The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-12-26

her cunts fearful experience, which
had affected her mind and whitened
her hair when she was but nine or
ten years DID,:
Bessie Knowing had been invited
to spend the Christmas holidays with
an aunt living about ten miles from
Harper's Ferry. She accepted the
invitation, and in due time arrived
at her destination, where she was
warmly welcomed. Several other
guests had arrived a week previous
to my aunt, so that the house was
literally packed, leaving no accom-
mcdations for another visitor. On
the lawn, short distance from the
mansion, had been built one room
cabin. 1t had been comfortably
furnished by the hostess in anticipa-
tion of an emergency Of the present
character. The hostess stated to
her niece that she would be Obliged
to place her temporarily in this cabin
unless she objected to the arrange
Inent. Ny aunt was actually of a
bold, adventurous disposition, and
hacked the natural timidity of most
girls, so that she quietly agreed to
the plan. Tired out with her trip,
lshe told her aunt that she would like
ito retire early, so a fire was built ON
! the cabin hearth and everything
made comfortable for the night. My
aunt was accompanied by her hostess
to the cabin before she retired, and
sat with her for some time talking
over family affairs AS she started
to leave she discovered that the bolt
had been broken off the door, neces-
stating her locking the door ON the
outside to keep every thing secure.
This she did after bidding her niece
an affectionate goodnight. Aunt
Bess, after sitting by the fire for some
time, became uneasy and nervous, an
apparent premontion of what was
about to occur disturbing her. She
finally disrobed, and after replenish-
ing the fire, retired. She tossed
about uneasily for awhile, and then
fell into a fitful, restless slumber.
She awoke several hours later with q
violent start, the same uncanny in
stinct warning her of the close prox-
unity of some dread object The fire
was burning low ON the hearth, and
as the night was intensely cold, the
cabin was slowly getting chillier.
1t was near daylight, but she still
felt that horrible dread, as of APP
preaching calamity She listened
for some time, when she heard some
thing move once or twice under the
bed. She nearly tainted from fright,
but having treasured herself into the
belief it was merely dog, turned
over to go to sleep. Suddenly she
felt the bed move, accompanied by a
loud yawn. She was nearly overcome
as she realized that the strange in
mate was not, as she had imagined, a
dog, but, must be man. She lay in
constant dread for several minutes,
not daring to stir, for fear of betraying
her presence, but finally decided to
make sudden dash and gain the
door and liberty. She was on the
point of putting her resolve into ex-
ecution, when she suddenly remem-
bered that the door was locked on
the outside, and that she was practi-
cally prisoner at the mercy of the
unknown intruder. She lay quietly
in bed, moving neither hand nor foot,
the horror of the situation steadily
increasing, till she feared she would
lose her reason. The seconds and
minutes dragged their agnoizing
length along, till the first streak of
daylight appeared. The monster
several times during these awful
hours raised the bed, causing it's
occupant to experience untold agony
of apprehension.
Finally the object crawled out
from under the bed. 1t proved to
be man clothed in tatters, with the
fragments of heavy iron shackles
hanging 10 his wrists and ankles.
The hair and beard of the strange
visitor were tangled and unkempt,
the former hanging below his shout
ders. The brute stretched his full
length out by the fire, and, giving. a
grunt of satisfaction, fell into deep
sleep Tie occupant Of the bed, re-
alizing that at daybreak she would
inevitably be discovered, cast her
eyes wildly around for hiding
place. The heavily curtaincd recess
in one of the windows caught her
eye, and she instantly resolved to
make an effort to reach it. Raising
herself quietly on her hands, she
crept noiselessly from the bed, and
reached the window in safety. From
this point of vantage, she looked
with agonizing dread ON the sleeping
brute. Overcome with fatigue and
kear she was almost in the act OF
mixing to the floor, when she sud
My became aware of the baying OF
>nds and the rapid hoof beats OF
Hoping horses. They approached
Carer and nearer, till, she could dis
fnguish the excited voices of the
yriders. She realized suddenly that
they were on the track Of the strange
| Intruder, and silently prayed for i'm
mediate succor. The voice died
away in the distance, grew louder
md then sank fainter, the alternate
CONFLICT Of hope and fear almost rem