Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-02-02


dream!
For one thing. | dreamed that tho last
day had come. and that | With countless
others had hurried toward large. snow
capped mnHa,air. There were hillows
ol ire behin us aud mountains Of fire
above un y.t we hurried on-on-on--
never stopping. never turning. Clouds
of smoke anl flame rolled about MS, yet
through il all could be seen that noun.
tain top! cold and serene I'm the midst Of
al. that heat and woe, and its snow
deckea top seemed ever 10 beckon us on
--On--On.
Thousands and millions died at my
side. before and behind me. Dntsi cared
not. | grew gaunt with hunger and
faint with fatigue, but still hurried on.
/ crossed rivers Office ana valleys of FIRE.
but they stopped me not.
~ last | reached il. started toward
the top. YEARLY. night and day.
Travelled. and those who with me reached
I The bottom of the hoar capped giant fell
/ OF one by one, and ut last | alone was
left.
And alone reached the top. And
feeling of ildescribable ease and peace
came over :ae, and Laid myself down in
e.. cold, va.fa snow and fell asleep.
/ How ,ul- : slept in the crystal snow
know not. Tor there, too. had dream.
| saw two fornis approach. Ono all
white aid pure, with peace and good
I will beaming from his eyes; the other
black us nj Int. and from his eyes
/ glt.mel forth The fires of hell.
Tar fair one looked at me sleeping,
with Il world Of agony and sorrow in
his eyes: then turned his head toward
the sky nal looked mp in supplication,
while great tears fell from his eyes and
onto the cold snow. And wherever a
tear fell sweet flowers sprang up, and
the fragrance that was waited from
them was not Of earth.
But the other form approached me
until it stood ut my very eide. looking
down at Inc with burning eyes, strove
to move, to shrek, to pray, but all in
vain.
Then | saw him stoop and stretch out
his hand. II hung over my face an in
slant, then fell upon my forehead.
Then great pain racked all my body
AMI spirit, and at the instant heard
countless voices give cry that doomed
out from the mountain top and was
heard over MI the earth. And this was
what they said, and the words still ring
IN my ears aud never leave me while
life lasts:
"And this IL DEATH"
And ! awoke. And. horrors OF hell,
that clammy, burning hand still rested
upon my face, and those burning orbs
still peered into mine!
did not faint. If had. ! would not
now be alive to tell the tale. For that
clanmy, burning hand had moved down
my face until ii reached my throat.
and the cleaning eyes shifted and turned
and moved with the hand.
Then with an all powerful effort. with
a strength that was not mine. clutched
tho hand and flung it from me and
lepped out of the bed.
70 reach the door and dart into the
sitting room was the work of an in
stant. turned even as ran and saw
those burning eyes follow.
Colonel | cried hoarsely and scarce
louder than a child. And as the dread
thing approached | ran to his room.
But, oh, God! the door was open, tho
room empty. And turning again. with
the despair of death upon my brow,
saw those burning eyes again. They
Were the eyes of Il madman, and the
face approached until the hot breath
hisscd into my ears.
Aud the face was that of Colonel
Moutfort.
II
What happened then do not know.
1t is year and over since that dread
uigGt, and | am still an invalid. They
say am mad at times, but what won
dor! Ny nerves are shattered, my life
ruined, Never can eiface one incident
Of that night from my scared memory.
and even ut night it haunts mo in
dreams.
That morning, 50 they say, they found
the colonel and myself lying on the floor
IN his bedroom, the colonel with knife
in h.s heart and lying by his side with
my hand still clutching the handle OF
the knife. ! was delirious for months,
Gnd from my rawlings they gathered the
story. ! suppose now that in that mo-
ment Of supreme agony and despair
grasped bnifc which the colonel al
ways had in his room. and to save my
self killed him.
And in the colonel's will it was found
that he had left his all to my friend
thp ig1op 'fpt lillaI him n EoJar