Connecticut western news., 1890-08-27

der me, and l felt that little short of { miracle could save me
 After he had taken a good look al me he sat down upon the bed, and tt my intense horror began slowly run ming his fingers with great care alons the edge of the knife-evidently he hae no intention of suffering by the expert ment-and then he said:
 'I don't intend to kill you just now perhaps not for half an hour perhaps not fu.' sn hcur-b but I guess that's about the longest you have to live. First, 1 mean to have talk with you. Do you know where I came from2"
 I did not, indeed, and told him so, wishing within myself with my whole heart that he would take it into his crazy brain to find his way back there and leave meto sleep in peace.
 ''You don't know, eh2 Well, don't mind telling you. Don't you see that church spire away there to the leftW
 No, didn't see the church spire nor anything else in the world at that mo- ment but the burning eyes of the ma niac; so told him I didn't see the ob- ject he spoke of.
 Don't see it, eh2 How blind! Why, see therep And to aid me in discern ing this imaginary object he rose and went toward the window and looped the blind still further back s"There- see it now?"
 'eNo," I said, 1T don't see it yet;' and I hoped he would try to pull the curtain still further back, or pull it down, or something anything to divert his attention from me moment longer, that might leap from the bed and bolt out of the room.
 I was already sitting up, and to glide down upon the floor was the work o1 an instant; but at that moment the madman, annoyed that couldn't see the church spire, dropped the blind, turned round quickly, muttering, Blind, blind," and instantly compre, hending my intention to escape bound ed toward me with spring like wild cat, and catching hold of me with his bony hand waved the gleaming knife over me in such close proximity to my face as to be anything in the world but pleasant.
 70 you will, will youa Just lie down there; still, now, still, or I'll kill you before the half hour is up. Lie down.
 And with herculean strength he lifted me up with his one hand and ] was no feather in weight, I can tell you-and bounced me down with a force that shook the whole bed.
 did lie down, and seeing that was inclined to obedience, he directed my attention to the window again by in quiring:
 ''Do you see the church spire now?''
 I didn't see it any clearer than be- fore, it being slightly impossible, as no church spire existed within ten miles. But saw that the maniac was getting irritated at my want of capability to see what did not exist, so I thought it might be as well to keep upon good terms with him, and to his question this time I admitted did see the spire.
 "Ah, good, good. We'll, under that spire is a church, and around the church is a graveyard. There I live and there came from It's very lone some sleeping there in the damp, cold ground, and the grave worms l. to feel them creeping along over one's skin, so slimy and slippery and cold banqueting upon the warm flesh of the dead. They say the dead are cold; it's lie, sir, lie! Feel my flesh; is ii cold2"
 He barred his skinny arm and forced me to lay my hands upone.
 '"There, is that cold2"
 T told him no.
 ''Is it warm2"
 I replied that it was, and he con tinued:
 '"They make it cold, the grave worm do. They make it cold and slimy a! the crawl over it. Did you feel thu grave worms on your fesh2"
 I shuddered with disgust as I tolt him 'No." .
 'You didn't, eh2 Lucky dog! luck, dog! But you're not dead yet; wal awhile, and you'll feel them just as do. Pretty soon."
 And he whirled the carving knif round and round his head and thel brought it down with sudden swoo] till he grazed my throat.
 With 8 cry of agony, not for tn slight scratch, but the horror of min' under which I was, I recoiled from tn glittering blade, sEuddering as if would have sunk down through tn bed-down, down through the floor How I wished in my soul that coul have done so-down anywhere out 0 that horrible presence! With lou laugh the maniac observed my terror and then he said:
 Frightened, eh2 Frightened2
 won't kill you for half an hour yet Pm going to experiment upon you. think I'll bleed you to death, just t try how long it will take you to die Eh9 what do you think of it?'' What did I think of it? My God! thought nothing, only that would 500 be dead, or as mad as my companion if some deliverance was not soon opene up. Inever prayed much-God forgiv me!-but just then I breathed some thing, I scarcely know what, for aie for help, for deliverance. I know tha dared not attempt to escape. My fir movement would have been the Ggns for my death blow, and if I calle | aloud I might not awaken any one the house, but merely infuriate tt madman to such an extent that b might immediately butcher me. Whs l under heaven to do I knew not, and l the maniac in his desire to "expe1