The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-12-31

threw myselfupon the floor and tried
to sleep. Vain endeavor; the figure
haunted me, and often, as fatigue
overpowered me, and sleep seemed
on the point Of relieving me, the
memory Of that laughter would ring
through my brain, and Iwould start
wildly up to find myself alone upon
the floor with the storm still raging
without.
Finally, quite exhausted, [ fell into
a deep slumber, which lasted / know
not how long, but which was sud-
denly and violently broken by that
same demoniac noise.
This time tried to rise, in vain; a.
fearful weight was on my chest.
Streaming open my eyes beheld the
light Of the moon, which now shone
through the window, that same
mans face bending over mine. Ter
rifed beyond expression, I struggled
to free myself Of the creature upon
me; but my arms and legs were fast
bound; the same cunning smile dis
torted the face, and the leering eyes.
rolled as struggled vainly. I strove
to shrek, but the sound came not; a
faint gurgle was the only result of
my frantic effort
At the same instant the creature
above me rose, and with chuckles
and leers drew forth a coil of rope.
Nodding his head and gibbering,
he arranged a moose; and with an
other blood-curdling laugh he placed
it about my neck.
: My God, the agony of that moment,
when I realized that Twas absolutely
at the mercy Of that madmanr
Tighter and tighter he drew the rope
until my face grew black from suffo-
cation and my eyes and tongue
started from my head
consciousness Was almost, gone,
when the pressure was slowly,
steadily relaxed, and the maniac's
features glared down upon me once
more. l breathed again; he had
spared me; the rush of joyful feeling
overcame HE. He marked the ex-
preston of my face, and: chuckling,
drew the moose again, exulting to
watch my face purple and my eyes
protrude. Twenty times, with a
maniac's cunning, he restored my
breath and prolonged my torture.
How he chuckled and muttered to
himself, wagging his fendish head,
and oh! my God, how, when I strug-
gled to get free, wrestling in agony
with death and torture, he uttered
his insane, exulting laugh!
How [ longed and prayed for
death; how l hoped the mailman
would once draw the moose so
tight, that, when relaxed, nv
breath would still refuse to come.
Suddenly his brain seemed
possessed with some new plan. Slowly
he drew off the rope, and with one
backward glance he left the ROOM
At first I dared not hope for life, but
when the time went by and still he
came not, I began to think that
he was gone entirely, and that my
life might be saved. I struggled to
free myself once more; struggled and
writhed until my heart nearly burst
through my body, but in vain. just
then a new sound caught my ear,
filling me with unutterable dread.
A fork of light shot up. Yes. it was
true, the maniac had set fire to the
hOvel. And now [ saw his face grim
ming at me through the window.
Making one last superhuman effort,
uttered fearful shrek. The mad
man leaped in at the window and at
the same instant another form fol-
lowed him. Some one seized me, I
knew no more
When consciousness returned, I
was lying upon a bed in my sweet
hearts own pretty room, and she
with gentle tears in her eyes, watch
ing me slowly return to life.
l learned afterwards, when my
strength returned, that the mailman
had escaped from an asylum in the
neighborhood and being missed, his
keeper, attracted by the sight of the
flames, arrived just in time to save
me from the horrible fate which seemed
to await me, I had fallen into a deep.
swoOn, and from that into a raging
fever, and during my rawlings enough,
was learned to send me to the house.
which had been my destination when
l started out the previous night. As
soon as I was well again, Alice and I
were married, and were surely ha y
pier than it falls to the lot of nc: t
mortals to be; but never while I live,
shall I forget the agonies of that one.
night of my life-Columbus Sunday
Morning News.