Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-26

a lntll 10 nave entered the room unseen by me and to have made his escape ill the few seconds it took my cousins to reach the spot where had seen him. So it was thought that I had fallen asleep in my chair, and my vision had been the result of my late supper of minced chicken and champagne, and though was still shivering from my fright l allowed myself to be almost persuadc.i that this was the real truth.
 By tl.c next night I had so thorough ly been l..,-l2eti into believing this that took my seat before the mirror and be- gan brushing my hair as nonchalantly as at first, when to my utter horror I saw that figure form itself from noth- ing, absolutely nothing, and again ad- vance upon me with that menacing at titude. Again it raised its hands to strike, the terrible eyes seemed to glare into mine, fixed on them in the mirror, | and, as before, released from the horror that held me stricken into marble, lcaped to nfy feet and ran screaming into the corridor without. I glanced back into the room, but there was no | one visible there, but I was not to be convinced this time that an overloaded imagination was to blame. I fled to my aunt's door, and as she opened it fell l fainting in her arms. I was not to be stirred from my belief that my life had been threatened in that dreadful room by all the searching and arguments that were made and ann0J;"cei ny intention of returning homo i'll the morning.
 But the next night was to be that i of the grand ball given in honor of the prince, and that, with the fact that l had the prcttiest gown in the city to wear. finally prevailed on me to alter my mind, though made it q condition that Marian, my maid. was to occupy a little antcchamber opening into mine, | and that my stalwart cousin, Christo- | phcr, who was aftcrward my loved hus- band for nearly 10 years, was to sleep on cot i'll tho hall just outside my door. So with a contented mind I went to tho ball, returning late to find my good maid asleep, and as she was still not well I crept quietly in and proceed ed to undresS.
 II let down my hair, and, though too | fatigued, as usual, to brush it, sat for some moments looking at myself in the | glass-I was little vain in those days l when all at once I saw behind me the man with his knife ill his hand.
 But this time he did not evolve from air, but was there, real flesh and blood, his hot breath nearly scorching the back | of my neck. l leaped to my feet with a scream, and as did so he struck at me, but tho blade glanced asido, wounding me only slightly in the shoulder. screamed aloud, and he felled me with blow just as Marian and Christopher came rushing in. Seeing them, the rob. Der and assassin sprang for the open window and would have escaped by leaping-an easy feat for a muscular man-in the window of the house next door, which was also open and only about three feet distant. This had evidently l been the way by which he had entered and which he used as an egress. But Christopher caught him and dragged him back. and after a struggle secured him, aided by his brothers, who mad been summoned by Marian, so when opened my eyes from my swoOn it wa: to see the would be murderer lying bound, while near me lay small dag
 ger, with handle of Etruscan gold
 studded with hawcd rubies.
 But here is the strange part of thC | had entered my room for the first time
 though on tho two previous nights ht had watched me through the shutters oi tho two windows. He was the son ot the family residing next door, and from tho love of dress and pleasure beyond his means had involved himself hope
 lcssly in debt, and seeing my diamond' had conceived the idea of killing or n
 least silrncius me and stealing them t' pay his debts. But though his mind haC
 dwelt consistently on tho scheme he haC
 lacked courage to carry it out until tn,
 night of tho ball. when. pressed by ar importunatc creditor, he had let himsel
 into tho room, where he had concealed himself until my arrival, not knowing l of the protectors I had been warned [,
 have near me. e."-Philadelphia Times.