Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-24


ing of a single story which had the app
pcarauGc OF an clubhouse such as is seen
about farm houses, and which might
have been a wood shed, a summer
kitchen, or some other structure.
As listened to the inccssant shrieks,
IL seemed that they camo from this
outbuilding. 1t was awful beyond
conception. The voice, although
hoarsc, was Enthusiastically that of u
woman.
INSIDE the house in which stood il
was quiet as the grave, They evidently
heard nothing OF he calling through
the storm. Were they Frustrated by
some spcll2
"Somc woman is being murdered l
thought. "pCrhaps ii is robbers, who
have killed the father aud son and arc
now trying to finish the daughter
With fevCrish haste | put on my CLOTH
ing, raised the window and sprAng out,
calling, ~ am coming | rushed to-
ward the little building. hearing still
the screams, to which was added tho
rattle Of chain.
There was n small window in the out
house on the side nearest me, which |
broke in with Il blow from II stick Of
stovcwood that lay in the vicinity. |
pushed IN, face close up to the window
aud was almost struck by another face
that mt the same instant was thrust into
the opening. | drew back with an OK
clumatioh Of horror: it was the head of
II woman with long locks of gray that
writhed about her head and face like
tho twisting snakes ON the head OF Me-
dusa. and which. like that tabled fury,
turned me into stone.
The complexion was as black rs that
of Il ucgrcss, the face long aud emanci-
atcd, the checks sunkcn. while the eyes
from The depths Of their deep sockets
shOnC with an Internal glare. Her
neck was naked, revealing the shcaths
of protuberant cords and veins, while
her shoulders were the bones OF Il skelc-
ton. h clutchcd at me through tho
little window, with arms that were COW
cred only with skin ANA fingers like
claws. As she moved frantically for
ward and back | could hcar the rattle Of
Il chain.
All this time she chartered inces-
sanity, sometimes in inarticulate
screams and then in wcll-shaped curses
and ~blasphcmics that rolled out with
the speed of light. There were foam
and blood on her lips, and her open
mouth revealed Il cavity in which could
be seen rows of icry-rcd gums without
any teeth.
was gazing with iucNprcssiblc horror
on this naked, bomy, Infatuated wretch,
when, suddenly, something In her en-
preston at n moment when her contor-
TONS subsidized I'M instant. gave the out
line of-Miriam, All flashed over me
in Il second; it was her mother.
The vacant seat at the table, the
brOOding sadness of Miriam, her rosem-
blance to the maniac, explained the en-
tire situation; and with il came the
Overwhelming conviction that Miriam
must follow in the footsteps of the un-
mother. For a few moments
my soul WAS rent by conflicting emo
remain and as best | could
her journey to the madhouse,
or fly. That h inmates Of the house
were 80 accustomed TO the s.tua ION that
were not ever disturbed in their
slumbcrs by her shriclis and cXecra-
proved that the case was one of
long standing.
With remorse Juggling at my heart l.
turned into the wood, and as went her
curses rung in my ears; and even 10
This day they often intrudo upon my
ircams and brighten sleep away as they
that night at the farm house of
Farmer Douglas. gave up the school
immediately and returned to my native
Once, some twenty years ago, | made
inquiries of the whereabouts of Miriam
Douglas. They told me that she was
since dead.
Notc--cst some people may doubt the
idclity of the picture of the insane wife, it
nay be said that Il generation ago this man
Ter of treating the insane was notuncOmmon
n the remotcr armlng communities. The
is founded on personal obser-
Iati0n.