Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-01-15
A DEMONS DEED.
ny NORTH WOLFE

MI DARLING ALycx: I will try and b
with 0 tonight. My business takes me
to q small town within twenty miles from
your house. and ! could not bear to be
near without looking into your sweet eyes
and hearing you say that you are true to
me. 80 I shah ride over in the afternoon,
and. God willing. shall hold you In my arms
tonight. YoUR Own JACK.
Having dispatched my daily business
and sent this letter to my sweetheart !,
the Jack therein mentioned, fastened tc
hire q horse for the purpose Of riding
the twenty miles which sepsrated me
from Alice, my betrothed wife. As my
business -which was that OF . travelling
agent for . prosperous house-obligej
me to be often away from home, a
chance like this to sec Alice was very
precious to me.
It was 6 O'Clock in the evening when
| started out on my horse from the
door Of the inn where I had been stop.
ping. In vain was II that the landlord
tried to dissuade me; his account of the
lonely and desolute road and OF the
frightful things which have happened
on it; Of the murders and midnight
horrors which had occurred over it,
could not turn me from my purpose.
/ spurred onward, the dark forebodings
Of those assembled to witness my rash
departure and my landlords prophecy
OF . sudden and violent storm ringing
in my ears - I went.
There we're still two hours OF day
light before me, and Is I rode along I
vas lost in thoughts of my sweetheart.
l seemed to see her standing on her
v~ine-covered porch, ready to welcome
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 l spoke her name
half aloud. The sound Of my own
voice startled me, and looking up for
the first time, I say that the sky was
becoming black, the wind was rum
bling, distant thunder was in the air.
It had come-the storm which my
landlord had foretold. l spurred on
my horse; y big drop II rain splashed
ver my face; the darkness thickened,
aud ct the instant there sounded upon
my ear . low burst of laughter 10 pc.
culiar In Its tone 8 to send an 10y
shudder through me. A something
that was not human sounded in it. II
was fiendish-devilish. Conquering my
momentary weakness / strained my
eyes to pierce the darkness, in the hope
Of discovery the shape from which
those sounds proceeded, but Gil wa.
silent and deserted ~ the grave. The
form must have been swallowed up in
the darkness, for I saw nothing. A
strange feeling Of dread weighed upon
my heart, vague and indefinite, and the
night grew blacker and blscker.
The storm drew nearer, and my ef.
fort was directed to gain some place Of
shelter from the rain. / looked in vain
for Q light In the distance; all was black
and desolate: torrents Of rain poured
down, soaking me to tho skin; thunder
crashed, and my poor horse galloped q.
If for life.
Once between the thunder peals, ]
seemed to hear that low, mad laugh in
my ear, and, shuddering, / wildly
spnrred my poor horse. just then 1
vivid fash of lightning illuminated the
road, disclosing q hut about 100 feet in
advance; . second fash enabled me IL
reach the opening which had once been
q door, but the whole miserable place
was in ruined condition. For years
it had been abandoned to wind and
weather.
Fearfully I entered aud found myself
in the largest Of two DON which the
howell boosted. The ceiling was broken
away. and the rain poured in on the
rotting floor and beat through the bro
ken window.
Nothing more fearful and more wild
could be imagined, but still / welcomed
it, and, turning the poor horse loose out
side, l passed into the inner room. A
lightning fash illuminated it, and, sit
ting bolt upright against the Opposite
wall, / saw the form Of Q man, his facl
distorted by . smile OF wicked cunning
and ~ the darkness fell again q Shrek
ing laugh mingled with the thunder.
Made desperate by the terrors of thu
night and Of my loneliness, I struck
match and rushed forward, but th,
figure was gone. and the room deserted
Turning, I passed into the front room
but it was equally tenantless. Full o
wonder and strange forebodlngs, I chos,
q dry spot and threw myself upon th,
floor and tried to sleep. Vain endeavor
tho figure haunted me. and often, .
fatigue o~verpowerod me, and sleel
seemed on the point Of relieving me
the memory Of that laughter would RIM
through my brain. and / would star
wildly mp to iand myself alone upon tn
floor with the storm still raging with
I ont.
Finally, quite exhausted. l fell into
deep slumbsr, which lasted, ! know no
how long, but which was suddenly an
violently beoken by that same demoniA'
noise.
fearfui vsishs - s. ~ cheat. SsssIs
ing opsn ~ - I baheld By til lgh
az u mooe Hhtoh nov shone throo9j
~ viH6sMtabMne neaas - bee1
ID