The Southern herald., 1886-01-23
A THRILLING TALE.
A Society Belle Locked In Room
with a Madman.

Some little time since newspaper
correspondent was one of hunting
party Of five in the mountains. A wind
and rain-storm compelled halt for the
night at the hospitable residence of
Colonel -, Virginian of the old
school. At night there was country
dance, in which the hunters took part.
While the guests were treading
measure to the old-fashioned music of
cotton-headed negro, a strange-look-
ing female glided noiselessly into the
parlors and took seat near the writer.
She was somewhat above medium
height, with preternaturally thin fig
ure, clad in an old silk dress. Her
face was thin and haggard, but wore
such an intense expression of hopeless
apathy and settled melancholy as at
once to attract the strangers attention.
The abundant hair which fell in
luxuriant masses on her shoulders was
perfectly white, and taken in conjunc-
ton with her sad countenance, made
an infinitely touching picture. The
lady sat with her hands crossed upon
her lap with her head bowed, and was
doubtless oblivious to the gayety cir
cling around her.
One of the granddaughters of the
host, who was niece of the strange
lady, noticing the correspondents Curl
osity as to the meaning of this strange
figure in ballroom, briefly stated that
the gray-haired lady was insane, and
had been so since her eighteenth year,
and told the following story of the epi-
sode which blighted her young life:
She was invited to spend the Christ
mas holidays with an aunt living
short distance 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 pre-
vious to my aunt, so that the house
was literally packed, leaving no accom-
mediation for another visitor. On the
lawn, short distance from the man.
sion, had been built one-room cabin.
1t had been comfortably furnished by
the hostess in anticipation of an emer-
gency of the present character The
hostess stated to her niece that she
would be obliged to place her tempo
rarily in this cabin unless she objected
to the arrangement. My aunt was
naturally of bold, adventurous dis
position, and lacked the natural tim
idity of most girls, SO that she
quietly agreed to the plan. Tired
out with her trip she told her
aunt that she would like to
retire early, SO fire was built on the
cabin hearth and everything made COM
Portable for the night My aunt was
accompanied by her hostess to the cab
in before she retired, and sat with her
for some time talking over family af-
fairs, As she started to leave she dis
covered that the bolt had been broken
off the door, necessitating her locking
the door on the outside to keep every
thing secure. This she did after bid
ding her niece, an affectionate good
night. Aunt Bess, after sitting by the
fire for some time, became uneasy and
nervous, an apparent premonition of
what was about to occur disturbing
her. She finally disrobed, and after
replenishing the fire retired. She
tossed about uneasily for awhile, and
then fell into fitful, restless slumber.
She awoke several hours later with
violent start, the same uncanny instinct
warning her of the close proximity of
some dread object The fire was burn
ing low on the hearth, and as the night
was intensely cold the cabin was slowly
getting chillier. 1t was nearly day
light, she judged from the growing of
the cocks, but she still felt that weird,
horrible dread, as of approaching ca
lamity. She listened breath
lesSly for lifetime, it seemed
to her, when she heard some
thing move, once or twice, under the
bed. She nearly tainted from fright,
but having reassured herself into the
belief it was merely dog, turned over
to go to sleep. Suddenly she felt the
bed move, accompanied by the yawn-