The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-01-03

bright moon, by the light of which l
could see that the street was empty. l
threw open the window and looked into
| the street, but there was nothing ex-
cepting gray walls and expressionless
windows to be seen. l smiled to my
self as realized that | must have been
the victim of some vivid dream, strong
enough almost to amount to an hallu-
cination. / closed and locked the
window. After drawing down the cur
tain / lighted the gas. Everything in
my room was exactly as | had left it.
With that solid satisfaction one has who
has mastered nervous dread by con-
clusively proving that there is no real
cause for fear, once more went to bed,
after turning out the gas. The reac-
ton after the sudden strain on my
nerves was so great and so comforting
that aim lost instantly fell asleep.
1t must have been half an hour later,
as near as l can judge from after events,
when / opened my eyes-awakened by
strange odor. A man was standing
over me holding a sponge saturated
with ch.oroform to my face. l had
awakened just in time. The moon
| light through the curtains lighted the
room enough for me to distinguish that
the man was masked My one idea
was to escape from the fumes of the
sponge. | seized it with both hands
while l tried to spring from the bed.
In an instant l was having hand-to-
hand combat with the robber. Not
wishing to drop his sponge he had but
one hand to hold me down. In the
scufle that ensued l managed to drag
myself up, and also to push him with
some violence against the foot of the
bed. l fought for life like a mad
woman, calling and screaming for help
all the time. AT last, thoroughly fright
ened by my uproar, he threw his sponge
away and seized me by the throat with
both hands. 1t was high time, for my
next neighbor, being aroused, was at
the door. He camored for admittance,
and, hearing no sound, trie d the door;
that was, of course, locked. My jail
or's hands prevented my uttering a
syllable. l could feel my eyes almost
starting from their sockets from the
pressure of those firm hands. After a
moments silence, steps were heard
hurry ing down the corridor, as the man
who had come to my assistance rushed
off. prayed to bring the night clerk.
Then the hands at my throat were
loosened, and, more dead than alive, l
was pinned by one hand to the wall.
81 have great mind to kill you"
was Kissed at me in deep.toned voice.
"Oh, for Gods sake, spare mel"
gasped. "Take anything, but let me
livel'
There is no time to escape" He
hesitated.
eyes. l will be silent. l will not
aid them. There is money on the bu-
reau, take it and CO."
Will you swear if l spare you-as
you hope for salvation-never to at
tempt to bring me to justice and never
to inform against me, should we meet
again?"
81 swear" 1 replied. What else
could do?
He let me 90, and, turning to the
bureau, took the roll of bills. He then
unlocked the door and as he passed into
the entry l saw, by the hall light, his
face; for in the struggle with me he
had lost his mask. One glance was
sufficient to impress that face and fig
ure indelibly upon my mind. He was
tall built and well dressed. His features
were clear cut and refined; in short, he
looked like gentleman. Light hair,
parted in the middle, waved away from
his forehead. His eyes were clear and
blue, his mouth was shaded by blonde
mustache.
threw on loose gown and lighted
the gas. The room was in confusion
from the recent struggle. | caught a
glimpse of my white face in the glass
and started as if | had seen ghost, so
unfamiliar was the reflection. In less
time than it takes to record the fact,
heard sharp knock at the door,
"Come in," l cried.
The clerk and three other men ap-
peared upon the threshold. AS well as
excitement would allow l told the story
of what occurred. l did not hurry my
tale, and before l had come to the es-
cape of the robber / had given him
plenty of time to have gained his free
dom. When they heard of his quiet
departure down the corridor, men were
sent after him; but side door was
found unfastened, and through that he
had doubtless passed to the street.
An examination of my apartment
disclosed the fact that several of my
wraps were under the bed, forming a
comfortable resting place. 1t then
dawned upon me that at some hour dur.
ing the evening he had entered my
room and concealed himself beneath
my bed. The noise that had first
awakened me, and that had seemed tC
me wire striking against the window
must have been the creaking of the
springs of my own bed, set in motion
by some unwary movement of the rob-
Der as he was preparing to leave hii
hiding place. 1t was not pleasant tC
think that during my reading and prep.
arations for the night my room wai
shared by an unknown and unseer
companionl Toward morning the
house settled down again to quiet ant
rest, and, utterly exhausted by the ter
rible scene through which had passed
/ sank into deep sleep, from which
did not wake till noon.
| awoke with a dull remembrance
that something was wrong. Slowly The
facts of last night came back to me witt
vivid distinctness. | hesitated abOu
tale Uranhinu tn Tom and at Last do