Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-06-04

or WHICH were IineQ Win OAK panels. w nei
} we got to the eld of this passage we turned
, TO the right and vent a few yards down an
, other and similar passage, uutil the servan
opened door that led into spacious bed
chamber. -
Having put the candle Oh the mantel
piece, and laid my travelling bag, which sht
carried with her, on the floor, she looked
, euTiously round the room, and then, when
she had bidden me good night, went out
and shut the door. felt very nervous as
looked about the apartment, which seemed
to be in an uuinhabited part of the large
house, and was furnished, / thought, in an
antique and rather grew some manner. The
lofty walls, paneled as they were with wood
painted blue. coatrasted strangely With the
heaVy silk window curtains, which were OF
dark red color, and with some old por
traits in Oil that hung in massive oak and
ebony frames. The chairs and tables we're
all cumbrous and old fashioned, and, as to
the bed, it almost frightened me TO think
of sleeping in it, 80 vast and gloomy did it
look with its hugo canopy and somber cur
tains.
4 1t is not easy to go to sleep at once dur
ing the first night of ones stay in strange
house, especially if anything has happened
70 make the mind uneasy and suspicious.
For long time lay awake wondering at
the curious look had seen on Aunt Judth's
face, and shivering, now and again, as /
thought how far away I was from the rest
of the household. i'll were to be taken
suddenly i'll, or if anything were to happen
to me during the night, what could l do?
There was a bell rope in the room, but had
forgotten to ask Sophia whether it commu-
nicated with bell, and, if so, whether
there was any one to answer my ring.
Isolated as was in this large and gloomy
chamber, my mind was agitated with vague
fears, and it must have been nearly two
hours before got to sleep.
How long this state lasted do not know,
when suddenly l awoke. In moment l
| was wide awake, staring before me into
the black darkness and listening intently to
the profound about me. Why was doing
this? l asked myself, but could not give
any answer. Something must have hap
pened to awake me. What was it? l won-
dered. looked and listened. There was
only blackness and silence.
For many seconds lay thus peering and
| listening, and was jnst on the point of shut
| ting my eyes again, when, glaring at them
| through the darkness, saw two other eyes,
| and hot on my cheek came the breath of
something-man, or beast, or monster! /
drew my head some inches back; the eyes,
to which mine were riveted, advanced. 1
felt a form bending over the side of the bed.
1t stopped. The eyes stopped, the form
became motionless. In the pure agony of
the moment actuated by that alone-I rose
little in my bed, and bent my head for
ward; the form also rose, and the eyes,
which were still fastened to mine, retreat
ed. AS they did SO, to my uuutterable hor-
ror discerned the outline of human face
II was within few inches of my own;
and now my eyes, becoming accustomed to
the darkness, could see that it was covered
with hair. There was dreadful gibber-
such as might come from an ape or a dumb
man in pain-and before my fascinated
gaze flashed two rows Of shining teeth. The
creature-monster or maniac-was by my
side, ready, waiting to spring upon me.
Hot upon my face came its breath, while
the awful eyes shonelike the eyes of tiger.
Il was on the spriug-to tear me limb from
limb. Just one thing stayed it. Just one
thing was keeping off the awful death that
threatened me. In all the ecstasy of my
terror comprehended what that one thing
was. 1t was the power of my eyes. was
fighting an eye battle with the monster.
Into its dreadful eyes | gazed, as though |
was gazing into the very gates of hell. |
Like the eyes of wild beast, they seemed |
ever restlessly pouring forth a tumultuous
torrent of passion. and ever restlessly in
search of mine, which yet they shrank from
when they met. Constantly as they did so
there was the same bdeous, inarticulate
gibber of bafflsd rage.
Thus some two or three hours at least |
must have prsssd before the daylight be-
gan to steal in through the curtains, which
were only partly drawn,
When the light came the sight before me
l.
ton had eoniured iu the dark. Crouching
by the side of the large bed, between tae
window and me, was man, But such
man ! A tall man in flowing gown, with
long, matted, unkempt yellow hair and |
beard, his face deadly white, but every mus
Gle in it throbbing in convulsive sympathy |
with the iires that blazsd from his wild and |
awful eyes
Minute after minute passed, though / |
took no heed of them, All my thought, all
my strength was concentrated into the one
weapon I had-my eyes. Still, felt at last
that could not prolong the battle much
longer. What was | to do? My strength |
was fast giving way. The monster
or maniac was becoming more and more
excited, foamIng at the lips and uttering
short, sharp cries, while his long, cruel fin
gers worked convulsively, as though they
WoE6 I'LL lpdtleub tO Do Oil Gu6lT prey
So long as could ward him off with my
eyes, he dared not approach me nearer; di-
rectly, through faintness, dropped them,
he would fall upon me and tear me TO pie
ces. My strength was going. A look of
exultation came upon his face. The day.
light had lasted for long time. Oh, God
would no one ever come? could hold out
no longer. His glare of triumph increased.
My eyes were getting dim. His face was
was getting nearer and more exulting.
It seemed as though another spirit came
suddenly into my body-I was hardly con-
scious Of what 1 did-looking into his eyes,
and with strength that did not seem to
be mine, 1 rose in my bed, bent forward
my body, eye to eye, drove the creature
back till he was more than yard from the
bed-slipped from the bed-gave spring-
caught the handle of the door, and was in
the passage running. There was an awful
noise behind me Of wild yels and laughter ~
aud pursuing feet. AS l fed, screaming, 9
down flight after flight of stairs, it grew
me. A number of people seemed to be
about me- 1 heard shouts and blows-a
confused trampling, shouting and scuf1ing
and then all was dark
When | awoke | was in bed. had been
very ill for many days, they said. II was a
long time before was allowed to see
looking glass; when did, found that my
beautiful brown hair was gray. 1t had
changed its color in that one awful night.
The maniac was Aunt Judlth's ouly child,
who had escaped during the night from the
room where he was confined. Aunt Judith
and the baron, when he was alive, had So
cretly kept the poor creature since it had
been discovered during its infancy to be
insane. The constant sorrow and anxiety
which it entailed was, l may add, the cause
Of most of what was strange about Aunt
Judith.-Satmday Reuiew and Republic.
An Insect called the Saw Fly at Work In
Central Illinois.
CHICAe o, May 23.-A dispatch from
H., says: san insect called
the saw fly is reported to be running
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