The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-11-10

to tall forever.
This shrek had given in reality, and
by it had awakened my husband, who
shook me violently and said:
awake up! You're dreaming.
Dreaming, sobbed l, "and the wing,
the ghost, the grave-that horrible grave
into which fell. Oh"
But more frightful than all | had seen
in my dream was the face of my husband
at that moment. He stood beside the bed
in the moonlight his face was livid, his
hands clenched spasmodieally. | hid my
face in the pillow, but he was leaning to-
ward me and kissing into my ears the hor-
rible words:
clark you, my lady. Another word of
this devilish wing, and the ghosts and the
graves that your head is added with, and
! III choke the life out of you, as did,
but here he caught himself with an oath,
and, snatching up dressing gown from a
chair near by, he left the room.
Next day, in imagination, occupied the
room of nv dreams [ could not escape
from it, and soon I learned to dread the
nights that brought me dreams, and the
DAYS that were filled with the shadows OF
the nights. | became so weak and i'll that
| begged my husband to take me away,
and he, having business in the mountains,
and not wishing to leave me alone too long
to pry into his secrets, took me with him.
Change of scene and faces soon restored
me to health, and l was not sorry toreturn
to the place | was obliged to call home,
when it was time to CO.
But when we had returned | again be-
came influenced by the uncanny air which
surrounded the house, and with the first
night returned my maddening dream.
Before morning | had come to firm
decision, which l started to carry out as
soon as I was left alone that day.
At nine o'clock / called the carpenter,
and told him to go to work at once, and
make door in that wall.
"Get some men to help you" | said,
''for I want the opening made before three
o'clock.
When he had gone for his tools and men,
1 became giddy with nervousness, and
when, shortly after, heard the blows on
the wall, I tainted.
After some hours [ was again myself,
and, fearing another attack of nervousness,
[ sent note by the gardener to Briggs,
nv guardian, telling him to come to me at
once, as | needed him. In the early morn
ing | had taken the precaution to send
Frau Stable on a visit to her cousin in
Oakland, so I did not have her to fear
1t seemed hours before my much-needed
friend arrived, yet it was in reality but a
few moments. | sobbed aloud when saw
him, but managed, between tears and lu-
dicrous attempt to keep from laughing, to
tell him my dream, its effect upon me, and
nv rash act of breaking into the wing to
satisfy my curiosity. My guardian took
my hot hands into his cool palms, and said :
''My poor child, this OWLS nest and the
owl have worried you into fever. | am
going to send for physician and send you
to bed. | am also going to remain here
till Mr.. Finger returns, so l may shield
you from any anger he may feel or ex-
press the work shall go on, and your Gu
riosity shall be gratifed.
The doctor was sent for, and when he
came, [ was ordered to bed. [ meekly
went, but felt that no power on earth
would keep me there long.
| took, before getting into bed, draught
the doctor left for me, and before many
minutes was fast asleep.
For six weeks 1 raved with fever, during
which time, they told me afterward, L
talked of my mother, my husband, some
strange room, and chord of music that
invariably made me shiver and try to bury
my head in the pillow.
When I was able to speak nationally and
have my questions answered l asked my
faithful friend Briggs to tell me how long
[ had been ILL., He then said:
II can tell you but little now, and you
must not get excited nor ask any questions
We found the room in the wing as you de-
scribed it to me; we also found the grave
under the floor, and coffin which we have
not vet opened. How the grave was dug
the coffin purchased and brought into the
house, and the wall built without attracting
attention, or leaking out, is mystery, and
must have taken fortune to keep down.
Frau Stable was certainly an accomplice,
for upon her return from Oakland, at four
o'clock on the day you were taken i'll, she
saw the work going on in the wing, and,
not waiting to ask any questions, she turn
ed and hurried away, Probably she went
to Mr.. Fingers Office and told him Of his
danger, for neither of them have been seen
or heard of since Possibly, my child, we
have discovered the mystery connected with
the disappearance of your mother" And
Briggs left the room.
I sank down into my pillows exhausted,
but happy, and my one thought was
"Free-free from him and from it Would
to Heaven 1 might blot my experience of
married life from my memory foreverl"
In week, during which time Briggs
visited me and consoled me every day,
| secretly decided to visit the wing which
had been black shadow over my life for
so many months. When ! reached the
foot of the stairs and saw the debris in the
hall felt faint, but controlled myself and
hurried on.
reached the opening, which was still
in the rough as the workmen had left it,
and, taking long breath as though for a
plunge in the sea, [ went in. How fright
fully familiar it was How still I! How
awful l went to the piano and seated
myself before it. [ dared not touch the
keys-I feared they would rattle like the
bones in "Danse Macabre' if l did, and
without realizing what [ did, [ leaned
my elbow on the music rack before me,
with my head upon my hand. A current
of air from the opening in the wall stirred
the curtains around me. [ started to my
feet, and as l did so my right hand dropped
heavily upon the keys. Once more the
horrible discord fell upon my ears.
Thoroughly unnerved and ill as | was, this
last was more than I could bear, and,
shrieking with terror, [ ran straight into
the folds of the curtain which had once
covered my husbands victim, and fell there
senseless.
They found me there hours after, and |
was taken, i'll as l was, from the house,
into which Lave never since returned.
Even now-ten years after-as | write
| look around me into the shadowy corners
of my little sitting room, and shudder at
the memory of those horrible days.
John Finger and his accompice have
never been heard of since their guilty flight,