The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-04-29
Under the Bed.

The man under the bed does not al
ways prove myth. Perhaps it is an
actual fact that women who pray look
for him more regularly than others of a
less spiritual turn of mind; when the
good woman kneels at the bedside to
offer her devotions. it is the most
natural thing in the world for her to first
explore that historic territory and satisfy
herself that no concealed burglar is lis
tening. It is also a we'll authenticated
fact that pious woman in the suburbs
of London did discover the legs of a
bold, bad ouse-breaker sticking out
just as she began her petition. She did
not shrek, but went on with prayer
for that particular sinner that would
have melted the heart of a Newgate thief.
I wish that it might be added that he was
converted on the spot, came out, and was
pardoned, and afterward married the
petitioner. But trnth compels me to add
that the good woman was interrupted in
the most solemn part of her prayer by q
peal of laughter from the graceless
young brother who enacted the part of a
burglar.
More tragic was the story of the lady
who, travelling alone, stopped at an inn
and mentioned the fact that she had been
| followed and watched by villainous-
looking man with shock OF red hair,
whom she feared had designs upon the
valuabies which she carried with her.
As nothing was seen of him at the inn,
she retired for the night carefully lock-
| ing the door, and was soon in bed, leav-
| ing light turned up in front of a mir
ror. No sooner was her head on the pill
| low than she had distinct view of the
man with the red hair crouching under
the bed. She made no sound, but
| reached for a scarf she had laid near,
made itinto running moose and waited.
| The next morning when the servants
broke open the door, they found the lady
sitting up in bed, grasping with both
| hands the moose, in which she held the
strangled him, but was herself raying
| maniac, from whom reason had forever
! flown.
Some time ago prominent Judge in
| Birmingham, N, H., was found muir
| dered in his own honse, and no clue to
the murderer. It was Immediately after
an adverse decision he had made in a
case of great Importance, and the muir
der was supposed to have been instiga
ted by desire for revenge, but rs all
the parties were respectable people, it
was impossible to fasten the guilt on
any one. The Judge was widower and
! lived alone, with the exception of a
young daughter and the servants. This
daughter was beautiful, and on the even
| ing in question had returned home from
a ball at late hour and gone directly to
her own room, where she stood before
her mirror taking off her jewels. AS she
did SO, she held her white, rounded arm
above her, and conscious of its beauty,
said aloud: "What beautiful armp'
little thinking the idle remark of such
consequence as it proved to be in the
tragedy that followed. The girl both
saw and heard her fathers murderer, but
as he was masked, failed to distinguish
his features, but always declared she
| should know his voice if she ever heard
it. Several years passed and in another
city she was standing in crowd obsery-
| ing some passing sight, when she was
conscious of the curious regard of q
| stranger who stood near. Looking at
her with singular intensity, he male
this remark: .tOh, the beautiful armr'
She knew the voice in an instant, and
throwing herself bodily on the man, de-
nounced him as her fathers murderer.
lie was arrested, tried and convicted, and
told how he had lain hidden under the
bed and heard the idle remark of the
young girl which she herself had been
scarcely conscious of. He had recog.
nized her on meeting her, and inyolun.
I tariiy betrayed himself, as he had been q
stranger and an unsuspected party
/ Detroit Post