70 the other. Why did MOI
Mr.. Carver come 70 my asaissance? Sure
y he heard the noise oar struggling oc-
caioned. but no help came. The
breath al my mad antagonist seemed
oames - IL touched my face. and soon
Or than I had thyught | was home 10 thu
floor, where 1 Law weak and completely
in his power. He bent over me and
took from his pocket . vial. the con-
tents Of which ] saw At . glance were
prussic acid. / saw his object and tie
speedy death 10 store for me.
] tried 10 scream. but my effort pro-
duced nothing but . whisper. which
made the fend grin triumphantly. Sud.
denly he seized the cane and thrust one
end Of il into my mouth. To prevent me
closing Il against the poison. He then
uncorked the vial, and gradually low
cred IL.
Was there no help? Mr. Carver and
his wife must be initiating the seven
sleepen. Thus I thought at that dread.
full hour. The poison was within reach
Of my lips. My prayers (,he fist ] had
said for years) were going aloft, when
q noise near the 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 we're slow, and l 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 10
bearing her away.
EYES," he said aloud. addressing the
dead, 81 will restore thee TO life. We
will live in Heaven forever. then. We
will be happy. will be King and thou
shalt be Queen. How grand. Carlotta.
] will huri Jupiter and Juno from their
thrones and we will occupy them Ha!
ha.'
BY this time I fe!t my strength fully
regained. and. grasping the cane. I
cautiously rcgained my feet. I stood
upright q moment without attracting
the maniac's attention; then l sprang
forward and brought the heavy cane
with ali my might down upon his I'M
protected head. He sank to the floor.
the blood trickling down his forehead
like great beads. He was inscnsible.
/ placed Carlotta in her coffin. and
hurried down stairs to the chamber of
Mr.. Carver and his wife, which l found
with some difficulty, for it was in q
part of the house. l wondered
not they heard not the madman's
or our struggle succeeding it.
accompanied by Mr.. Carver. re-
turned to the room. where we found the
in the position I had left him.
We dressed his wound. secured him with
ropes. and the following morning he was
taken to a lunatic asylum from which
no had escaped.
From my friend l learned that the
mailman was named William Comstock,
and was q chemist by profession. He
iuu IOScu tuc DcautiIul SdTtOtt3s anu
upon her refusal to wed him became in
'ane. After being an inmate of the
q week he effected his escape,
md all search for him was fruitless. II
supposed that when he heard Of her
icath-which he did by means unknown
% any person but himself-his crazy
brain conceived the plan OF stealing her
rom her coffin.
Poor Carlotta was buried, and rs /
stood by her grave. I recalled the
'cenes Of the past night, and shuddered
when ] thought how near death I had
been. Had not . rat made q noise in the
dresser, ! would not have met you to-
lay. reader.
hare sat up with the dead since.
but not alone; and whenever l am sum-
nOned to such duties | inquire il any
ssylums have lost any of their inmates
ately. That is what streaked my hair
With silver.