Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-04-04
the outline of a human

discerned the outline of q human
facet
II was within few inches Of my
own and now my eyes, becoming nc
customed to the darkness, could see
that it was covered with hair. There
was a dreadful gibber-such as might
come from an ape or 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 it's breath, while the awful eyes
shore like the eyes of a tiger. Itwas
on the spring-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. twas the
power of my eyes. | was fighting an
eye battle with the monster.
Into it's 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 hide
Gus inarticulate gibber of baffied rage.
Thus some two or three hours at
least must have passed until the day
light began to steal in through the
curtains, which were only partly
drawn.
When the light came the sight be-
fore me was even more horrible than
my imagination had conured in the
dark. Crouching by the side of the
large bed, between the window and
me, was a man. Butsucha man! A
tall man in flowing gown, with
long, matted, unkempt yellow hair
and beard, his face deadly white, but
every muscle in it throbbing in con-
vulsive sympathy with the fires that
blazed from his wild and awful eyes!
Minute after minute passed, though
I took no heed of them. All my
thought, all my strength was con-
centrated into the one weapon had
my eyes. Still, l felt at last that
l could not prolong the battle much
longer. What was | to do? My
strength was giving way. The mon
ster or maniac was becoming more
and more excited, foaming at the
lips and uttering short, sharp cries,
while his long, cruel fingers worked
convulsively, as though they we're
impatient to be on their prey.
So long as l could ward him off
with my eyes, he dared not approach
me nearer; directly, through faint
ness, l dropped them, he would fall
upon me and tear me to pieces. My
strength was going. A look of ex-
ultation came upon his face. The
daylight had lasted for n long time.
Oh, God! would no one ever come?
His glare of triumph increased. My
eyes were getting dim. His face was
getting nearer and more exulting.
1t seemed as though another spirit
came suddenly into my body-I was
hardly conscious of what Idid-look-
ing into his eyes with strength that
did not seem to be mine, rose in my
bed, bent forward my body, eye to
eye, drove the creature back till he
was more than a yard from the bed
slipped from the bed-gave one spring
caught the handle of the door, and
was in the passage running. There
was an awful noise behind me of wild
yells and laughter and pursuing feet.
AS l fed, screaming, down flight after
after flight OF stairs, it grew nearer
and nearer. The monster was upon
me. A number of people seemed to
be about me. l heard shouts and
blows-a confused trampling, shout
ing and scuffling-and then all was
dark.
When | awoke | was in bed. / had
been very ill for many days, they
said. 1t was long time before |
was allowed to see a looking glass;
when | did found that my beauti-
full brown hair was gray. 1t had
changed it's color in that one awful
night. The maniac was Aunt Ju-
diths only child, who had escaped
during the night from the room
where he was confined. Aunt Judith,
and the baron when he was alive,
had secretly kept the poor creature
since it had been discovered during
it's infancy to be insane. The con.
slant sorrow and anxiety which il
entailed was, may add, the cause
of most of what was strange about
Aunt Judith.