Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-06-17

their worshiper; humanity has grown
hioeous in my sight, but the singing
life OF the woods and hills-how pure.
how fresh!-the nearest thing to hap
piness on this side OF heaven
A rush of strength and courage in
vigoIated me. A new idea entered my
brain. | determined to follow the
voice Of the nightingale. 1t sung on
sweetly, encouragingly-and | be-
gan afresh my journeyings through the
darkness. | fancied that the bird was
perched on one of the trees outside
the entrance of the vault, and that II
! tried to get within closer hearing
of its voice, | should most likely be
thus guided to the very staircase | had
been so painfully seeking. | stumbled
along slowly. | felt feeble, and my
limbs shook under me. This time
nothing impeding my progress the
nightingale's liquid notes fioated
nearer and nearer, and hope, almost ex-
hausted, sprung up again in my heart.
seemed to be drawn along like one
in dream by the golden thread of the
birds sweet singing. All at once
caught my foot against a stone and fell
forward with some force, but | felt no
pain-my limbs were too numb to be
sensible of any fresh suffering. !
raised my heavy, aching eyes in the
darkness; as | did so | uttered an ex-
clamation of thanksgiving A slender
| stream of moonlight, no thicker than
| the stem OF an arrow, slanted down
ward toward me, and showed me that
! | had fallen upon the lowest steps of
| the stone | sought-in fact | had fallen
upon the lowest step Of the stone
stairway | could not distinguish the
entrance door of the vault, but | know
| that it must be at the summit of the
steep ascent. | was too heavy to move
| further just then. lay still where
was, staring at the solitary moon-ray
and listening to the nightingale, whose
lIapturous melodies now rang out upon
my ears with full distinctness. One,
! The haIsh-toned bell | had heard be-
| fore changed forth the hour. 1t would
soon be morning; | 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
a few moments forgot all my miseries
in profound sleep.
| must have slumberd for some time,
when ] was suddenly awakened by
suffocating sensation of faintness and
nausea, accompanied by a sharp
pain on my neck as though some crea-
lures were singing me. put my hand
| VI to the place-God, shall ever
forget the feel of the Thing my trembl-
ne fingers closed upon, 1t was fastened
in my flesh-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 | closed both
hands convulsively upon it's fat, soft
body literally tore it from my flesh
ard flung it as far back as | could into
the interior blackness of the vault.
For time | believe | was indeed mad
the echoes rang with the piercing
shrieks | could not restrain, Silent az
last through sheer exhaustion |
glared about me- The moonbeam had
vanished; in its place lay a shaft of
rale gray light, by which | 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 madman-I
grasped the iron grating with both
hands and shook it fiercely 1t was
firm as a rock locked fast. | called
for help. Utter silence answered me.
peered through the closely twisted
bars. | saw the grass, the dropping
boughs of trees, and straight before
my line of vision 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 a few of these green morsels
of coolness-l s.e them greedily. They
seemd to me more delicious than any
thing | had ever tasted; they relieved
the burning fever of my parched
throat and tongue. The glimpse of the
trees and sky soothed and Gained me.
There was a gentle twittering of awak-
ing birds; my nightingale had ceased
singing.
| 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 precipi-
tation Something white lay in cor
ner on the seventh step from the top.
Curious to see what II. was, descended
cautiously, and with much reluctance;
it was the half of a thick waXen taper,
such as are used Ia the Catholic ritual
at the burial of the dead. No doubt
it had been thrown down there b.
some careless acolyte, to save himself
the trouble of CARRYING il after the