The times., 1897-06-20

me- and as i raused for moment, be
heo"ed III a way TO make my hair stand
turned to call the old woman, and the
cat new out Of the loom between my feet
With hiss and a howl, and went flying
down the stairs, and as / listened for
a moment / heard the hag scolding ami
Jah5eiing The only weapon haI with
me was the stout stick which / used to
carry rny pack over NY shoulder, but that
was almost as good as a knife or a pistol
smut the door and put the washstani
against H. and then getting my stick /
sat down to write up my notebook Ir
| lhat cat showed up again would give him
something 10 remember me by.saad as %,
what the old woman might 10 felt M
great uneasiness- She might covet nv
| GOLD pieces, but / had 70 dea fbe v-onl,t
] Try TO rob me single-handed. Ibadref,,se,,
| the wine, but perhaps / was oyersaut,ous
| about that
wrote for about half an hour and
'heh closed my book and got up and
went 10 the window for a look at the
hiehs- 10 my surprise, found iron bars
across the outside, and they wers set al
cose together as II the place were a ialI.
IL gave me quite shock, and yet had
met with other old inns with curious fe,-
lures about Shem. I had my stick in NV
hand, and as 1 turned there sat the tjo
cat In the center of the room, as / had
seen him when came up from supper. With
yell dashed at him. but the cIuh DO
scended on the floor with great crash
4 thought the cat lodged under the bed,
but after hunting about for ten minutes
could neither find him in the room nnr dis
cover how be could POSSIBLY have left III
own That L now became very nervous
ana apprehensive, and | had 10 make a
strong effort TO pull myself Together and
plan what should 90. II the Old woman
bad evil designs it was safer to remain in
the room than to 60 down stairs into tha
daTk room / had candles in my mack.
and, lighting whole ore to replace the
stub now almost burned out, sat down
TO await developments.
tor Two weary hours the house was As
quiet as the grave, and at about mIdpigbt
found myself nodding with sleep and
ready 70 stretch out on the bed before me
fully intended TO lie down, but della vet
getting up minute after minute: and ast
result fell asleep in mychair / an sureI
slept for a full hour, when was suddenl-
awakened In the most sudden and savage
manner. The big cat was onmy breast. bit
ing and scratching and screaming Intr
Ing TO spring up / overturned the chafran<
fell to the floor and rolled over, and thI
broke the cats hold. As reached nv feet
he sprang for myface, butI made a sweei
with the club and brought him Gown Tht
battle between US lasted for five minutes
and he bit me several times before / dis
abled him. When he could no longer at
tack l clubhed him until ne was limp AMI
hfeless
There had been rumpus enough to arouse
the house. but I had heard nothius
from the old woman. 1 was Just turnins
away from the cat, when the door was
burst open, the stand upset, aud the haa
bounded into the room with naked knife
IN her hand She snarled at me rather than
screamed, and IL her appearance was re-
pulsiye before it was now positively devil
ism shouted 20 her to keep off, a. 1 saw
that she meant TO attack, but she rushed
straight at me and missed me by hairs
breadth as she delivered her first blow.
Ny swing of the club Knocked the knife
from her hand, and then she seized ma
barehanded
have told you that she was old and
bent, but her appearance was deceptive. L
hated TO strike her, and therefore set out
her strength and ferocity that she would
have had me down instead if l had not
given her terrible rap on the head. she
was stunned By the blow and before she
came TO 1 had her tied hand and foot.
When she opened her eyes and realized that
she was aprisoner she shrieked and scream
ed and cursed in an awful way, and to
put an end 20 her noise gagged her with
a towel. It was evident that she had
plotted alone, but not knowing when some
belated Traveller might turn up OF the
country police make a call, 1 made ready
to depart.
lo"Eed over the lashings to see II they
were secure, gave the old bag a vigorous
Bit Of Dy mind, and then flingng the body
of the dead cat across her for onpany's
sake, L took up MY candle and pack and
made my way down stairs andOut upon the
In the darkness and storm 1
could not keep the road, and in my he-
wiiderment l ian up aga nst what proFed
to be shed for the stabliDg Of tiavele.s'
horses, and not above hundred feet fiun
the door Of the inn. ! found and opened
the door, and the Iemain der of the '-:ser-
able night was passed standing II my zee.
a pool OF water. A dayI' ght came at
last stripped myself and wItmg the water
out OF my gaTme ats. an d when had 6onned
hem again i stepped forth TO get out Of
he neighborhood a speedily as pOssi-
ble.
Naturally, my first look was toward the
inn. There On the doorstep. looking full al
me, was tie old woman and her black ,satI
l had left one securely bound and gagged
the otter dead from blows OF my club, hut
there they sat, seemingly knowing OF my
retreat and waiting for me to appear. Is
stood there gazing and wondering,
saw the hag's fingers clench aud the .at
open his mouth to scream at me, but
at the sound OF wheels on the fIinty nigh
way AMI the whistle OF driver they roth
within the door; and set off
at pace which was not slackened untilI
was miles away.
CHARLES B. LEWIS
The Haunted House.
tba r,,Ia nfla-.- bo,car-oo,,,r