Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-09-24

from the weather, but protection fror
my unfortunate companion, who sti
kept close ut my side. But, rs ar
preached, | was struck with the lionel
and dtSoiate appearance Of the demesne
The yard gate was half open, hanging
from ono hinge, the walk woed-grown
the gallery steps broken and dccayed
still pressed on, however, hopnj
against hope to find some one within t,
whom | could appeal But the deserted
empty look of everything around sooi
convinced me my hopes were vain. Tht
rooms were all open, some of the door
had been torn from their hinges ant
lay on the dusty floors, and the staircas,
leading from the hall to the upper story
was broken in many places, and looked
about TO fall. | guessed at once 1t wa,
dwelling that had been sacked ant
partially destroyed during the war, anC
had since remained untcnanted,
But what situation was minel
Alone in deserted house, far from al
help, with strange man of whose in.
sanity became more convinced every
moment. For now the roar and the
flash of the thunder and lightning were
almost incessant the rain poured down
in torrents, strong wind swept through
the empty rooms and ratified the broken
windows, and the more noisy and vio-
lent the war of the elements became,
the more restless and excited grew the
stranger He walked up and down the
long hall, tossing his arms, talking to
himself, and gesticulating violently,
apparently taking no notice of me, for
which | was devoutly thankful, as |
sat on the bottom step of the disman-
tied stairs with my heart in my mouth,
afraid to move and almost to breathe
lest / should attract his notice. Each
time he approached me shrank into as
small n compass rs possible, and
watched him with dlated eyes and flut-
tering heart until the length of the hall
again separated us.
Oh, now | prayed that somebody
would come, some storm-stayed wan
dcrer like myself, some field hand
seeking shelter from the rain, any body
to deliver me from my fearful position.
Would no one come from the college to
seek meP Had my fearful companion
no one to look after himP He certainly
needed keeper. Then remembered
with feeling of blank despair that
had told no one where was going, and
MS for him, what did know of his re-
lations or antccedents? So could only
sit perfectly still, try to keep my terror
down, and hope for some chance OF
slipping away unobserved under cover
of the night, which was now fast APP
proaching.
In the meanwhile his excitement con-
tinued 10 increase in proportion to the
violence of the tempest. His pace be-
came constantly more rapid, his ges-
lures more vehement his voice louder,
until finally he rushed up and down the
hall, waving his arms frantcally over
his head, and shouting out what seemed
to me stray scraps of verse and frag-
ments of plays intermxed with numer-
Gus classical illusions.
Hear the bolts of Jove how they
rattle! but they can not strike me. /
wear the triple breastplate of Hercules,
and am crowned with the oak leaves of
Dodona. Why, surely all the fountains
of Castaly are falling from the clouds;
or else Neptune has ousted Jupiter
from his dominions and turned the
armament into an ocean. But they
can not drown me; am Apollo, god of
the sun. And my sister Diana, what
has become of herP She was with me
but moment ago"
A flash of intolerable light filled the
hall, and to my utter horror | beheld
the madman's eyes glaring full upon
me where | crouched on the stairstep.
With n bound he was beside me, and
seized my arm in his hot grasp.
Come, come with me, Diana, chaste
goddess of Night, you and have to
climb the heights of Olympus before
Great Jove is calling us,
don't you hear himP Wewill go by the
hill where Endymion sleeps and awaken
him: Come, hurry, hurry; the gods are
getting impatient"
As he spoke he pulled me away from
the balusters to which / clung desper-
ately, and dragged me toward the door.
Now, L had always heard that the best
way to pacity lunatics is to humor them
and pretend to fall in with their peculiar
fantasies. All very well in theory, but
alone, at night, in deserted house, far
from all possible help, in the actual
grasp of powerful maniac, think any
one would find it rather difficult to re-
duce theory to practice. Moreover. my
friends especial craze seemed to be the
classics, and every scrap of ancient
mythology l ever learned had gone
clean out OF my head at that moment
My only thought was to get away from
him, and / drew back with all my
strength as he dragged me forward.
resistance only inflamed his frenzy. In
the dim light could discern his rolling
eyes, clcnched teeth and foaming mouth;
his powerful hands clutched furiously at
my shoulder and throat as he hurled me
through the open door.
"You will not come with mep You
do not wish to see Endymion nor to
scale Olympus Then you are not
Diana; no, and am not Apollo; you
are Iphigenia, and | am Agamemnon.
The ships wait in the harbor; they can
not sail in such weather. Only hear
what tempest Neptune has raised to
detain them The gods must be pro-
pitiated; they demand sacrifice. The
victim is ready, but where is the sacri-
fetal knifeP Hal see it! 1 see it,"
With a wild, eXulting cry he loosed
his hold on me, and ran down the steps
W SciHc oi rusty paJohcl lyiiS III tic
yard, dropped there possibly by some
careless, or perhaps wounded soldier.
But the victim was by no means
ready, and the moment | felt his fierce
grip relax ! turned and fled for life
down the long hall and up the ruined
staircase. Why | chose that, instead of
escaping through the back door, can
not tell. my first impulse led me to it,
and | rushed up the broken steps, spring
ing over chasms where the planks were
gone, and catching desperately at the
remaining baulsters to save me from
falling. With no light to guide me on
my dangerous way but the fitful glare
OF the lightning, il was a miracle that |
did not break my neck, but death was
behind me and my only alternative was
to face it in another and less fearful
shape. i could hear the madman's
wild shrieks and exclamations when he
perceived my flight, and as | reached
the top of the stars | cast terrified
look behind, and beheld him rushing
down the hall with the bayonct in his
hand. Just then another lurid flash lit
up every corner of the desolate house