The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-16

1
lips. 1t happened that two OF my Young
rlen cousins had fingered later than
tho rest of tho family at the entertain
ment referred TO, and having Just como
i'll wero coming up tho main staircase
close to my ruo:a. Rushing to these, 1
threw myself into the arms of the near
est, Christopher, shricking, The man,
tho mani
1.-The two young men hurried 10 my
room and looked about, but could sec no
one The windows We're all fastened,
and as had mysolf Just como out of
tho single door to the apartment, and
from which no ono else could have slip
ped without our seeing him, tho only
chance was for tho burglar to have con-
cealed himself in tho room.
By this time tho rest of the house.
hold was aroused, and not only INV
room, but the entire place, was thor
oughly searched. Tho three windows of
the room were provided with heavy old
fashioned shutters, two of them opening
on the street, I'M unbrollen descent of
over 40 feet, while the other had not
been Enclosed for years, for it looked
almost into one i'll the next house, which
was also seen to be tightly secured.
The house itself was occupied by a re-
spectacle family i'll straitened circum.
stances. 1t therefore seemed an impossi-
blllty for u man to have entered tho
room unseen by me and to have mado
his escape i'll the few seconds it took nv
cousins to reach the spot where had
seen him. So it was thought that had
fallen asleep i'll my chair. and nv vision
| had been the result of my late supper of
minced chicken and champagne and
though | was still shivering from my
fright 1 allowed myself to DO almost
persuaded that this was the real truth.
By the next night had so thorough
ly been laughed into believing this that
L took my seat before the mirror and be-
gan brushing my hair rs nonchalantly
as at first, when to my utter horror L
saw that figure form itself from moth
ing, absolutely nothing, and again adj
vance upon. mo with that menacing at
titude. Again it raised its hands to
strike, the terrible eyes seemed to glaro
into mine, fixed OH them i'll the mirror,
and, as before, released from the horror
that held me stricken into marble
lcaped to my feet and ran screaming
into the corridor without. | glanced
Dack into the room, but there was no
one visible there, but I was not to DO
convinced this time that an overheatcd
imagination was to blame. fled to nv
aunt's door, and as she opened it fell
fainting i'll her arms. I was not to be
stirred from my belief that my life had
been threatened in that dreadful room
by all tho searching and arguments that
do
OF returning home in tho morning.
But the next night was to be that
OF tho grand ball given i'll honor of the
prince, and that, with tho fact that 1
had tho prettiest gown in the city to
wear. finally prevailed OH me to alter
my mind, though l made it condition
that Marian, my maid, was to occupy n
little antechamber opening into mine,
and that my stalwart cousin, Christie
phcr, who was afterward my loved hus-
band for nearly 40 years, was to sleep
on cot i'll the hall just outside nv
door. So with a contented mind went
to tho ball, returning late to find nv
good maid asleep, and as she was still
not well crept quietly in and proceed
ed to undress.
Il let down my hair, and, though too
fatigued, rs usual, to brush it, sat for
some moments looking at myself in the
glass-I was Il little vain in those DAYS
when all at once saw behind mo the
man with his knife in 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. leapcd to my feet with a
scream, and as l did so he struck at me.
but the blade glanced aside, wounding
me only slightly III the shoulder. /
screamed aloud, and he folled me with
blow just as Marian and CHRISTOPHER
came rushing i'll. Seeing them, tho rob-
Der and assassin sprang for the open
window and would have escaped by
leaplng-an easy feat for a muscular
man-in the window of tho house next
door, which was also open and only about
three feet distant. This had evidently
been the way by which he had entered
and which ho used as an egress. But
Christopher caught him and dragged
him back, and after struggle secured
him, aided by. his brothers, who had
been summoned by Marian, so when I
opened my eyes from my swoon it was
to SEQ the would be murderer lying
bound, while near me lay small dag
ger, with handle of Etruscan gold,
studded with flawed rubies.
But here is the strange part of the
story: On the night of his capture he
had entered my room for the first time,
though on the two previous nights he
had watched me through the shutters of
the two windows. He was the son of
the family residing next door, and from
tho love of dress and pleasure beyond