New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-01

0ws around; ana at The next. she and the shuuder
ing wood would be enveloped in funeral pail
OF inky blackness. The effect was weird in the
extreme, and during one of the moments OF sudden
obscurity, sank down on seat spellbound;
looking up at the sky with beating heart, ana
longing for the next appearance of the rolling
moon. One angry cloud had already released
her, but ! saw that yet another must pass over
her face before the blessed light could reappear
and IL the strangest cloud | ever beheld
being the exact shape Of mans hand, with one
long b1ny finger stretched out fanciedl IN warn
ing. The moon seemed to roll slowly ana pain,
fully between the fingers looking very pale ana
faint the while; but at last, with bound. she
and happy brightness though, rejoicing TO es-
cape from the clutch of the hand.
/ also was inexpressby relieved, and rose
quickly from my seat, intending to hurry home
but how can | paint the Amusement, the horror
felt, when / perceived / was no longer aloteI
Another human being had silently-with catilt,e
steps arrived during the dar Sness man was siI-
ting on the seat on the further end OF the otner
side His face was turned away but MS APP
pearance peculiarly alarming that my heart
stood still for at glance took IN the sltuatloh
An escaped lunaticp | thought, ana my only
chance OF safety is to brave it outP
AS these thoughts darted through my Drain;
the man slowly, very slowly, turned his head ana
locked deliberately at me. Oh, that look! Never
TO my dying day. shall forget it see it now
Everything most terrifying most sinister, most
repulsive, was in that look. Audaclty, coward
ice. insolence, malce-all. all these were tnere,
and above all, and through them all-madness
The man was deadly pale, or the struggling
dawn which was Just silverng the horlZon) MADE
him appear so. His eyes were, frightfuliy blood,
shot. his teeth were large and very white, and
there a light froth upon his lips, whlch had
the blue-gray appearance Of corpse! lie wore
n long Ulster coat buttoned from his throat TO
his feet, and tumbled white collar appeared
above it, giving me the impression tnI0
he must have escaped from his 3. be-, bed,
and in his night-gea What alarmed
me almost more than anything If anything
could be more alarming than everything was was
the fact that centre button Of the coat at the
waist, was unbuttoned, and in the aperture thus
formed. one of the mans hands was thrust and
kept asking myself IL
d What is he hiding there? pistol. knife,
or what :?
"Feeling my extreme helplessness. and how
entirely I was humanity speaking at the mercy
OF mailman sent up prayer TO the An-fower.
ful Coda cry for help-for wisdom how 10 acu
and on looking back now. | can see how wonder
fully my eiaculatory prayer was instantly an
swered for felt suddenly impelled by discretion
mot my own not to run, or even Walk away
but 10 reseat myself with the greatest apparent
ca lmne>s
This act seemed TO surprise-to please the man.
for, he smiled, and, TO my unspeakaDIe terror
slid slowly along the seat till he came close TO me
although still on the other side. felt his shoulder
touch mine-but dared NOT shrink from the con, |
tact-then he bent his head back TIL u rested
on my veil his fetd breath mingllng with mine, |
while he peered. insolently moe Iingy. into my
face After few moments which appeared hours
10 me-. during which he lntently scanned my
features. while l. God helping me, tired 10 meet
his gaze bravely, he said deliberately, and EVIL
IDENTITY watching the effect of his words |
saw you coming into the WOOD Iben ma tbe oG moon
shonp out hid again. and touched your gown as
Won passed. but you didn't know. ila, ha
funny, isn't it? Then, when it got DARK
Sgnn roa sat down. did So too Why shouldn't
- | Lave as much right here as you say
coming a trife nearer, and putting ms horrla
woodrow and I! Nice, isn't it? Are you afrai"
-eh p -, Ia
. No I answered boldly; why should / be
afraid We are not alone as you suppose for
.Fb - said he nervonsly looking round; then,
in n whisper, Who is here besides US ar
" God answered. clearly and firmly He
s here: He is stronger than l-or YOU anu Nv
takes care of us both. -
He looked hard nj me, and looked Dack lt"r-
lesslv apparently at him. resolved that my glance
should not be the nat 70 het@cen n his will and
mine Us cycs oualcd and fell: and | knew m
that l had gained a victory; Ior IA
fg.ted uneasiy on the seat, ana anu, ,urieu HIS "'''
awav while breathed more treely.
After a short silence he said in hoarse whis-
rer as though afraid of being overheard:
" I say. l can't sleep; that's why l come
hand and the assumption Of grand seignetnr
have n cir orders always to keep my breakfast
hot.' Then with howl Of bitter distress; ne
cried out: oh. oh! If only could sleep!
would give Kingdoms to sleep!
n is rcmarlxl bic that as he gave utterance 10
this bitter crv in spite of the deadly fear fHlt,
and of the almost certainty that should never
live 10 tell this tale, q mighty sympathy arose IN
NV heart for this wretched maniac for did not
know. as well almost as he, the agony OF seepess-
ness? .,
How strange! |, too, cannot Sleep
Looking at me with world of despair in his
= Is il a cnrse - Then rocking himself to and
fro on the seat he mOaned out Oh, what-what
There was such ring of anguish in his tones
that my hea RI bled for him, and said gently:
- Oh try what have tried-that which is
after all the only comfort, waking or sleeping'
What's that? he said eagerly.
81" PRAY - ! said
",Ohi' he answered YEARLY, have prayed,
put God won't hear me. How can He. when tie
is up there '-ponting TO the sky-'an L am In
that hell -
But He does hear said solemnly, and rs
10 a child. He sees and hears everything, lie
ices you and me hcre-now, lie knew we should .
meet this morning and He il is who teaches me
-our restless bed--just as you have told me-that
-ou can't sleep. that you suffer, that you are un-
lappy. that l was going on, when my com
,anion suddenly started up, and looking uneaslly
round whispered, Hush bark!
" lie seemed to listen eagerly, and then, with
N expression in his face of intense hatred, y
-radually and cautiously drew the hand. hither-
o concealed, out of his breast deadly sickness '
ezed me for my worst fears were realized, when j
bched the light of the dawning day CLEAN upon
he blade of murderous-loolIng knife; put
av Of hope was at the same moment vouchsafed {
o me- for followingi with my eyes the direction
( his-oh. JOY TWO horsemen were apparent c
through the trees trbttng slowly along a grassy l
athway generally only used by foot-passe myers, o
nd each carried a ready-cocked pistol and seemed
n eager search. {
"Of course ! knew they were on the track OF
he wretched man at my side and although they n
we're quite within hail | dared not either call or
lalSe them a sign, feeling convinced that had !
one either. the knife would have been plunged
1to my bosom, for ] perceived the maniac was =
-atchinG me narrowly, and ne evidently meant
D sell his liberty dearly. ,
Had the hOrsemcn us? | wondered In q
n agony Of hope and fear: but dared not move, "
nd words would utterly fail me to express my ,
ensationS when | suddenly my miser bic
Ompanon start to his feet, brandshing the knife
nd leaving his side Of the seat, come toward