The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-25
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.


My DARLING ALIcE-I VIII Try and be with you
tonight. Ny business takes me 10 small town
about twenty miles from your house, and / could
not bear to be without looking into your
sweet eyes and hearing you say that you true to
me, so shall ride over in the afternoon and God
willing, shall hold you in my arms tonight
Your Own JACK.
Having dispatched my days business, and
sent this letter to my sweetheart, I, the Jack
therein mentioned, fastened to hire a horse
for the purpose of riding the twenty miles
which separated me from A lice, nv betrothed
wife. As my business-which was that of
travelling agent for prosperous house
obliged me to be- often away from home a
chance like this to see Alice was very precious
to me.
1t was six O'Clock in the evening when I
started out on my horse from the door of the
inn where had been stopping. In vain was
1t that the landlord tried to dissuade me; his
account of the lonely and desolate road and of
the frightful things which had happened on it,
of the murders and midnight horrors which
hung over 1t, could not turn me from my pur-
pose. Even the thought that must pass by
the haunted rock in the dark alone and with
no hope of aid, should require it, that must
ride through passes which the village legends
peopled with spirits and ghosts of the departed
travellers could not deter me. l spurred on
ward, and the dark forebodings of those as
sembled to witness my rash departure, my
landlord prophecy of a sudden and violent
storm ringing in my ears as went treated
these superstitious tales as merel the invention
OF igflorant villagers, and the sounds which
were reported to issue from the haunted rock,
as, at best, coming from the throat of some
human enemy, against whom O pistol would
be most effective.
There were still two hours of daylight before
me, and as rode along l was lost in thought
OF my sweetheart. l seemed to see her stand
ing on her vine-coyered porch, ready to well
come me with her bright smile. The dainty
figure, with its blue eyes and waving hair, rose
before my eyes, and SO vivid was the vision
that spoke her name half aloud. The sound
OF my own voice startled me, and, looking up
for the first time, l saw that the sky was grow
ing black, the wind was bowling and rumbling
distant thunder was in the air.
1t had come-the storm which my landlord
had foretold. l spurred on my horse big
drop OF rain splashed over my face; the dark
ness thickened, and at the same instant through
the gloom doomed up the outlines of the huge
bowlder. which a turn in tho road had before
hidden from my sight. A slight SILVER crept
over me as / recalled the tales connected with
Il I. ana thought upon my own lonely situation.
Something of this feeling seemed to enter into
my horse, for as we neared the rock, shrouded
in darkness, he trembled from head to foot.
Using all my strength I forced him past it,
and at the same instant there sounded upon
my ear low burst of laughter SO peculiar in
its tone as to send an icy shudder through me.
A something that was not human sounded In
it. TWAS fendish -devilish. Conduering nv
momentary weakness l strained my ewes to
pierce the darkness in the hope of discovering
the shape from which those sounds proceeded,
but all was silent and deserted as the grave.
The form must have been swallowed up in the
darkness, for saw nothing. A strange feel
ing of dread weighed on my heart, vague and
indefinite, and the night grew 5lacker aud
blacker
The storm grew nearer and my effort was
directed to gain some place of shelter from the
rain. l looked in vain for light in the dis
lance; all was black and desolate; torrents of
rain poured down, soaking me to the skin;
as If for life.
Once, between the thunder peals, seemed
to hear that same low, mad laugh in my ear,
and, shuddering, l wildly spurred my poor
horse. Just then vivid flash of lightning
Illuminated the road, disclosing q hut about
100 feet in advance; O second flash enabled me
to rech the opening which had once been a
door, but the whole miserable place was in
ruined condition. For years 1t had been aban-
doned to wind and weather.
Fearfully [ entered and found myself in the
Trgest of the two rooms which the hovel
%oasted The ceiling was broke away and the
rain poured in upon the rotting floor and beat
through the broken window.
Nothing more fearful and more wild could
be imagined, but still welcomed it, and turn
ing the poor horse loose outside, / passed into
the inner room. A lightning flash illuminated
it. and, standing bolt upright against the OPP
poste wall, saw the form of man, his face
distorted by o smile of wicked cunning, and, as
the darkness fell again shrieking laugh min
gled with the thunder.
Made desperate by the terrors of the night
and of my lonliness, 1 struck a match and
rushed forward; but the figure was gone, the
room deserted. Turning, l passed into the
first room, but it was equally tenantless Full
OF wonder and strange iorebodings, chose
dry spot and threw myself upon the floor and
tried to sleep. Vain endeavor; the figure
haunted me, and often, as fatigue overpowered
me and sleep seemed on the point of relieving
through my brain, and 1 would start wildly up
to find myself alone upon the floor with the
storm still raging without.
Finally, quite exhausted fell into deep
slumber, which lasted know not how long,
but which was suddenly and violently broken
by that same demoniac noise.
This time tried to rise, in vain; fearful
weight was on my chest. Straining open my
eyes beheld the light of the moon, which
now shone through the window. that same
mans face bending over mine. Terrified be-
yond expression struggled to free myself of
the creature upon me- but my arms and legs
were fast bound the same cunning smile dis
torted the face, and the leering eyes rolled as
struggled vainly. l strove to shrek, but the
sound came not faint gurgle was the only
result of my frantic effort.
AT the same instant the creature above me
rose, and with chuckles and leers drew forth
coil OF rope. Noddlng his mead and glbDerlng
he arranged o noose and with another blood
curdling laugh he placed it about my neck.
My God, the agony of that moment, when I
realized that I was absolutely at the mercy of
that mailman! Tighter and tighter ne drew
the rope, until my face grew black with suffo-
cation and my eyes and tongue started from
my head.
Consciousness was almost gone, when the
pressure was slowly, steadily relaxed, and the
maniac's features glared down upon me once
more. breathed again; he had spared me
the rush of joyful feeling overcame me. He
marked the expression of my face and, chuck
ling, drew the moose again, eXulting to watch
my face purple and my eyes protrude. Twenty
times / thought my death agony at hand, and
twenty times, with maniac's cunning, he re-
stored my breath and prolonged my torture.
How he chuckled and muttered to himself,
wagging his fiendish head, and OH my God,
how, when l struggled to get free, wrestling
in agony with death and torture, he uttered
his insane, exulting taught
How longed and prayed for death; how
hoped abe mailman would once draw the moose
so tight that, when relaxed, my breath would
still refuse to come. Suddenly his brain
seemed possessed of some new plan. Slowly
he drew off the rope and with one backward
glance left the room. At first L dared not
hope for life, but when the time went by and
still he came not, began TO think that he was