Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-09
WHITE: IN A
SINGLE NIGHT"

creature and but for that coronet o
snowy hair would have been remarkabl,
beautiful. As it was she had Il strange
unearthly look in spite of her piquan
face and splendid eyes. ! made her ac
quaintance and got her story. 1t wa
this:
1T happened two years ago. was 1!
then. My brother had gone over to on,
of the neighbors, and the servants were
away at some grand merrymaking, so
was alone. As the place was retired
and the evening cool for the season
closed the house at an early hour, ex
cepting the sitting room door, which
opened on large piazza.
Il was seated in this room, occupied
with some light knitting, when a shut.
hing step in the doorway caused me tC
look up. 1nyoluntarily L screamed. A
large, gaunt man stood there, glaring a,
me with the ferocity of a tiger. A
strange, mirthless laugh parted his lips
as.l screamed, and he strode across the
room and seated himself in front of me-
his knees touching mine.
Afraid, are you? Afraid, hey?' he
cried, with another loud. mirthless laugh,
fixing a pair of eyes wild with insanity
if'Oii my idSC- Int lhdl-I like
TO see people afraid. They pale, they
shiver. they scream, they run. they fight.
And. oh. don't l like it. l play with 'em
as pussy does with her mouse. and then
-ha, ha!-then T.
He stopped and. turning his head.
leered wickedly at me as he slipped his
hand into his pocket and drew out an i'm
mense jackknife.
Still feering at me, he opened the
blade. Then with lightninglike move
ment he faced me. and before could ut
ter the cajoling words | was meditating
he had seized nie by the arm. Flashing
the blade rapidly under my eyes, he
shouted i'll ferocious tones:
And then-and then | give 'em a
taste of this, And how they squirm,
Ha, ha. They don't Ike it. but do, and
-ha, ha, ha.-tbe more they don't like it
the more do. Taste it-taste. my pretty
maid. You won't like it. but shall
And he tore away my sleeve, and,
with successive shouts of wild laughter,
he thrust the keen blade into the auiver-
ing flesh again and again
From the first moment | bad realized
that escape was hopeless and that my
only chance for life lay in perfect self
possession and simulated fearlessness |
therefore restrained by an almost super
human effort the slightest expression of
| terror or pain.
''At last he stopped.
"'Why don't you scream?' he cried,
angrily shaking me. Why don't you
squirm? Why don't you try to get away?
Say?
Il answered smilingly and very calmly:
Don't you know that | am Il spirit?
Your knife could not hurt a spirit. could
it?'
"A spirit" he echoed in low, startled
tones, though still keeping a riselike
grasp upon my arm. \ spirit No, it
could not hurt spirit. And can't /
hurt you at ali?'
g See what you have DONE siniingly
answered. pointing to my bleeding arm.
Did l cry? Did squirm? Would | not
have done both if you had hurt me-
My rapid questions made no impress
sion upon him.
"'Flesh and blood.r he muttered CON
fusedly as he eyed the red stream drip
ping upon my dress. Flesh and blood
and-and spiritn
He stopped as if solving some difficult
problem and then burst into deafening
peals of laughter.
Spirits don't bleed.' he shouted in
mad merriment. 'its all dodge"
HE gave me no time TO argue the
point. In an instant lie was fiourishing
his knife with redoublcd fury and wild
ness.
'That was frightful enough. but sud
denly he leaned over the table beside me
and blew out the light As he did so l
started up and wrenched myself from
his grasp. intending to flee through the
open doorway.
''But. as if instinctively penetrating my
design, he rushed 10 the door, and in
was withdrawn.
But now commenced q horrible pur-
suit-a horrible contest for life-and high
above the din of falling. whirling furni-
ture rose his mad laughter and wild
screams Of delight or angry disappoint-
ment.
Round and round he chased me, his
clammy hands now touching my arm,
now sweeping my face. now clutching
my dress, as in The awful confusion.
whir and darkness lic sometimes came
upon me.
Il might have escabed through the
door leading into the hall, but from the
instant he ext;nguished the light my self |
possession deserted me. Every thought |
was absorbed in the mighty effort to |
elude the outstretched hand, with It's |
deadly weapon. and | darted round and |
round. hither and thitber, impeled more |
by animal instinct than divine reason.
81 was in the dark: | was murderously |
pursued by an insane fiend: ! must run; 7
must walk: | must creep; | must stand |
still. From those horrible facts and ne
cessities my thoughts never swerved
hairs breadth.
81 went on | know not how long-it
seemed an age TO me-when suddenly the
ioOr was violently shaken, and loud
roices We're heard without.
1T reused. the maniac to perfect
frenzy. He ragged like wild beast and
pursued me with the ferocious instinct of
me. My peri was immensely greater
han it had been. But heaven saved me.
Presently the door gave way, and my
,rother, with two or three men, rushed
nto the room. Lighted by the torch in
ny brothers hand the men speedily Sc
.ured the madman. though not without a
desperate struggle.
by an act of unprecedented cunning
he poor creature had managed TO clude
he vigilance of his keepers at the asy-
um, and. by the same cunning. TO battle =.
or many days their hot pursuit
But they got upon his track NJ last,
nd arrived. thanks to an overrulins
Providence. in time to rescue me from Il
eath too frightful to contemplate.
rs it astonishing that my hair is