Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-17

| my ears with full distinctness. Onet
: The haTsh-toned bell l had heard be-
fore changed forth the hour. 1t would
soon be morning; l resolved to rest
till then. Utterly worn out in body
! and mind, laid down my head upon
, the cold stones as readily as if they
/ had been the softest cushions, and in
q few moments forgot all my miseries
! inSa profound sleep.
y
| must have slumberd for some time
when was suddenly awakened by a
sufocating sensation Of faintness and
nausea, accompanied by a sharp
pain on my neck as though some crea-
lures were singing me. put my hand
ur to the place-God, shall ever
forget the feel of the Thing my trembl-
ng fingers closed upon! It was fastened
IL my f1esh-a winged, clammy. breath
ing horror. 1t chung to me with a
loathy persistency that nearly drove
me frantic, and wild with disgust and
/ terror | screamed aloud! I closed both
hands convulsively upon its fat. soft
body literally tore it from my flesh
and flung it as far back as | could into
the interior blackness of the yauIt
For a time believe l was indeed mad
the echoes rang with the piercing
shrieks | could not restrain! Silent at
last through sheer exhaustion /
glared about me- The moonbeam had
vanished; in its place lay a shaft of
Pale gray light, by which I could
easily distinguish the whole length of
the staircase and the closed gateway of
its summit. | rushed up the stair with,
the feverish haste of a madman-I
grasped the iron grating with both
hands and shook it fiercely. 1t was
firm as a rock, locked fast. | calico
for help. Utter silence answered me-
| peered through the closely twisted
bars. | saw the grass, the drOoping.
boughs of trees and straight before
my line of vision a little piece of the
blessed sky, Opal-tinted and family
blushing with the sweet fresh air: a.
long trailing branch of the wild grape,
vine hung near me; its leaves were
covered thickly with dew. [ squeezed
one hand through the grating and
gathered few of these green morselss
of coolness-I ate them greedily. They
seemd to me more delicious than any,
thing | had ever tasted; they relieved
the burning fever of my parched2
throat and tongue. The glimpse of the
trees and sky sOOthed and Gained me-
There was a gentle twttering of awak--
ing birds; my nightingale had ceased
singing.
L began to recover slowly from my
nervous terrors, and leaning against
the gloomy arch Of my charnel-house..
took courage to glance backward
down the steep stairway up which
had sprung with such furious precfpi--
tat1on. Something white lay in a cor
ner on the seventh step from the top.
Curious to see what it was, | descendeR
cautiously, and with much reluctance:
it was the half of a thick waXen taper.
such as are used in the Catholic ritual
at the burial of the dead No doubt
1t had been thrown down there by
some careless acolyte, to save himself
the trouble of carrying it after the
service had ended. I looked at it rnedi-
tatively. If only had a light! plung-
ed my hand half abstractedly into the
pockets of my trOusers-somethin
jingled! Truly they had buried me in
haste. My purse, a small buncfs of
keys, my cardcase-one by one [ t2rgs5
them out and examined them az7~-
rrisedly-they looked so familiar, ana
Withal so strange! | searched again
and this time found something of rear
value to one in my condition. small
box Of wax Vestas. Now, had they
left me my cigar-case? No, that was
gone. 1t was q valuable silver one
10 doubt the monk who attended my
last moments had taken it.
together with my watch and chain, 20
my wife.
To be continued