The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-01-10

room, to leap from the window, when 1
heard a dog bark.
redoubled my cries. The bark of
the dog was followed by footsteps;
they came nearer, treading down fallen
branches, which cracked under the wei
come step. The next instant a man
came and stood under the window and
looked up at me. l perceived by his
dress that he was villager, probably
taking a short cut to his house. He
stood under the window; he seemed ter
Tiied; perhaps he took me for the
ghost. He was not, however, all a
coward, for h6 spoke.
"What is wrOngP' he said.
"This is wrong" l answered. al
am in extreme danger-eXtreme danger,
There is not a moment to lose. Go in
stantly--instantly wake up the
house, and say that l, Mrs. Crawford,
am in extreme danger in the tapestry
wing. Go at Once-at Once!'
IspOke distinctly, and the man seemed
to understand. He flew away, the dog
following him.
instantly threw myself on my knees.
and in the terrible moments that fol-
lowed l prayed as I had never prayed
before. Would the man be in time?
Must my young life be sacrhced?"
All no, God was good. l heard
joyful sounds; the thiefs attacks on the
door ceased suddenly, and the next in
slant the Squire's hearty voice was
heard.
. Let me in, Honor What is wrong,
chiIdP'
I did let him in, and his wife, and
several alarmed-looking servants who
followed after.
We instantly began to look for the
thief, but-mystery of mysteries-he
had disappeared.
That terrible man with the black
hair and white lock over his forehead
had vanished as completely as though
he had never been,
Except for the marks he had made
with his feet on the old oak door there
WAS not trace of his existence.
l believe the servants doubted that
he had ever been, and only thought
that the young lady who was foolish
enough to sleep in the tapestry cham
Ter had been visited by a new form of
the ghost. Be that as it may. we never
got clew to where or how the man
had vanished.
Ton years later was again on visit
TO the Aspen's Vale This time | did
not sleep in the tapestry room.
l now occupied a most cheerful.
modern and unghost-lille room, and
but for one circumstance my visit
would have been thoroughly unre-
markable,
This was the circumstance which
seems in wonderful way to point a
moral TO my curious tale. l paid my
visit b the Cliffords during the assizes
Squire Clifford. as one of the most in
tluential county magnates, was neces-
sarily much occupied with his magis-
terial duties during this time. Every
morning he went early into Lewis, the
town where the assizes were held. One
morning he told us of case which in
terested him.
He is a hardened villain" he said
" he has again and again been brought
before me, but he has never yet been
convicted. He IS unquestionably o
thief; indeed one of the most no
tOrious characters in the place; but
he is such slippery dog no jury has
yet found him guilty. Well, he is to be
tried again to-day, and 1 do hope we
shall have some luck with him this
time"
The Squire went away, and it came
into his wife's head and mine to pay
visit to the court and see for our
selves the prisoner in whom he was in.
terested
No sooner said than done We drove
into Lewis, and presently found our
selves in the large and crowded build
ing. When we entered the case under
discussion had not commenced, but
moment after fresh prisoner was ush-
cred into the dock.
81.
found my sight growing dim, l found
myself bending forward and peering
hard. The memory of an old terror
came back, and the sensation of a
couple of hours of mortal agony re-
turned to me again. Who was in the
prisoners dockP ] knew the man. He
was my guest of the tapestry chamber
of ten years ago.
There he stood, surly, Indifferent, with
his vast breadth and height, his raven
black hair, and that peculiar white lock
flung back from his brow. He did not
glance at any one, but kept his eyes on
the ground.
l could not contain myself; l forgot
everything but my sense of discovery.
started to my feet and spoke:
Mr. Clifford, | know that man; he
was in my room ten years ago. DOyOU
remember the night when | got the ter
rible fright in the tapestry chamber in
your house? There is the man who
frightened me. l could never forget his
face There he stands"
Whatever effects my words had on the
Squire and Judge, there is no doubt at
all of their remarkable significance to
the prisoner His Indifference left him;
he stared with wide-open and terrified
eyes at me. 1t was plain that if rec
Ognized him, he also recognized me.
Ali his bravadO left him; he muttered
something, his face blanched, then sud
denly he fell on his knees and cOveredH
with his hands.
My evidence was remarkable and con
elusive; and that day, for the first time,
Hercules Armstrong was committed to
prison. He had long been the terror
of the ncighborhOOd, and no one regret
ted the just punishment which had fall
en- on him. What his subsequent ca
reer may be / know not; this is the pres
ent end of a strange and perfectly true
story CGSSeWS Magazine.
The Classics in Germany.