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

Aspen's Vale,
think / have implied that was
brave. In my girlhOod, in my short
married life, even in the sad depression
of my early widowhood, | had never
known physical fear; nevertheless, when
the last of Warden's footsteps echoed
out and died, and that profound still
ness followed which can be Oppressive,
L had curious sensation.
/ did not call It fear, | did not know
it for thot grim and pale-faced tyrant;
but 1t made me uncomfortable and
caused my heart 10 beat irregularly.
The sensation was this-I felt that |
was not alone.
OF course it was fancy, and what had
| to do with fancy?
| determined to Danish this uncom-
Portable feeling from my mind, and
stirring the fire to n cheerful blaze, /
drew one of the black oak chairs near
it and sat down,
Warden had looked so pale and fright
cncd before she left me that, out Of con
sidcration for her feelings. | had al
lowed her to leave the jewels which |
had worn that evening on the dressing
table.
There they lay, a set of very valuable
brilliants. There was an old-faSnioned
mirror over the mautel-piece, and as /
sat by the fire / saw the reflection of
my diamonds in the glass, As / no.
ticcd their sparkle, again that strange
sensation returned; this time more
strongly, this time with cold shiver,
| was not alone.
Who was in the tapestry chamber?
Was II the ghost? Was that story true,
after all? OF course l did not believe
it. | laughed aloud as the idea came
to me. felt that | was getting quite
silly and nervous, There was nothing
for me but to get into bed as quickly as
possible,
was about to rise from my easy
chair and 90 over to the old-fashioned
foUr-poster, when again my attention
was attracted to the glass over my head.
1t was hung in such a way as to reveal
large portion of the room, and now
saw, not the diamonds, but-sOmething
else.
In the folds of the dim and old-world
| tapestry | saw something move and
glitter. l looked again; there was no
installing tit was an Eye, a human
eye, looking fiXedly at me through a
! hole in the canvas. Now l knew why
l felt that | was not alone,
There was some one hidden between
the tapestry hangings and the wall Of
the chamber. Some One-not ghost.
That eye was human, or l had nnvcr
looked on human eve before. | was
alone with thief, perhaps with worse,
! and gems of immense value lay within
his reach. l was absolutely alone, not
a soul could hear the most agOnized cry
| for help i'm this distant room.
Now l knew--if l had ever doubted it
beforc-that was very brave woman.
! The imminence of the peril steadied
| the nerves which n few minutes before
were beginning strangely to quivor.
neither started nor exclaimed. | felt
that | had In no way betrayed my
knowledge to my terrible guest. l sat
! perfectly still. thinking out the sitia-
ton and my chances of escape.
Nothing but consummate GOODNESS
could win the victory. l resolved to be
very cool. With fervent and passion
! ate cry to One above for succor, rose
/ from my chair, and going to the dress
| ing-table, l slipped several costly rings
off my fingers, l left them scattered
carelessly about. l denuded myself Of
| all but my wedding ring,
Then put the extinguishers OH the
/ cand,Cs-they were wax and stood in
| massive silver candlesticks. The room.
! however, was still brilliant with the
| light of the fire on the hearth
got into bed. laid my head on the
/ pillow, aud closed my eyes.
/ 1t may have been ten minutes it
seemed more like an hour to my strained
| senses before l heard the faintest
movement. Then / discovered a little
rustic behind the tapestry, and a man
/ got out, When he did so l opened my
| eyes wide; at that instant he could not
/ nnGGihlN- hot bpgs tbatr
shut. He was powerful man of great
height and breadth. He had a black
beard and a quantity Of thick black
| hair. | noticed his features, which
were tolorably regular.
l also noticed another popularity;
among his raven locks was one perfect
/ ly white. One rather thick white luck
was flung back off his forehead so
white was il that the freight instantly
revealed it to me.
The man did not glance toward the
bed; he went straight, with no particu-
larly quiet step, to the dressing-table.
closed my eyes now, but l heard him
taking up my trinkets and dropping
them again. Then he approached the
bed SIDE. felt him come close; felt
his breath as he bent over me. was
lying on my side; my eyes were shut; ]
was breathing gently.
He went away again; he returned to
the dressing table. | heard him rather
noisily strike a match; then with a
lighted candle in his hand he once
more approached the bed. This time
he bent very low indeed and l felt the
heat of the flame as he passed it softly
| before my closed eyes. l lay still,
| however; not movement, not a hur-
ried breath, betrayed me.
heard him give a short, satisfied
sigh. Again, candle in hand, he re-
turned to the drCssing-table. Once more
/ heard the clinkjng sound of my trink-
cts as they fell through his fingers.
There was pause, and then-for no
reason that l could ever eXplain-he
left the trinkets untouched on the table,
and went to the door.
He opened the door and went out I
did not know what he went fOr-per-
haps to fetch companion, certainly to
return but l did know that my OPP
portunity had come.
In an instant, quicker than thought
l had started from my feigned slum,
bers; [ was at the door. l had bolted
and locked it. There were several bolts
to the old-fashiOned door, there were
even chains.
drew every bolt, made every rusty
chain secure. | was not an instant too
soon. had scarcely fastened the last
chain, with fingers that trcmbled, be-
fore the thief returned.
He saw that he had been outwitted,
and his savage anger knew no bounds.
He kicked at the door, he called on me
wildly to open it; he assured me that
he had accomplices outside, that they
would soon burst the old door from its
hinges, and my life would be the forfeit.
To my terror 1 perceived that his