The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-11-28

coward, for he spoke.
"What is wrong7" he said.

q coward, for he spoke.
"What is wrong7" he said.
"Ths is wrong" answered 81 am
in extreme danger--extreme danger.
There is not moment to lose. Go IN
stantly-instantly, and wake up the
house, and say that !, Mrs. Crawford,
am in extreme danger in the Tapestry
wing. Go at once--at once"
l spoke 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
followed l prayed as I had never pray.
ed before. Would the man be in
time Must my young life be sacri-
feed Ah no. God was good. /
heard joyful sounds the thief's attack
on the door ceased suddenly, and the
next instant the squire's hearty voice
was heard
"Let me in, Honor What is wrong,
childi'
/ 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
/ NTH h,o fnnt tb, al lno-
there was not trace of his existence.
| 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
Der had been visited by new form of
the ghost. BE that as it may, we
never got clue to where or how the
man had disappeared.
Ten years later l was again on a
visit at Aspen's Vale. This time I did
not sleep in the Tapestry room.
l now occupied most cheerful,
modern and unghost-like room, and
but for one circumstance my visit
would have been thoroughly unre-
markable.
This was the circumstance which
seems in a wonderful way to point a
moral TO my curious tale. l paid my
visit to the Cliffords during the As
sizes. Squire Clifford, as one of the
most influential county magnates, was
necessarily much occupied with his
magisterial 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 interested him.
''He is hardened villain he said +;
she has again and again been brought
before me, but has never yet been con.
victed. He is unquestionably a thief {;
indeed, one of the notorious characters
in the place but he is such a slippery
dog, no jury has yet found him guilty.
Well, he is to be tried agaiu to-day,
and 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 ourselves
the prisoner in whom he was inter-
ested.
No sooner said than done. We
drove into Lewis, and presently found
ourselves in the large and crowded
building. When we entered, the case
uader discussion had not begun, but a
moment after a fresh prisoner was
ushered into the dock.
What was the matter with met l
found my sight growing dim, l found
myself bending forward, and peering
hard. The memory of an old terror
came back, the sensation of couple of
hours of mortal agony returned to me
again. Who was in the prisoners
| dockf l knew the man. He was my
gnest 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. Do
you remember the night when l got
the terrible fright in the Tapestry
chamber in your house There is
the man who frightened me. could
never forget his face. There he stands"
! Whatever effects my words had on
the Squire and the Judge, there is no
doubt at all of their remarkable signif-
icance to the prisoner. His indiffer
snce left him; he stared with wide
open and terrified eyes at me. 1t was
plain that | recognized him, he also
recognized me. All his bravado left
him; he muttered something, his face
was blanched, then suddenly he fell on
his knees and covered it with his
hands.
My evidence was remarkable aud
conclusive; and that day, for the first
time, Hercules Armstrong was COM
mitted to psison. He had long been
the terror of the neighborhood, and no
one regretted the just punishment
which had fallen on him. What his
subsequent career may be know not /;
this is the present end of strange and
M NIxRt t.a.,A A,N