Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-03-28

covered with hair There was a dread
full 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, wait
ing to spring upon me. Hot upon my
face came its breath, while the awful
eyes shone like the eyes of tiger. 1t
was 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 l comprehended
what that one thing was 1t was the
power of my eyes. l was fighting an
eye battle with the monster.
Into its dreadful eyes l 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 hideous, inarticulate gibber of baf-
fed rage.
Thus some two or three hours at least
must have passed until the daylight be-
gan to steal in through the curtains,
which were only partly drawn.
When the light came the sight before
me was even more horrible than my inn
agination had conjured in the dark.
Crouching by the side of the large bed,
l,N al ,,,I
But such man! A tall man in flow
ing gown, with long, matted, unkempt
yellow hair and beard, his face deadly
white, but every muscle in it throbbing
in convulsive sympathy with the fires
that blazed 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 l had-my eyes. Still,
l felt at last that 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 were impatient to be on
their prey.
So long as could ward him off with
my eyes, he dared not approach me
nearer; directly, through faintness, l
dropped them, he would fall upon me
and tear me to pieces. My strength was
going. A look of exultation came upon
his face The daylight had lasted for a
long time. Oh, Godl would no one ever
come? could hold out no longer. 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 did-looking
into his eyes with strength that did not
| seem to he 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 run
ming. There was an awful noise behind
me of wild yclls and laughter and pur-
suing feet. AS l fled, screaming, down
flight after flight of stairs, it grew near
er and nearer. The monster was upon
me. a number of people seemed to be
about me. heard shouts and blows-a
confused trampling, shouting and scuf-
lling-and then all was dark.
When | awoke / was in bed. | had
been very i'll for many days, they said.
1t was long time before l was allowed
to see a looking glass; when l did,
found that my beautiful brown hair was
gray. 1t had changed its color in that
one awful night. The maniac was Aunt
Judith's 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 its infancy to be in
sane. The constant sorrow and anxiety
which it entailed was, may add, the
cause of most of what was strange
about Aunt Judith.-Saturday Review
and Republic.