The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-05-14

'OnlY an OWL nOOtlng In tne WOOuS'
What bundle of ridiculous nerves you
are, Marian"
"Ah but the strange grating sounds
as if skeleton fingers were feeling over
the roof"
Clara burst into laugh
Nothing on earth but the trees that
hang over the ledge of rocks, and brush
to and fro across the ridge pole at every
gust of wind. What will you fancy
next?"
Marian drew deep sigh of relief.
But shall not undress," she said,
quietly.
"Why not?"
81 think it safer to lie down just as
am"
Marian, you are goose" exclaimed
Clara. However, L don't care we'll
just draw the patchwork coverlid over
us and sleep as soundly as if we were
in the state chamber at Windsor castle,
for think l never was so sleepy in all
my life"
II shall not sleep wink all night"
said Marian. "Oh Clara, L wish we
had kept on down the mountains. l
wish we had not come here"
Marian what ails you?" cried Clara,
almost impatiently. Il wouldn't be
such an old maid as you for thousand
dollars. Do lie quietly down and let
me 90 to sleep"
Marian Dale said no more, but at
midnight she noiselessly walked her
companion.
u,,C1,1 n, ,D4 S,Naa1riD
she whispered; "but face was looking
into the window just now"
Into this window, Marian? No one
but bird could reach it. You are
dreaming"
~ am not dreaming. Neither have I
been asleep. But l tell you face did
look in just now. A face ghastly in the
moonlight, with shaggy hair and
beard
Clara raised herself on her elbow, and
perceived that the violence of the storm
was over and that the moon was shin
ing so as to cast a square of white radi-
ance on the rough board floor.
Suddenly the food of light was dark
ened. Marian forced her companion
back into a reclining posture, and whis-
pered:
"Hush! pretend to be asleep-it is our
only safety"
And at the same instant a curious
dwarfed figure climbed into the room,
it's face looking singularly yellow and
corpse-lilie in the magic light, framed
as it was, with mat of coarse red hair
A ragged coat hung loosely on its mis-
shapen shoulders, and its feet were
cased in something that looked like
moccasins of fur. And as Clara lay
there. she could feel the blood pulsing
in wild leaps to her heart. She could
not speall-she had no voice to scream.
1t seemed to her for the moment that
she must surely go mad with terror.
The creature, whether apparition or
reality, crept stealthily across the
, creaking floor to where the girls neck
| laces and earrings lay glittering on an
unpainted pine table, and uttered a
| strange, chuckling sound as he gathered
! them together and dropped them into
| some receptacle hidden away in his
clothing. Then, horror of horrors he
approached the bed, leaning over and
listening so intently that they could
| feei his hot breath on their temples for
an instant!
"l.sleep!" he murmured, "asleep."
AN. when Clara and Marian next
darec to open their eyes he was gone.
| TheJ lay there trembling and fearing
a repe t,tion of the strange visit until
day ybre,.i; and then hurried down to
Huldah Dare, to tell the story of their
nights a;3renture. The old woman list.
ened, wit, an incredulous face.
"Nonsen2e!" she croaked "all stuff
and nonserSa. You were dreaming!"
"But our rings and necklaces, and
Mariau's cora brooch?"
There they are" said Huldah, with
a motion Of hes head toward the pillow
of her own rough couch in the corner
''l came up last night to see that you
were sleeping well, and saw them all
spread out, and knew it wasn't safe. sc
| brought them down with me and put
EN- under my pillow for safe keeping.
Clara lifted up the homespun linen
and there, sure enough, lay the spark
ling treasures She looked at Marian
almost inclined to disbelievc The evi
dence of her own senses.
But, Huldah, " said MARIAN, quietly
81 saw it with my own ryes-the hor
rid, dwarfed creature gather up oul
rings and charms and drop them into
his pocket. / saw bis face, very white,
with his ghttering eyes and red, tan,
gled hair. / fee his very breath upon
ruy face,
Dreams! Ireams! dreams" muttereC
liuldah, inpatiently. "Are you ready
for youv breakfast young ladies?"
But neither of the girls could eat after
the hideous night they had passed
They rewarded the old woman literally
for her grudgingly given hospitality,
and set out TO walk down the noun
tain side, with what speed they might
But knew it was no dream" said
Clara, in a whisper as if even the
copses, and birds, and powders of roali
had ears to hear.
About week afterwards the maid
who daily came up to brush Miss Wyn
ford's lovely golden hair was brimf,ll oi
tidings
Dear heart alive, miss" said she
| did Won know that Widow Huldah