The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1885-12-26

untold agony of apprehension.
Finally, the object crawIed out from
under the bed, a chain clsnking dis.
mally In the intense stiffness. It proved
to be a mar clothed in tatters, with
the fragments of heavy iron shackles
hanging to his wrists and ankles. The
hair and beard of the strange visito,
were tangled and unkempt, the forme,
hanging below his shoulders. The
brute stretched his full length out BY
the fire, and giving a grunt Of satisfac.
ton fell into a deep sleep. The occu.
pant Of the bed. realizing that at day.
light she would inevitably be discoy.
cred, cast her eyes wildly around for 8
hiding-place. The heavily-curtained
recess in of the windows caught
her eye, and she instantly resolved to
make an effort to reach it. Raising
herself on her hands, she crept noise,
lessly from the bed, and reached the
window in safety. From this point OF
vantage she looked with agonizinp
dread on the sleeping brute. Over,
come with fatigue and fear, she was al,
most in the act of sinking to the floor
when she suddenly became war; OF
the baying of hounds and the rapid
hoof-beats of galloping horses. They
approached earer and nearer, till
she could distinguish the ex.
cited voices of the riders. She
realized suddenly that they were
on the track of the strange in,
truder, and silently prayed for imme.
diate succor. The voices died away in
the distance, grew louder, and then
sank fainter, the alternate conflict OF
hope and despair nearly rendering her
frantic. They again approached closer,
till they seemed to be just outside the
cabin door. While listening she had
unconsciously dropped the curtain
folds from her face, and suddenly
glancing in the direction of the fugi-
tive. she saw that he had also been
awakened by the confusion, and hav-
ing risen to his feet was glazing at her
face with an expression that left no
doubt as to his madness. For a mo.
ment she gazed fixedly into his eyes,
and then made an involuntary move
ment toward the door. The spell
which held the maniac was broken,
and he sprang toward her with a wild
snarl. The unfortunate lady gave a
scream of despair, and sank senseless
to the floor. As her eyes closed to I'M
consciousness she became dimly aware
OF a bursting crash and a terrific strug-
gle around about her. When she again
came to she was lying in bed
in her aunt's residence, sur
rounded by weeping relatives. The
terrible shock incident to the night of
horror resulted in an aggravated at
tack of brain fever, the effect of which
was such as to unsettle her reason. The
strangest part Of the story is, that dur
ing her illness her hair, which was of
a beautiful chestnut tinge, began to
change color, and ultimately became
white as you see it now. This. too, in
the period of a few weeks. She is at
long intervals apparently conscious Of
our presence, but has been pronounced
.hopelessly incurable by eminent physi-
clans, The maniac was the son of a
neighbor, and had been mad from
birth. He was considered so danger
Gus as to cause his being chained to the
wall Of an outbuilding. The night my
aunt arrived at her destination he had
broken his chains and made his escape.
His friends who made the discovery
shortly after it happened secured a
and started on his trail.
They traced him to the cabin. and had
sent a servant for the key when my
aunt's scream told its own story, and
caused them to break the door down
md overpower the mailman, who
like a tiger. The hostess never
got over the terrible shock even to the
of her death. and could never hear
t mentioned without her eyes filling
With tears.-St. Louis Globe democrat.