Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-31

strange and full OF FANTASTIC Uoffor 70
nv ears. knew that we've my agony |
much further prolonged / should go
mad. And dared not picture to my
self the frightful things OF which o |
maniac might be capable shut up In
such place OF death and darkness, with /
corpses for companions! l re-
mafned on my knees, my face buried In
my hands. / forced myself Into COM
parative calmness. and strove TO pre-
serve the equilibrium Of my distracted
mind. Hush! What exquisite far-oii
floating voice OF cheer was that?
raised my head and listened. entranced!
jug, jug, jug! lodola, lodola! trill-lil-
III! sweet, sweet, sweet"
II was nightingale. Familiar, deli
cious, angel-throated bird! How blessed
thee In that dark hour of despair! How
praised God for thine innocent exist
ence! How / sprang up and laughed
and wept for Joy, as, all unconscious OF
me, thou didst shake out shower OF
pearly warblings on the breast OF the
soothed air! Heavenly messenger OF
consolation. :. even now think OF thee
with tenderness-fo thy sweet sake all
birds possess me as their worshipper;
humanity has grown hideous In my
sight, but the singing-life OF the woods
and hills. how pure, how fresh.
the nearest thing 10 happiness on this
side heaven!
A rush OF strength and courage invig-
GRATED me. A new idea entered my
brain. determined to follow the voice
of the nightingale. 1t sang on sweetly,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / began afresh my
journeyings through the darkness. j
fancied that the bird was perched on one
of the trees outside the entrance OF the
vault, and that II tried to get within
closer hearing of its voice, ] should most
likely be thus guided to the very stair.
case had been so painfully seeking. ]
stumbled along slowly. ! felt feeble.
and my limbs shook under me. This
time nothing impeied my progress; the
nightingale's liquid notes foated nearer
and nearer, and hope, almost exhausted,
sprang up again in my heart. was
scarcely conscious Of my own move
ments. seemed to be drawn along
like one in dream by the golden thread
Of the birds sweet singing. All at once
caught my foot against stone and
fell forw ard with some force, but felt
no pain-my limbs were too numb to be
sensible of any fresh suffering. raised
my heavy, aching eyes In the darkness;
as did 50 uttered an exclamation OF
thanksgiving. A slender stream OF
moonlight, no thicker than the stem OF
an arrow, slanted downwards towards
me, and showed me that had at last
reached the spot / sought-in fact, l
had fallen upon the lowest
step OF the stone stairway.
/ could not distinguish the entrance
door of the vault, but ! knew that 1t
must be at the summit Of the steep as
cent. was too weary to move further
inst then. ! lay still where was, star
ing at the solitary moonray and listen
ing to the nightingale, whose rapturous
melodies now rang out upon my ears
with full distinctness. One! The harsh
toned bell l had heard before changed
forth the hour. It would soon be morn
ing: resolved to rest till then. Utterly
worn out in body and mind, ! laid my
head down upon the cold stones as read
ily MS II they had been the softest cush-
myseries in profound sleep.
n Y = y
I must have slumbered for some time,
when / was suddenly awakened by Q
sutfocating sensation OF faintness ana
nausea, accompanied by sharp pain on
nv neck, as though some creature was
singing me. l put my hand up to the
Mace Godl shall ever forget the feel
Of the Thing my trembling fingers
closed upon! It was fastened in my
feeh-a winged, clammy, breathing
horrorl 1t chung to me with o loathly
persistency that nearly drove me fran
tic, and wild with disgust and terror l
screamed aloud....I closed both nanos
convulsively upon its Eat, soft body
literally tore It from my flesh and hung
Il as far back as could into the interior
blackness of the vault. For Q
time l believe / was indeed
mad the echos rang with the
piercing shrieks could not restrain!
Silent at last through sheer exhaustion
glared about me. The m0onbeam had
vanished; in its place lay shaft OF
pale gray light, by which could easily
| UISJluRuiSu buc WuOtO iCuB Va sAO ostSaA
case and the closed gateway at its sum-
nit Irushed up the ascent with the
severish haste Of madman-I grasped
the iron grating with both hands and
shook it fercely. 1t was firm as o rock,
locked fast. / called for help. Utter
silence answered me. peered through
the closely-twisted bars. saw the
grass, the dropping bouVhs Of trees, and
straight before my line OF vision, q little
piece Of the blessed sky, opal-tintcd and
family blushing with the consciousness
Of its approaching sunrise. / drank In
the sweet fresh air; long trailing
branch of the wild grape vine hung
near me; its leaves were covered thickly
with dew. ! squeezed one hand through
the grating and gathered few OF these
green morsels of coolness-I ate them
greedily. They seemed TO me more de-
iicious than anything ! had ever tasted;
they relieved the burning fever OF my
parched throat and tongue. Theglimpse